A young FC Isle of Man side was knocked out of the Macron Cup at AFC Liverpool on Wednesday evening.

Manager Chris Bass Sr knew this was bound to be a tough test against a team from the division above and named a mixed squad of youth and experience, which handed squad debuts to Karl Clark, Max Shirley, Luca Moretta and Shaun Kelly.

The match started off quite cagey as both teams sussed each other out and the Ravens became used to the playing surface, trying to find areas of the pitch to exploit the opposition but found it tough against their resilient defence. But the Manx side did find some joy down the right-hand side, with Adam Mealin being put through on many occasions via Shaun Kelly’s flick-ons with the pair gaining a fast understanding.

Debutant Shirley, at only 17, had the confidence to take on the Liverpool full-back and quickly became accustomed to this level of football. Cameron Avery led by example throughout wearing the captain’s armband, while Adam Cooil stood out by bringing the ball out from the back into midfield.

A first start was handed to centre half partnership Jamie Corlett and Clark who dealt with everything thrown at them, with the former showcasing some impressive composure on the ball. AFC Liverpool ended the first half the more frustrated of the two teams as they struggled to break FC Isle of Man down, with neither team creating any clear cut chances.

At half-time Bass Sr made two substitutions, with goalkeeper Dean Kearns and winger Shirley exiting the game to be replaced by James Rice and Scott Horne respectively. The hosts started to find their rhythm in the second period and had a succession of corners, which were well dealt with by the Ravens defence and Rice.

Approaching the hour, the Manx side created a great chance with Taylor Andrews attempting an overhead kick which sailed narrowly wide of the post. Taylor Andrews then left the pitch with cramp and was substituted for Moretta, who became the youngest player to make an appearance for the club so far.

The conditions of the pitch then took its toll on the Ravens as the visitors began to struggle to get out under pressure from Liverpool. This bore fruit in the 66th minute when the home team took the lead with a low driving ball into the box and Kyle Sambor took his chance to find the back of the net and make it 1-0.

The Manx side continued to try and work their way through AFC Liverpool, but the hosts defended resolutely, showing their experience at this level. Then in additional time Liverpool found the back of the net again to make it 2-0 with a cross being sent in at the back post by Callum Schorah.

This was always going to be a tough one as envisaged but the Ravens put in a valiant performance and impressed the home crowd with their display. A fantastic experience for some of the younger players entering the matchday squad and this bodes well for the future.

MIKE HOLT