Liverpool Beat Shrewsbury 1-0 in 4th-Round FA Cup Replay Behind Own Goal

Liverpool's youngsters took care of business in the FA Cup replay against Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday, beating the League One side 1-0 thanks to a bizarre own-goal to book their ticket for the fifth round.

Former Manchester United prospect Ro-Shaun Williams headed the ball into his own net in the second half, giving the Reds a lead they wouldn't relinquish. The hosts didn't create many chances, but they were the better team and deserved the win.

The Reds fielded a team consisting entirely of youngsters and backups, with even manager Jurgen Klopp absent from the bench:

Shrewsbury took initiative early and were happy to push forward in search of goals. It made for an entertaining opening phase with two teams vying for possession, but few chances.

The Reds soon took control of the ball, but their passing game led to very little. Curtis Jones forced a first save from goalkeeper Max O'Leary after 27 minutes, firing the ball right down the middle.

Jones was one of the standouts of the half, and he didn't shy away from some trickery:

Liverpool grew in confidence as the half wore on, leading to plenty of fine play between Jones and Harvey Elliott. The hosts made Shrewsbury look like the League One side they are, but for all of their brilliance on the ball, it led to almost no danger.

A late opening for Callum Lang almost materialised, but Caoimhin Kelleher was aware of the danger and raced off his line in time.

Sports writer Karl Matchett liked what he saw from the Reds youngsters in the first half, despite the lack of chances:

Ki-Jana Hoever nearly gifted the visitors a great chance early in the second half, but the forwards struggled to bring his poor pass under control in time. 

Play opened up more after the break, and O'Leary was forced into action to make a great save after 55 minutes, denying Neco Williams after a good pass from Elliott. 

Shrewsbury made the right changes at half-time and were far more dangerous in the second half. They thought they had opened the scoring when Shaun Whalley struck before the hour mark, but the VAR intervened.

The close call appeared to shake the youngsters, who started to pile up the mistakes:

Subsitute Daniel Udoh narrowly fired wide before Shrewsbury introduced Jason Cummings, who scored twice in the first meeting between the two sides. But before he had any chance of making an impact, Williams put the ball in his own net, handing the hosts a deserved lead.

Per the Athletic's James Pearce, it was a comical effort:

Here's a look at the goal:

Whalley perhaps should have tied things up when a loose ball fell to him in the box, but he lost his nerve and fired over. 

Shrewsbury threw all of their men forward in a desperate attempt to grab an equaliser, but the young Reds showed remarkable maturity in defending their lead. The best late chance fell to Elliott, who almost got on the end of a deep ball to finish off a counter.

What's Next?

Liverpool have a short break before a visit to Norwich on February 15. Shrewsbury host MK Dons on Saturday.