Kop Kids: Liverpool enjoy perfect warm up for FA Youth Cup showdown

"We controlled the game from start to finish and played some excellent football," McAuley said. "It was probably one of our best performances of the season. I was very pleased with the boys.

"We scored two good goals and it could have been a lot more.

"It was a very good first 45 minutes. In games like that you don't want half-time to come, but in the second half we controlled the game.

"They had a bit of a go and closed us down a bit more but we still created chances to score more goals.

"Their goalkeeper played exceptionally well and but for him it would have been a lot bigger score."

The Reds went ahead after 24 minutes when Eccleston and Adam Pepper combined for Finnish striker Dalla Valle to fire home his 15th goal of the season.

It was 2-0 nine minutes later as Tom Ince set up Eccleston who fired past keeper Dave Parton.

Stoke came back into it before the break and keeper Chris Oldfield had to produce a fine save to deny Darren Brunt.

In the second half Dalla Valle and Joe Kennedy both went close, while David Amoo saw a shot deflected inches wide and Jack Robinson's lob over dropped just over.

Stoke substitute Adam Vickers netted a late consolation for the visitors but the Reds were worthy winners.

The under-18s now have a week to prepare for their semi-final first leg at Birmingham as the Reds bid to book a third FA Youth Cup final appearance in the past four years.

McAuley said: "It was a very pleasing result against Stoke and with no game this weekend it sets us up nicely for next week's match.

"We can prepare and hopefully we can do ourselves justice. All we can do is take confidence from that performance and look to repeat it when we play Birmingham."

Liverpool are hoping Michael Roberts and Alex Kacaniklic will be fit for next week, but James Ellison is out with a back problem.

Melwood-based Dean Bouzanis, Daniel Ayala and Steve Irwin should return to the Youth Cup squad.

LIVERPOOL UNDER-18s: Oldfield; Flanagan, Wisdom, Kennedy, Robinson; Amoo, Buchtmann (Clare 63), Pepper, Eccleston (Cooper 82); Ince, Dalla Valle. Subs: Chamberlain, Roberts-Nurse.