Pre-season matches can offer useful clues without ever delivering complete certainty. Liverpool’s hard-fought 1-0 win over Wrexham at Yankee Stadium fell squarely into that category, with Rio Ngumoha producing the decisive moment in a game that seldom moved beyond the controlled tempo of an exhibition fixture.

Ngumoha scored in the 75th minute after taking possession on the right and driving at a retreating Wrexham backline. His effort deflected off Lewis Brunt, looped over goalkeeper Danny Ward and dropped into the net. It was a scrappy goal in an inconsistent contest, but there was nothing fortunate about the teenager’s intent to take on the defence.

The 17-year-old came on at half-time and was used on the right side rather than his more familiar role on the opposite flank. Although he sometimes found his route blocked when trying to cut inside, Ngumoha stayed persistent throughout. His reward was the strike that delivered Liverpool a second win from two pre-season matches under Andoni Iraola.

The winger’s goal delighted the majority of the 42,204 spectators and ensured Liverpool’s disrupted trip to New York ended on a worthwhile note.

Liverpool’s build-up had been affected by severe weather and major travel disruption. The squad’s flight from Chicago was cancelled on Tuesday evening, forcing players and staff to travel on the day of the match itself. They reached their Midtown hotel at around midday before taking on Wrexham later that evening.

Iraola was also missing several established names. Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Ryan Gravenberch had only recently returned from their post-World Cup breaks and did not travel. Joe Gomez was ruled out through injury, while Federico Chiesa missed the game because of illness.

Those absences prompted Iraola to field another experimental line-up, with six starters still waiting to make a Premier League appearance. Sixteen-year-old Joshua Abe was given his first senior start and nearly celebrated it with an early goal.

Harvey Elliott played Abe in behind the Wrexham defence, but the winger’s first touch allowed Ward to narrow the angle and save at his feet. It was a reminder both of Abe’s promise and of the narrow margins between academy football and senior-level competition.

Lewis Koumas also posed a threat from distance and made an unsuccessful appeal for a penalty. Dominik Szoboszlai, wearing the captain’s armband, gave Liverpool their most purposeful forward running from midfield. Even so, the opening half created very few clear-cut chances.

Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds had called the occasion a “punch-me moment”, but neither team delivered many meaningful blows before half-time.

Wrexham were further along in their preparations, with a competitive Carabao Cup tie against Middlesbrough coming up. That contrast became more obvious as the game wore on, with Phil Parkinson’s side imposing themselves physically and breaking up Liverpool’s rhythm.

Sam Smith and Callum Doyle failed to take Wrexham’s best openings of the first half, while Giorgi Mamardashvili stayed calm behind an inexperienced Liverpool defence. Eighteen-year-old Ifeanyi Ndukwe handled the challenge impressively alongside Luke Chambers.

Liverpool kept trying to press high and move the ball forward quickly, but their youthful attack struggled to find space. Wrexham stayed organised, compact and fully prepared to compete for every loose ball.

Iraola sent on Ngumoha, Kieran Morrison, Kostas Tsimikas and Curtis Jones at the break. Liverpool then carried a little more attacking threat. Elliott tested Ward with a first-time strike from about 20 yards, while the former Liverpool goalkeeper also kept out a long-range effort from Szoboszlai.

Wrexham remained dangerous themselves. Nathan Broadhead’s powerful shot from roughly 25 yards forced Mamardashvili into an important save. Brunt and Kieffer Moore later missed good opportunities from close range to level the score, meaning Wrexham could not turn a competitive display into a positive result.

Liverpool will not read too much into the scoreline, but Iraola can still take value from the evening. His team recorded another win without conceding, several academy players picked up meaningful senior minutes and Ngumoha showed he can affect games from either wing.

There were flaws too. Liverpool lacked regular penetration, at times lost control in midfield and needed Mamardashvili to step in when Wrexham attacked. The lack of experienced forwards also restricted Iraola’s options.

Yet that is precisely what pre-season is meant to reveal. Liverpool’s display was not polished, but the manager had the chance to assess young players against opponents who were physically ready and tactically disciplined.

Ngumoha’s impact provided the clearest reason for encouragement. He did not dominate the second half, and not every dribble came off. What mattered was that he never became passive. He kept asking for the ball, kept taking on defenders and eventually made the difference.

For Liverpool, that attribute may matter more than the fortunate deflection itself. Ngumoha is still a player in development, but his ambition is already clear. On a night when flowing football was in short supply, one teenager produced the conviction needed to separate Liverpool from Wrexham.