Daniel Trickett-Smith and Harry Wilson scored the decisive goals as Liverpool negotiated a tricky assignment at Watford to reach the last eight of the FA Youth Cup.

Trickett-Smith, the deadly young striker, was left with far too much room to turn in a pinpoint low cross from right-back Connor Randall just a few minutes before half-time.

It was a well-deserved reward for 18-year-old Trickett-Smith, who was Liverpool’s main threat, and for Neil Critchley’s team as a whole after they dominated possession and chances for the entire game at Vicarage Road.

And it came as little surprise when Harry Wilson added a second with 11 minutes remaining with another assured close-range finish from Randall’s assist was possible to see the imprint of the Brendan Rodgers philosophy even at this young age group as Liverpool stroked the ball around patiently, dragging their frustrated opponents out of position and then striking with an injection of pace.

It wasn’t quite tiki-taka but there was certainly an assurance with the ball shared by the whole Liverpool team and they came and went into the Watford defensive third at will.

They made light work of what could have been an awkward evening and will now travel to Reading in the quarter-finals. They were beaten by Chelsea in the semi-finals last season but there’s no reason why they can’t go a step further this time.

It was evident from the start that this would be a long night for Dave Hughes and his Hornets team. In just the second minute, Cameron Brannagan dug out a ball from the byline and Trickett-Smith headed it towards goal but without enough conviction.

The forward-thinking Jordan Rossiter, who has been training with the first team and sat on the bench at Chelsea back in December, then strode forward and sent a 30-yard effort a foot or so wide.

Ryan Kent was a threat alongside Rossiter and when he was clumsily brought down on the edge of the area, he nearly fooled everyone by curling a low free-kick towards the far corner. Watford keeper Daniel Wilks, who was kept engaged all night, read his intentions and got down to save.

On 34 minutes, a Kent corner was flicked into the side-netting by Trickett-Smith, who had shown his excellent ability to drift away from markers to get into a dangerous position at the near post.

But Trickett-Smith, the latest in a long line of talents from Crewe’s academy, wouldn’t be denied for long as he turned in Randall’s cross. Liverpool clearly have grand plans for the young attacker, paying £300,000 back in April 2012 to keep him out of Manchester City’s clutches and tying him to a five-year deal.

The one-way traffic continued in the second half, with Wilson bursting inside from his right-wing berth and curling a 20-yard shot that Wilks collected at the second attempt.

Trickett-Smith then blasted in an angled shot that Wilks blocked with his thigh as Liverpool searched for a match-killing second.

It would eventually come and was again the result of a surging right-wing run by Randall, locating Wilson’s run infield to convert and put the game to bed. It took Wilson’s tally to 10 for the season.

By the end, it was “ole” football by Liverpool’s youngsters as they played out time in possession, further boosted by the return from injury of forward Jerome Sinclair from the bench late on.

—Daily Mail