Barry Lewtas believes he "saw a different side" to his Liverpool Under-21 team after they fought back to draw with 10-man Everton in Premier League 2 on Sunday.
Stanley Mills' early goal looked like it was going to be enough for the Blues at Southport's Haig Avenue before substitute Max Woltman earned a 1-1 draw after a sending off for Ishe Samuels-Smith.
The young Reds started with the likes of Bobby Clark, Ben Doak and Billy Koumetio - three players who have previously enjoyed senior experience with Jurgen Klopp's first team - but were lacking fluency in the final third for much of the mini Merseyside derby.
And Lewtas admits he was ultimately pleased with the draw given Everton spurned a number of presentable opportunities across the game before the red card allowed Liverpool to pile the late pressure on.
"Listen, I think the way the game went, I think I've got to be pleased we drew the game, without sounding negative," Lewtas told the ECHO. "I thought it was an interesting game and they will be disappointed not to have won the game because they had a few chances to score and Marcelo (Pitaluga) made some saves.
REACTION: Everton U21s vs Liverpool U21s LIVE - Mills and Woltman goals, score and commentary stream
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"They were definitely the team who created the most chances. We probably found it harder to break them down and to be fair their keeper made a couple of good saves, not as many as Marcelo, but I think overall, on the balance of things, we've got to be happy with a point.
"I thought we had a real intent and it was hard in moments but sometimes we were looking for that perfect sort of move and it wasn't quite coming off and I think at half-time we were a frustrated group of players and staff.
"But I thought in the second half we rolled our sleeves up a little bit more and maybe answered the needs of the game. I thought we were more competitive and I thought we tackled more. We rose to that challenge and I thought I maybe saw a different side of the lads today, which, you know, I am pleased with."
Lewtas added: "Listen, for us, we were really clear: part of the development is to get boys ready for the next step. Whether that is [senior] Liverpool and Everton games or a derby wherever they kind of end up, so it goes without saying. [The fact it was a derby] was 100% mentioned during the week in the team meeting and it was certainly mentioned at half time!
"So from our side we were really competitive and we want to beat everyone, of course, but you also want to get one over on your neighbours and maybe today it just wasn't quite our day in terms of the football we've played over the course of the season but you can look at it, of all the facets of our game, I think we've shown we can really compete, roll our sleeves up and when the chips are down, we can stay in it."
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