Teenager Kaide Gordon stars as Liverpool come from behind to beat Shrewsbury

Liverpool's Kaide Gordon (right) celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game. Picture: Peter Byrne

Liverpool 4 Shrewsbury 1

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp returned to the sidelines to see Kaide Gordon become the second youngest goalscorer in the club’s history as they eventually reached the fourth round of the FA Cup with relative ease.

The 17-year-old winger scored the pick of Liverpool’s four goals as the Premier League side continued to negotiate fixture congestion and an outbreak of Covid.

But the League One side at least enjoyed the experience of taking the lead at Anfield, even if they only held it for seven minutes.

It was a well-worked, if simple, 27th minute goal as Ethan Ebanks-Blake’s long ball found Nathanael Ogbeta on the left and his cross was turned in by Daniel Udoh from close range.

It was the result of poor defending by young Liverpool full-back Conor Bradley but the manner in which Udoh slipped between senior stars Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate will have been of far greater concern to Klopp.

At least the Liverpool manager, back in the dug-out after a spell out with Covid, only had to wait a short time for his team to draw back level through Gordon, who became their youngest scorer since Ben Woodburn in 2016.

Bradley’s cross from the right picked out the winger in the Shrewsbury area and, after a poor attempted tackle by Josh Vela, Gordon switched feet and rolled a perfect finish into the far corner.

The equaliser altered the tie’s momentum and Liverpool would capitalise just before half-time when Ebanks-Landell was judged to have handled as he came under pressure from van Dijk in leaping for Andy Robertson’s free-kick and Fabinho converted the penalty.

There was a half-chance for the visitors, from Ryan Bowman’s header after a long throw-in, which Caoimhin Kelleher held well but Liverpool were comfortable.

Young Reds forward Elijah Dixon-Bonner might have added a cushion soon after the restart, but his close-range attempt was well blocked by Shrewsbury keeper Marko Marosi.

Having brought on Takumi Minamino at the interval, Klopp added Roberto Firmino off the bench just after the hour as he sought a decisive third goal.

Liverpool's Roberto Firmino (centre) celebrates scoring their side's third goal. Picture: Peter Byrne

And Firmino it was who scored it, 11 minutes from time, after Bradley pulled the ball back from the by-line and Konate’s mis-hit shot only reached the Brazilian who cheekily back-heeled the ball over the line from three yards.

Fabinho scored his second, and Liverpool’s fourth, with the last kick of the game, lashing the ball in from a tight angle following a Kostas Tsimikas free-kick.

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Kelleher 7; Bradley 6 (Norris 90), van Dijk 6, Konate 5, Robertson 7 (Tsimikas 90); Morton 7, Fabinho 7, Dixon-Bonner 5 (Firmino 63, 6); Gordon 8 (Frauendorf 80), Woltman 5 (Minamino 45, 6), Jones 7.

Subs (not used): Adrian, Mattia, Mabaya, Balagizi.

SHRESBURY (3-5-2): Marosi 6; Pennington 6, Ebanks-Landell 6, Nurse 7; Bennett 6 (Daniels 88), Vela 6, Davis 7, Leahy 6 (Caton 90), Ogbeta 8 (Pierre 82); Bowman 6 (Bloxham 82), Udoh 7 (Janneh 82).

Subs (not used): Burgoyne, Cosgrove, Pyke, Craig.

Referee: D Coote 7.