ACADEMY FOOTBALL: Youngsters seek elusive first win; LIVERPOOL.

Byline: CHRIS WRIGHT 

AFTER last Saturday's morale-boosting point at Everton, Liverpool under18s look for their first FA Premier Academy League victory of 2005 at Bolton Wanderers tomorrow (kickoff 11am).

John Owens's side are still bottom of the Group C table, but can draw level on points with the Trotters with victory tomorrow and still have a game in hand.

Liverpool drew 1-1 with Bolton in October at the Academy, but they will be hoping that the derby performance can provide the platform for an improved showing in the last eight games of the Academy League season.

Owens said: 'The character the lads showed last week against Everton shows they have the desire to do better. After the Blackburn game it was an improved performance and no time did they drop in their efforts so that was good to see. You can understand in the situation they are in if they become a bit despondent. If they are losing games all the time it can get to them, but they did well and need to keep playing like that.'

Liverpool were delighted to see defender Adam Hitchen back at the heart of their defence in last week's derby after his injury problems.

Owens said: 'It was good to get Adam Hitchen back. He had a long injury when he needed some knee construction. And when he had tried to get back in, there have been niggling injuries - not the same one - that have kept him out.'

Liverpool are still without long-term injury victims Lee Peltier, Mark Roberts and Calum Woods.

They are also waiting on the fitness of England youth international defender Jordan Holmes, who injured his groin in the warm-up last Saturday.

Luke Coleman, a trialist striker from Kent, will get another chance to impress the coaches after making his debut last weekend