LIVERPOOL under-18s suffered their heaviest defeat of the season as they went down 4-0 at Manchester United on Saturday.
After narrowly losing to FA Premier Academy League Group C leaders Blackburn last week, Saturday's result was particularly disappointing.
Liverpool had chances in a first half but both strikers James Frayne and Michael Nardiello failed to trouble the home keeper.
But at the other end it was very different as United raced into a 3-0 half-time lead with some clinical finishing.
A fourth goal early in the second half killed off any hopes that the U18s could emulate the first team's Champions League comeback and turn around a 3-0 half-time deficit.
Owens said: "Some defensive mistakes cost us dear. We gave away a three-goal lead and I know the first team beat AC Milan that way, but not many (teams) can come back like that.
"We had started fairly well for the first 20 minutes but individual mistakes led to the three goals in the first half.
"They had fewer chances than us but what they had was the strikers who could hit the target and find the gaps. Our shots and chances tended to just miss the target completely and we ended up not really testing their goalkeeper as we should.
"The goal in the second half killed off our challenge and it was very disappointing. The week before we lost, but we had played very well at Blackburn. But against United in gaps you could see the possibilities of the team, but individual mistakes and the failure to score proved our downfall."
It was an especially disappointing match for goal-keeper Josh Mimms. The 16-year-old, son of former Everton and Blackburn keeper Bobby, was playing his first match of the season for the U18s.
Owens added: "It is a challenge for him to come in at any stage because he has been playing for the under-16s. He has been getting regular games, but obviously the quality of the finishing on Saturday was much different than he had been used to."
