By Mighty Reds
April 22 2006

Reds Academy director, Steve Heighway, was a relieved man at the end of the FA Youth Cup Final where he saw his team beat Manchester City youth 3-2 on aggregate. The young Reds were stunning in the clash at Anfield a week earlier when they beat City 3-0 but in the return leg City were outstanding and with the pressure they piled on the Reds a third goal for them would have come as no surprise.

Heighway said:

"It was a tough night for us and it feels like we lost almost because City battered us tonight but the boys came through in the end," Heighway told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"I was under no illusions whatsoever going into the game and I felt we would have to score a goal to win it as I could see City scoring goals. The fact that we didn't score but still won pleases me because they were the better side. We kept getting forced backwards and they were winning every header and all the second balls and it was like 15 against our 11 at times, but there is something special about these kids of ours.

"Defensively we played well as we have all season but in midfield we couldn't put our normal passes together. This was a great lesson for the boys because sometimes the tide against you is so irresistable that all you can do is survive. Football is like that. I thought City were awesome tonight but I also thought we were awesome against them at Anfield last week.

"I actually went against my principles when I changed our formation in the second half when I took Adam Hammill off. I don't like playing 4-5-1 but we had to put five men across the midfield just to survive. Thank God the clock ran down quickly in the end.

"It is definitely a case of relief after this victory as if the game had gone to extra-time I couldn't have seen us coming back from that. It was a very dramatic final with a lot at stake but I'm just really pleased that our lads came through.

"I said to the boys it reminded me of when we won the UEFA Cup in 1973 against Borussia Moenchengladbach. We were 3-0 up from the first leg at Anfield but they battered us in Germany and won 2-0 but we held on to win the cup."


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