MK Dons beat Liverpool in Sunday’s Gwen and Jim Mann Academy Showcase Match at Stadium MK.
After a thrilling 4-4 draw, played out in front of over 1,000 supporters at Stadium MK, the Dons held their nerve in the penalty shoot-out to secure victory and take home the trophy.
MK Dons took a sixth-minute lead through Tommy Blennerhassett, who converted from a corner, but Liverpool levelled the scores soon after.
Elijah Gift, who scored the equaliser, then put the Reds in front with 21 minutes played but the Dons hit back with two goals in two minutes to regain the lead - Kyle Boyce with a stunning left-footed strike moments before Ed Daffern’s composed finish.
Daffern completed a brace within a minute of the re-start to give the Dons a two-goal cushion but Liverpool, to their credit, never gave up and found the net twice in the space of three minutes to tie the scores.
It remained 4-4 through to the final whistle, which took the contest to a shoot-out.
After Liverpool saw their first penalty saved by Seb Stacey, Charlie Waller put the Dons ahead but Liverpool restored parity with their second spot-kick.
However, the visitors were to be denied twice more by Stacey and that gave Daffern the opportunity to put them 2-1 up with the Dons’ fourth effort.
Daffern obliged and that set up Stacey to be the match-winner with a fourth stop, securing victory for the Young Dons.
MK Dons: Sandford (Stacey 80), Wood (Pickering 46), Waller, Lewis-Burgess (Young 68), Mann (Bombo 55), Stirland (Munroe 66), Anker (Silver 74), Tripp, Blennerhassett (Adepoju 68), Daffern (Olaleye 55), Boyce (Lucas 46).
Subs: Gray, Brammeld, Boyle
