The centre-back rose to meet a perfect cross from Oliver O’Connor and give the Reds a hard-earned result at the Kirkby Academy on Saturday.

Ndiaye’s decisive moment came 20 minutes after conceding a penalty from which goalkeeper Bailey Hall denied Torin Ntege.

Liverpool U21s head coach Rob Page was able to field a strong side on paper, with five of his starting XI dropping down from the substitutes’ bench in the Champions League against LASK in midweek.

The first half was essentially a stalemate, however, with neither side able to create enough space to bother the other.

It was tough, it was physical, with plenty of endeavour from both teams, but they cancelled each other out to leave the watching supporters rather bereft of goalmouth action.

The first time a goalkeeper had to make a real save was in minute 45 when Wellity Lucky met a Luke Chambers corner for the Reds, though his header lacked the power to trouble Josh Welland.

Jayden Danns was living off scraps up front. However, in one memorable run the striker tried to create something for himself before being unceremoniously upended by a defender.

He also flashed a 25-yard free-kick just over in the closest anyone actually came to a goal in the opening 45 minutes, while Reading’s Emmanuel Osho played a dangerous ball across the front of goal but it eluded everyone in blue and white to leave it goalless at the break.

In-form Will Wright replaced Danns at half-time in what appeared a planned change.

Chances remained elusive, a shot from Luke Howard drawing a first save from Hall, before Joe Bradshaw and Alvin Ayman arrived from the bench on the hour to offer further fresh legs for the Reds.

A good block by O’Connor denied Reading’s Carter Bowdery, while Bradshaw’s through ball for Josh Sonni-Lambie was cut out at the last second.

Reading were handed a great chance of a lead on 73 minutes when the referee ruled substitute Ntege had been pushed over in the box by Ndiaye and awarded a penalty.

Ntege took it himself but was thwarted by a superb save from Hall, low to his right.

Liverpool finally created their own gilt-edged chance with seven minutes left. Sonni-Lambie’s pass found O’Connor in the box and his controlled header took the ball inside the onrushing goalkeeper, yet he could not keep his shot below the bar.

Hall denied Ntege again, tipping his header over inside the final five minutes, as both sides went in search of a late winner.

It was to come from the hosts when a free-kick picked out O’Connor on the right and his inviting centre was met by a prodigious leap and downward header from Ndiaye to win it in injury time.

Team

Liverpool: Hall, Pitt (Onanuga, 70), Chambers (Ayman, 60), Lucky, Ndiaye, Trueman (Upton, 78), Laffey, McConnell (Bradshaw, 60), O’Connor, Sonni-Lambie, Danns (W. Wright, 46).

Unused subs: M. Wright, Cisse.

Next up

The U21s travel to Chelsea for their next Premier League 2 fixture next Saturday (October 24).

Kick-off at Kingsmeadow will be 2pm BST.