Recently by Chris Wright

EVERTON under-18s ended their frustrating run of 1-1 draws in the wrong way as they went down 2-0 to Liverpool in the Merseyside derby at Kirkby Academy on Saturday.

Neil Dewsnip's side had draw six of the last seven matches 1-1 prior to Saturday, but Saturday's means they have not won in eight matches since a 4-0 victory over Barnsley on September 13.

Academy coach Dewsnip said: "The performance was very, very disappointing and I don't know why. We just didn't get going at all and it is inexplicable really. We have played well all season.

DESPITE leading after just two minutes through Danny Redmond's strike Everton under-18s drew 1-1 for the fourth successive match, this time at Crewe Alexandra on Saturday.

Neil Dewsnip's side have not won in their last six Premier Academy League matches, and again it was a similar story of not killing the game off.

Redmond opened the scoring after two minutes, firing in from Austrian midfielder George Krenn's cross. But Crewe equalised on 10 minutes when defender Shane Duffy failed to get in a clean challenge and the striker broke into the box to score.

Everton tried to regain their lead but missed a number of chances in the first half with Lewis Codling came closest to giving Everton a second goal but saw his shot come back off the crossbar in the second half.

FOR the third successive Saturday Everton under- 18s drew 1-1, this time against West Bromwich Albion at Finch Farm.

Neil Dewsnip's side have not won in their last five Premier Academy League matches, drawing 1-1 on four occasions. Despite again taking the lead they has to settle for a point.

It was a fairly even first half but Everton led just before the break as Lewis Codling fired home after being set- up by 14-year-old England youth international Ross Barkley.

Codling could easily have had a hat-trick but couldn't convert his chances. He saw one effort tipped over the bar and could only divert the ball back to the West Brom keeper after Lee McArdle's shot rebounded back to him. Then Codling was also brought down in the area, only for the referee to wave away his penalty appeals.

A LATE Stoke City equaliser cost Everton under-18s all three points as they drew 1-1 for the second week running in the Potteries on Saturday.

Neil Dewsnip's side looked to be back to winning ways thanks to Jake Bidwell's goal early in the second half, but Stoke hit back with two minute left.

Everton dominated much of the first half, but a spirited display by the home side made it hard for them to break through.

But Bidwell got the goal Everton deserved 10 minutes after the break when he headed home Tom McCready's corner.

Everton had chances to increase their lead but Conor McAleny and Lewis Codling fired off target form good positions.

EVERTON under-18s had to settle for a point as Blackburn Rovers hit back to draw 1-1 at Finch Farm on Saturday.

Neil Dewsnip's side were looking to bounce back from the last week's loss to Manchester City. And they made the perfect start to lead on 15 minutes but Blackburn equalised on the half-hour mark and there were no further goals.

Everton led when Austrian midfielder Georg Krenn scored from the penalty spot after Karl Sheppard had been brought down.

The visitors hit back 20 minutes after Everton's opener when Everton failed to defend properly from a corner.

Blackburn were on top for the rest of the half, but after the break Everton came back into it. But they couldn't fashion a winner, with Nathan Craig's free-kick going narrowly wide late on, the closest they came to claiming all three points.

EVERTON Under-18s went down to only their second defeat of the season as they lost 1-0 at Manchester City on Friday.

It was a close match in the FA Premier Academy League but Neil Dewsnip's side just couldn't get the better of last year's north west section winners.

Everton remain fourth in the table behind five points behind leaders Liverpool with both Manchester sides above them as well.

In a typically keenly-contested match City took the lead in the 35th minute when Everton were on the attack and the home side broke quickly to catch out the visitors' centre-backs to go through and round Lars Stubhaug to score.

Everton tried to find an equaliser, but had very few chances. City, though, also found opportunities hard to come by.

EVERTON under-18s had to settle for a point as their recent scoring form came to an end in a 1-1 draw with a very good Sunderland side at Finch Farm on Saturday.

Neil Dewsnip's side had won three in a row, scoring 14 goals in the process, but a determined Sunderland ended that run.

Everton, though, still created several chances, but on this occasion couldn't take them with the visitors' keeper, particularly after the break, in excellent form to deny them.

The visitors dominated the first half without really threatening the Everton goal too much. One effort was blocked superbly by full-back Jake Bidwell. But after the break, with the introduction of Austrian midfielder George Krenn, Everton took control.

SIX goals from six different players helped Everton under-18s secure another emphatic victory at Derby County on Saturday.

Neil Dewsnip's side followed up a 4-0 home win over MK Dons last week with an even better victory.

Following an opening-day defeat to Arsenal in the FA Premier Academy League Everton has responded in superb fashion with 10 goals and two clean sheets.

LIFTING the Milk Cup and seeing so many youngsters being handed their chance at first team level has Everton's Academy going into the new season in buoyant mood.

Neil Dewsnip's under-18s side begin the new FA Premier Academy League season at Arsenal on August 23 with the first home match at Finch Farm against MK Dons on Saturday, August 30.

Victory for the under-15s in the prestigious Northern Ireland Milk Cup earlier this month with a 3-2 triumph over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the final thanks to a hat-trick from Hallam Hope provides further evidence of the club's ability to produce talented youngsters at all levels.

But it is the promotion of the likes of Jack Rodwell and Jose Baxter to David Moyes's first team is the proof that the Academy continues to be doing its job.