Flick-on by Heskey and Florent runs on to it and puts it in. There was some good possession by Leeds in the run-up to it, but this should seal the victory for us. 83 mins. 3-1, LFC
First for the full squad. He's had a handful for the reserves. Kewell being harassed by the Leeds supporters. TLT coming on for Kewell. He's had a great game, according to Hunter (I just got here).
This fixture was always going to be a better match than B-B at the Reebok no matter where the teams were in the standings. Great result. Need 28 more like it. Lanky, thanks for the comms -- see you tonight, Go DCU and Yankees too!
LFC.tv match report at: http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N142386031025-1431.htm Excerpt: "For 80 of the 90 minutes played today, Liverpool were a joy to watch. Sure, three goals is scant reward for over 20 shots at goal but unlike at Fratton Park, were the players' commitment was rightly questioned, this was a performance deserving of the Liverpool tradition." ----
Hmmm. Not sure about that. If you ask me, that was an instructive way to demonstrate the fine art of winning when below-par. We played well in patches – very well in some even briefer patches – but the overall performance was by no means the rip-roaring riposte to the Portsmouth debacle that we had been promised. Leeds were combative (alright, dirty) and well-organised for the first hour – they even enjoyed their own period of ascendancy either side of halftime, but they ultimate exposed themselves to be a shallow, weak and characteristically nasty side who were well beaten in second gear. That they scored at all owes everything to the fact that Riise had another in a worryingly lengthening list of ‘right stinkers’. Pennant was playing him like a penny whistle until, mystifyingly and with the score at and eminently recoverable 2-1 to us, Peter Reid chose to take him off and replace him with ‘random foreign bloke No. 5’. Much to everyone’s relief, it has to be said. A very handy little player. Our first goal was the product of some good pressure play in and around their box and a nice finish for Owen to hook it in. He didn’t look particularly sharp beyond his one goal, but that is normal when he returns from injury, it does tend to take him a couple of weeks. Heskey, it has to be said, played well. His end-product was as unconvincing as usual, but he led the line well and put himself about with noticeably more vigour than we have come to expect. Credit where credit is due, he caused Dom Matteo and ‘random foreign bloke No. 2’ all manner of problems and was particularly useful when Pongolle came on. With his young companion obviously needing some muscle alongside him, Heskey shouldered his responsibilities well. First though, the second goal. I don’t think it touched anyone at all. It looked a relatively innocuous shot from Murphy, curling low and without particular pace across the face of goal. I couldn’t believe it when it nestled almost apologetically in the bottom corner of the net in front of a gobsmacked Paul Robinson. The ref and linesman had a long discussion about something, I will need to check the news to see what, before Winter pointed to the centre circle. About the only thing he got right all day. He was abysmal, as ever. Why that man is still allowed to referee games at any level, let alone Premiership level, is a mystery and a sad indictment of the standard of referees in this country. Finally then, our third goal. To be honest, we were looking shaky at this point in the match. Sami was withdrawing his defenders further and further back toward an exasperated Kop and Leeds were making ample use of the space provided. When we did gain possession, we were sluggish and hesitant in coming out and doing something with it. Diouf was particularly guilty of aimless play when in possession and with a chance to attack. He had one of those days, to be honest … But anyway, we finally do make it out of our half and a ball over the top finds Pongolle racing into the left-hand channel with ‘random foreign bloke No 3’. He’s got pace, that’s for sure. But for such a relatively slight lad, he has also got surprising strength – he held Random off well for the chase and then, with Paul Robinson bearing down on him and the ball bouncing right in front of him, he leant strongly into Random and smashed a volley on the run into the far corner of the net. A peach of a goal and raucously celebrated it was too. All in all then, a good professional win. But we are going to have to play a lot better against Fulham next week and considerably better in our next home game, against United, if this 20-odd unbeaten stretch we are supposed to be embarking on is to become a reality.
Thanks for the round up Matt, nice to get a reality check. Perhaps they 'can' build on it, we live in hope, every week... Thanks for the comms guys. I got here after the game (Didn't know the score) but it was good to read.
For being a dirty team, i think all the two footed tackles came from Mr. Steven Gerrard..... About the 2'nd goal... Our back line played the liverpool players offside, the linesman raised his flag because of this. The ball ended up being fumbled in by Robinson. The ref (who must have had a bet on the game) decided to go and convince the linesman that it wasn't in fact offside, and that it should be a goal. The linesman, too scared to inform the ref what the rules of the game are (players in front of the keeper like that are considered active) let Winter give the goal. Where were you sitting? Could you hear us giving some large man a lot of abuse in the first half? We had about 10 different songs for him. Another thing i've noticed in my last 2 visits to Anfield is that you don't sing at all. Is this just special to us, or are you turning into a Man U/Arsenal crowd? We were wondering when Winter was going to pull on a red shirt though. He is disgraceful. Makes Uriah Rennie look like a real person.
There was one, I'll grant you that. The whole ground had a sharp intake of breath. But do be realistic. How Batty stayed on the field, only that idiot Winter can possibly know. Replays may prove me wrong on this, but from where I was watching (about 20 yards away) Robinson didn't touch it. It didn't touch anyone. Well, the Premiership is on in half an hour, so we shall see. Lower Anny Road, Row 22, in line with the left-hand line of the box. No, but I did hear your rather churlish reply to the 'There's only one Peter Ridsdale' chants. Anyone would think the world owed you a living!! Oh come now ...
I didn't hear you sing that at all. Was that when we were chanting "Houllier Out" ? Honestly, i didn't hear any liverpool singing at all. We are loud, are we not?