Blackpool offered a number of academy players an opportunity to feature for the first-team in Wednesday night’s EFL Trophy tie against Liverpool U21s at Bloomfield Road.

The Reds’ youngsters left the Fylde Coast with a bonus point after recording a 8-7 win on penalties following the 0-0 stalemate in 90 minutes.

Ahead of their trip to Harrogate next week, the Seasiders remain second in Group E and just need to avoid defeat to progress, after previously beating Crewe Alexandra 4-1 back in September.

The fixture at the Exercise Stadium could provide further game time for some of the club’s youngsters.

For the visit of Liverpool, Theo Upton and Spencer Knight were both included in Steve Bruce’s starting XI, while Takudzwa Gwanzura, Terry Bondo and Gabriel Schluter were all handed their senior debuts off the bench in the second half.

“You always remember your debut, I certainly do,” said Blackpool first-team coach Richard Keogh after the match.

“They’ve been great. When they’ve trained with us, they have been excellent and done really well. They deserve to be in and around it.

“They’ve taken on the information really well and have learned from the senior players. They’ve asked questions, they’re inquisitive, they’re curious - these are all great things that you want.

“Theo (Upton) and Spencer (Knight) starting the game were fantastic with the work they put in, and then the others came on and slotted in well.

“I’m really delighted for them. That’s the start of the journey, and they know they need to keep working to improve. It was good for them to be around the senior boys to see the level, so I was really proud of them.

“They should be proud of how they all performed. Even stepping up to take penalties isn’t easy as a young player. Whether you score or you miss, it’s great for your development either way.

“They need to keep pushing now and keep learning.”