STANLEY 5

Ross Sykes 30, Courtney Baker-Richardson 45, Dion Charles 53, Jordan Clarke 62, Connor Simpson 74

LIVERPOOL U21S 2

Elijah Dixon-Bonner 8, Kevin Stewart 77

STANLEY made it three wins out of three to top the table after their final group game of the Leasing.com Trophy with victory over Liverpool Under 21s.

Ross Sykes, Courtney Baker-Richardson, Dion Charles, Jordan Clark and Connor Simpson were on target against a teenage Liverpool outfit, who have lost two of their three group games and drawing the other but losing it on penalties.

John Coleman’s side were already through to the last 32 of the competition but, importantly, they have now collected £30,000 in prize money so far.

The game was also watched by 1,002 fans – a decent following at the Wham Stadium.

Stanley’s on-loan Stoke City keeper Josef Bursik made his first start for the Reds while on-loan Swansea striker Baker-Richardson was playing his first game since August, after a groin injury.

Defender Sykes, who is the middle of a three-game league ban, also started for the Reds.

It was Liverpool who opened the scoring on eight minutes with their first real attack with a defensive mix-up left Stanley exposed and Elijah Dixon-Bonner fired into the empty net.

Stanley were unlucky not to equalise on 16 minutes when Clark got the ball 20 yards out and rifled it goalwards, the ball crashing off the post.

They did think they had levelled the scores four minutes later when defender Aji Alese forced the ball over the line, challenging with keeper Ben Winterbottom, but it was ruled out by referee Andy Haines for a foul on the stopper.

Winterbottom showed no effects from the injury, denying Clark at the near post but, from the resulting Joe Pritchard corner on 30 minutes, Sykes rose highest to head home the equaliser.

A minute later Stanley had a let-off when a fierce blast by goalscorer Dixon-Bonner was inches over the bar.

Stanley then piled on the pressure with Charles heading wide, Alese heading into Winterbottom’s arms and Clark hitting the woodwork once again with a curling strike.

Their pressure finally told when, on the stroke of half-time, Pritchard cut inside but was superbly denied by Winterbottom, before Lamine Kaba Sherif rifled the ball goalwards and it deflected off Baker-Richardson beyond Winterbottom.

Stanley then took control after the break.

Striker Charles made it three on 52 minutes, the striker racing free and taking the ball around Winterbottom for an easy finish.

Winger Clark got the goal his hard work deserved on 61 minutes, getting the ball and cutting inside before curling his effort home.

Preston loan striker Connor Simpson chipped home the fifth on 74 minutes but another defensive mix-up three minutes later allowed Layton Stewart to score a second for Liverpool Under 21s.

With Fleetwood and Oldham still to play but unable to catch Stanley, the Reds will wait for the knock-out draw.