FA Youth Cup Fifth Round: Liverpool Under-18's 9 Southend United Under-18's 0

Five-goal Raheem Sterling proved to be the difference as Liverpool's Academy side overwhelmed Southend United with a 9-0 FA Youth Cup Fifth Round victory at Anfield.

Sterling was the stand-out performer as the Reds earned a Quarter-Final tie against either Manchester United or Newcastle United thanks to a comprehensive success on Merseyside. Despite that, the young Shrimpers kept going to the end, and were unfortunate not to record a goal of their own on the night.

Blues had defeated Academy opposition in each of the previous two rounds, with the more recent victory against Derby County coming away from home at Pride Park, but they were unable to repeat that achievement as a Conor Coady penalty, headers from Stephen Sama and Adam Morgan and Toni Brito E Silva's late strike were added to Sterling's incredible personal haul.

Things could have been very different had Ricky Duncan's team - who were unchanged from the eleven that beat the Rams 3-1 - taken the lead in the 18th minute. Captain James Stevens started the move by picking out George Smith's run down the inside-right channel, and he concluded it with a fierce shot after the Republic of Ireland Under-18 international returned the pass, but he saw the attempt blocked on the goalline and then scrambled to safety.

From the ensuing Tyrell Belford goal-kick, the ball was flicked into the path of Sterling, who raced clear of the defence before smashing the ball cleanly past Daniel Bentley.

Even before that opening goal, Southend had looked nervous as twin wingers Sterling and Jesus Fernandez appeared dangerous. Inside two minutes Sama rose to stab a Fernandez corner goalwards, with only the perfectly-positioned Teddy Nesbitt, stationed next to the left-hand upright, denying him a goal.

Three minutes later, Bentley advanced off of his goal-line to claim bravely at the feet of marauding full-back Jonathon Flanagan after he had exchanged passes with Morgan, and Louis Baucutt was equally impressive as he slid in to block Sterling's centre after he had dispossessed Dominic Iorfa.

Sterling also floated a 20-yard shot narrowly over the crossbar from Morgan's simple pass, but he made no mistake in putting the Reds in front, and he further enhanced his burgeoning reputation on 20 minutes when adding the second. Jack Robinson found the 15-year-old with a left-wing throw, and he burst between Anthony Furlonge and Hicham Abdellah before whipping his shot into the top right-hand corner.

Three minutes later, Liverpool were three goals to the good. Morgan's run seemed to have ended with the ball dribbling out of play as Iorfa came across to tackle, but the referee indicated that a foul had been committed by the centre-half and skipper Coady stepped up to blast the penalty past an unfortunate Bentley.

Stevens was at the heart of much of Southend's impressive play, and he set up Smith for a 25-yard shot that was directed a few feet wide of the left-hand post just before the half-hour mark. The creative midfielder then almost put Duane Ofori-Acheampong clear, but 'keeper Belford was alive to the situation and came out of his area to clear ahead of the towering frontman.

In between, Iorfa made an important interception to hook the ball off of Morgan's toecaps, but the Southend back-line were powerless to prevent Sterling from registering his hat-trick ten minutes before the break. The winger was found by Craig Rodden, and he wriggled free of Furlonge before curling the ball around Iorfa and into the bottom right-hand corner via Bentley's left hand.

Two minutes later it was 5-0. Nesbitt had managed to head out one Krisztian Adorjan corner delivered from the left flank, but the follow-up was met by the head of Sama, who directed it into the top right-hand corner.

Morgan could have netted with his head when Sterling beat Furlonge on the left and crossed for the centre-forward, but he planted his header from eight yards into the ground and over the bar. A low Morgan shot was claimed at the near post by Bentley but, in the second minute of stoppage time, Liverpool's sixth arrived as the same player powered his header into the net from an Adorjan free-kick.

Southend still kept their heads held high, and Stevens was unlucky that a screaming effort flew inches over just before the break, although it was difficult for them to contain Sterling, who flashed another shot wide at the beginning of the second half.

He also set up substitute Brito E Silva with a slide-rule pass, with Bentley this time making a superb save to turn the ball over the bar. Sadly there was no stopping the flanker in the 56th minute as Brito E Silva returned the favour, Sterling ghosting inside before gliding past four defenders and stroking into the net.

Southend remained capable of fine moves of their own, and Smith and Julian Okai combined, with the latter sending the ball across the face of goal, although no blue shirt was waiting to capitalise. At the other end, Joshua Sumner should have scored when Jason Banton picked him out, but he side-footed wide from close range.

Louis Baucutt almost grabbed a moment of glory from the evening as his 30-yard drive just travelled wide of the left-hand angle of post and bar, and Ofori-Acheampong also watched on as his lob from Stevens' chipped through-ball bounced agonisingly wide.

That left Sterling to fire in his fifth - and the Reds' eighth - with five minutes remaining as he collected Sumner's pass and cut inside to shoot and, despite Ryan Auger warming the gloves of Belford, it was the hosts that concluded the scoring in the final minute as Brito E Silva rifled in after good work from Flanagan on the right-hand side.

Auger was one of three players - Lyle Della-Verde and Michael Hyland being the others - to be introduced during the second half to gain an experience of playing at Anfield and, even given this defeat, the squad will still never forget their remarkable feat in reaching the last sixteen of the competition for just the second time in the club's history.

Southend United: Daniel Bentley, Anthony Furlonge, Teddy Nesbitt, James Stevens, Louis Baucutt, Dominic Iorfa (Michael Hyland 65), Hicham Abdellah (Lyle Della-Verde 49), Alex Woodyard, Duane Ofori-Acheampong, George Smith, Julian Okai (Ryan Auger 77).

Substitutes not used: Luke Chambers, Michael Hassini.

Cautioned: Iorfa (45+2 - reckless play).