Liverpool under-18s completed a stunning comeback to claw themselves back from 3-0 down to win 4-3 against reigning league champions Middlesbrough on Saturday afternoon, as Toni Gomes netted a sublime second-half hat-trick.

The young Reds, who fell 1-0 to to Manchester City in the opening round of fixtures, started strongly against Boro - but were unable to take any of their chances.

They were twice hit on the break as Lee Heatherington and Alex Pattison finished off two team moves to give the away side a kind two-goal lead at the interval. 

And despite flying out of the blocks in the second-half, the Reds were again made to pay for failing to take their chances as Patrick Reading put Craig Liddle's side well in command after 53 minutes.

It seemed as though Liverpool were set to fall to back-to-back defeats, but Gomes put his side back into the equation after 65 minutes, before a rally from the hosts saw him net his second just eight minutes later.

And having impressed throughout the full 90 minutes, Gomes headed in his, and Liverpool's third to pull them level. 

But the drama wasn't done there, and Yan Dhanda got onto Adam Phillips' cross in the 90th minute to hand the Reds their first win of the new season at the Kirkby Academy.

Hosts the stronger side early on

A number of promising young Liverpool players were involved, as Neil Critchley made two changes with Michael Parker - out injured - and Corey Whelan - promoted to the U21s for their trip to Reading - replaced by Kris Owens and Kane Lewis.

The hosts had five 16-year-olds in their youthful looking starting line-up, including captain  Trent Alexander-Arnold - who made his first-team debut in pre-season against Swindon Town.

Liverpool started brightly, and almost opened the scoring as early as three minutes in - as Yan Dhanda seized on a loose ball and drove forward. He cut an effort back to Herbie Kane, whose shot from the edge of the area was deflected wide. 

Dhanda was a creative influence throughout, and saw plenty of the ball in the opening stages - though he couldn't make anything more of Ovie Ejaria's intelligent cross inside the box.

From the resulting corner, George Johnston ambitiously tried the spectacular - but his overhead kick was cleared. The Reds retrieved the ball to win another set-piece as Dhanda twice teased in two dangerous crosses, but goalkeeper Tom Dawson was equal to both of the deliveries.

Critchley's side continued to trouble their opponents, as Kane pushed the ball into the path of Ejaria on the edge of the area and he miraculously wriggled the ball out of his feet to get a shot away, but Dawson got enough of a hand on to the shot to prevent it creeping over the line.

But Boro still retained a threat going forward themselves, as a number of defensive errors invited them into the game - though no-one could get a touch to Mitchell Curry's cross in the 12th minute.

Adam Phillips was another of Liverpool's creative influences, as the Reds no.7 hooked a delicious through ball over the defence and in towards the run of Kane, but he couldn't quite a decisive touch to divert it past Dawson.

But they continued to get forward and create chances, as Toni Gomes ran directly at the heart of the Boro back-four before using the defender in front of him as a shield to curl an effort around him and towards the far bottom corner, but Dawson palmed the strike away from danger.

Inability to take chances costs Reds

Liverpool still continued to create more of the game's clearer chances as Dhanda, picking up frequent pockets of space in between the lines, dropped deep to receive a ball before spinning goalwards and shooting - but his low drive was a fairly comfortable save for the visiting 'keeper.

Then, rather against the run of play, Lee Heatherington gave Boro the lead on 24 minutes after some neat interlinking play saw the striker make a run in behind Conor Masterson, before rolling the ball past Owen Wheeler for the breakthrough.

Having Boro had grown more and more into the game after the half-an-hour mark - though Liverpool wasted a gilt-edged opportunity to draw level after 34 minutes.

A long ball over the top released Gomes one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but with Dawson having decided to come off his line before hesitating to close the forward down, the Portuguese opted to lob the 'keeper - but could only lift his effort wide of the post.

Boro double their lead minutes before half-time

And Middlesbrough so nearly made them pay just a minute or so later, as a long ball cleared upfield fell kindly for Curry - who raced into the box one-on-one with Johnston, but the defender timed his tackle to perfection to dispossess the striker as he teed up to shoot.

But though Liverpool had been the better side for much of the first 45 minutes, Boro doubled their lead in the 41st minute - as a ball wide from Marcus Tavernier found Alex Pattison, who duly placed his close-range effort into the bottom corner.

And they almost made it three before half-time, as Curry found himself in space against Johnston inside the box - but his shot at the near post was well held by Wheeler.

Young Reds come flying out the blocks

The break came at just the right time for Liverpool's youngsters, who would have been rather aggrieved to find themselves two goals down despite being the better side.

They came out determined to make amends for their missed opportunities in the second-half as Gomes broke into the box and pulled a ball back to Phillips, who couldn't beat James Cook to the ball to get a shot away.

But they continued to pepper shots on goal, as Gomes brought down a high ball inside the box for Alexander-Arnold, who failed to get a clean contact on his strike inside the box - as it flashed high and wide.

They found themselves with another promising opportunity in the 48th minute, as Ejaria won a free-kick down the left-side - which Dhanda swung into the six-yard box, but the first cross was cleared before Johnston was pulled down before he could get a second cross away.

From the second free-kick, Phillips' delivery was much more troublesome - but Gomes couldn't get a shot away, before Owens' effort was blocked.

Critchley's side's spirited start continued, but after Gomes controlled a lofted ball inside the box - his strike was deflected wide.

Boro put themselves three goals in front

Then, rather predictably, Boro put themselves 3-0 up with another goal on the counter-attack. From a throw-in, a hopeful hooked ball over the top saw Patrick Reading chase down Lewis - who wilted under pressure and allowed the full-back to sweep under Wheeler. 

And Liverpool twice went incredibly close to pulling one back immediately, as Gomes continued his threat centrally, but couldn't steer his shot on target.

Just a minute or so later, Dhanda found himself with the ball at his feet just five yards out, but he caught the strike all wrong and cut his shot well, well wide of the mark.

But as had long been the story, Boro looked likely to make it four on the break - as Tavernier raced away on goal, but the brilliant Johnston did sensationally to put in a foot and prevent him getting a shot away.

Liverpool rally to get back in the game

Liverpool finally got themselves on the scoresheet in the 65th minute as Dhanda cut inside from the right and chipped a ball into his chest. He used his power to flick the ball on with his head before meeting the loose ball, outmuscling his marker and poking beyond Dawson to pull it back to 3-1.

A new-found confidence saw Liverpool really begin to pile the pressure on their opponents and they nearly got their reward with 20 minutes to go, as Gomes' shot zipped narrowly wide of the far post from 15-yards.

However, only three minutes later, Gomes got another goal - meeting Dhanda's inviting cross to power an emphatic header past Dawson to narrow the deficit to just one.

But the Reds were almost two-goals behind again straight up the other end, as Dhanda - in trying to divert a through ball out of touch - poked it into the path of Reading, but his chip over the outrunning Wheeler dropped gratefully over the crossbar.

16-year-old Johnston, having taken two vital interceptions already, then nicked the ball away from Heatherington with the striker - and Pattison in support - looking likely to go on and make it 4-2.

Enthralling finale to breathtaking clash

And Gomes, who had been brilliant up-front in a sunny Kirkby, then netted his third after Phillips' free-kick delivery fell perfectly to him - and he powered a header into the far corner to complete the Istanbul-esque comeback.

There was a flurry of late opportunities as both sides went for the jugular, with Curry proving threatening for the visitors, whilst Gomes' afternoon ended rather miserably as he trudged off with an injury in the final few minutes.

But with Liverpool playing with 10 men, they netted a sensational winner in the 90th minute - as Phillips' delightful ball over the top fell to Dhanda, who prodded his shot past Dawson to put the Reds ahead just less than 40 minutes after they trailed by three goals.

Boro still had chances of their own late on, as Curry forced Wheeler into an excellent save in the 93rd minute - but the Reds held on to take a morale-boosting three points against the champions in a sensational game.