Saturday 13 December 2003 15:00
FA Barclays Premier League |
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"Liverpool" |
1 - 2 |
"Southampton" |
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(0-1) |
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GOAL |
Heskey 75 |
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Ormerod 2, M Svensson 64 |
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22 Chris Kirkland
25 Igor Biscan
36 Jon Otsemobor
4 Sami Hyypia
18 John Arne Riise
11 Vladimir Smicer
13 Danny Murphy
16 Dietmar Hamann
17 Steven Gerrard (c)
8 Emile Heskey
9 El Hadji Diouf
Subs:
29 Patrice Luzi
15 Salif Diao
28 Bruno Cheyrou
20 Anthony Le Tallec
24 Florent Sinama-Pongolle |
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14 Antti Niemi
2 Jason Dodd (c)
11 Michael Svensson
5 Claus Lundekvam
19 Danny Higginbotham
33 Paul Telfer
18 Rory Delap
20 David Prutton
9 James Beattie
17 Marian Pahars
36 Brett Ormerod
Subs:
1 Paul Jones
4 Chris Marsden
29 Fabrice Fernandes
7 Kevin Phillips
34 Agustin Delgado |
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SUBSTITUTIONS |
Hamann (Sinama-Pongolle 57)
Diouf (Le Tallec 57) |
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Lundekvam (Marsden 41)
Pahars (Fernandes 63)
Beattie (Delgado 81) |
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OFFICIALS & BOOKINGS |
Referee: Paul Durkin
(Dorset) |
Booked: |
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Booked: |
VENUE |
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MANAGERS |
Anfield (capacity 45,362)
Attendance: 41,762 |
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Gerard Houllier (Liverpool)
Gordon Strachan (Southampton) |
Price: J3,00
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SAINTS STUN THE KOP WITH A WIN
Liverpool's hopes of return to the Champions League next season suffered a severe
setback at Anfield this afternoon as Southampton deservedly took the points in a game
every Liverpudlian will want to forget.
Emile Heskey's late consolation was not enough as goals from Brett Ormerod and
Michael Svensson earned the Saints a shock 2-1 victory, which was only their fourth ever
win over the Reds on Merseyside.
In light of the impressive point gained last weekend at Newcastle, Liverpool went
into this game with a place in next season's Champions League again looking within
realistic reach.
But they knew that failure to build on that 1-1 draw at St James Park would
seriously hamper those aspirations, especially with fellow challengers for fourth place
Southampton visiting Anfield today.
Florent Sinama-Pongolle was a surprise omission in the starting eleven named by
Gerard Houllier. His place went to Vladimir Smicer but it was to be a frustrating
afternoon for him and strike partner Emile Heskey.
The game was only just over a minute old when The Kop was stunned into silence.
Possession from a corner was carelessly conceded and the Saints broke swiftly to
capitalise on Liverpool's lack of numbers at the back. Lundekvam sent a high ball into the
Reds half and Brett Ormerod easily outpaced the sluggish Dietmar Hamann before finishing
neatly past the advancing Kirkland.
The Liverpool players looked equally as stunned as the fans but they responded
positively and Smicer went close with a long-range drive that was deflected wide for a
corner before an impressive surging run by the ever-improving Jon Otsemobor was wasted
when Diouf headed disappointingly wide from the resulting cross.
As the half progressed though attempts on Anti Niemi's goal became fewer and
further between. Without Owen, Kewell, Baros or Pongolle the Reds attack showed no real
sign of mustering an equaliser and, despite Steven Gerrard's best efforts to drag
Liverpool back into the game, frustration slowly began to rear its head in the stands.
Booing greeted Paul Durkin's half-time whistle and as we reflected on what had been
an abysmal first half showing the omens did not look good. Not since May 1999 had the Reds
fought back from an interval deficit to take the points and the opening stages of the
second half did not suggest that this remarkable statistic was going to change.
Within six minutes of the restart the Saints almost caught Liverpool cold again.
James Beattie forced his way past Biscan down the left and from his cut back Marian Pahars
should have netted. The visitors seemed in control and moments later the Reds defence was
found wanting again. Marsden delivered the cross and only a fine diving save from Kirkland
denied Beattie with a free header on the edge of the six-yard box.
French gems Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Anthony Le Tallec were quickly summonsed
from the bench in a bid to freshen things up and their introduction seemed to have the
desired effect initially. Pongolle forced Niemi into his first real save of the match and
from the subsequent corner Jason Dodd had to clear a Sami Hyypia header off the line.
This ray of hope however was just a brief one. At the opposite end Dodd floated a
corner into the heart of the Liverpool penalty box and Michael Svensson rose highest to
crash a bullet header past the despairing reach of Kirkland and into the roof of the Kop
net.
The shock of conceding a second goal stung Liverpool into action once again and
following a sustained period of pressure they deservedly pulled one back. Gerrard,
continuing to lead by example as skipper, drilled a low shot at Niemi. The Finn failed to
hold it and Emile Heskey had the easy job of converting the rebound from close-range.
With the full backing now of a vociferous Anfield crowd the Reds pressed forward
frantically in search of an equaliser and Pongolle went close again, this time with a shot
that beat Niemi but not Higginbotham,who desperately hacked the ball clear on the goal
line.
It was the last meaningful attempt on goal and the fans were soon heading for the
Anfield exits at the end of another miserable afternoon.
Teams
Liverpool: Kirkland, Otsemobor, Riise, Hyypia, Biscan,
Hamann, Gerrard (captain), Murphy, Diouf, Heskey. Subs - Luzi, Diao, Le Tallec, Pongolle,
Cheyrou.
Southampton: Niemi, Dodd (captain), Higginbotham, Lundekvam, Telfer, Svensson,
Delap, Prutton, Pahars, Ormerod, Beattie. Subs - Jones, Marsden, Phillips, Fernandes,
Delgado.
Referee: Paul Durkin.
Conditions: Bright but cold
Attendance: 41,762
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Jon Otsemobor
Breakdown
15:02 GMT: Match Starts
1 mins: Liverpool kick-off attacking the Kop
2 mins: GOAL! Brett Ormerod: breaks free of the Reds defence and keeps his composure to
finish neatly past the advancing Kirkland
7 mins: Smicer's long-range drive is deflected wide for a corner
8 mins: Riise shoots hopelessly over on the volley
10 mins: The Saints force two corners in quicck succession but fail to trouble Kirkland
13 mins: Good running by Otsemobor down the right is tempered by a poor header in front of
goal by Diouf
14 mins: Diouf shoots tamely at the Southampton goal
20 mins: Murphy's intended centre floats aimlessly into the Kop, muh to the crowds
frustration
23 mins: Prutton loses his marker and heads narrowly over from a Pahars cross
26 mins: Diouf is caught offside as another Reds attack breaks down
29 mins: Smicer iss bundled to the floor inside the box but Durkin waves away Liverpool's
appeals for a penalty
35 mins: Heskey heads over from Diouf cross as the Reds struggle to force their way back
into this game
36 mins: Beattie blasts a low free-kick directly into the arms of Kirkland
37 mins: Gerrard is doing his best to draw Liverpool level and he goes close with an
angled drive in front of the Kop
41 mins: Murphy volley's high over the bar on the turn following a great ball by
Otsemobor41 mins: Substitution: Chris Marsden for Claus Lundekvam:
15:50 GMT: Half Time Reached
16:06 GMT: Second Half Begins
46 mins: Southampton kick off towards the Kop
48 mins: Good break by Southampton but it comes to nothing
48 mins: Steven Gerrard breaks up a Southampton move and instigates another LFC attack
51 mins: Excellent chance for Southampton to double their lead when Beattie finds Pahars
in space in the area but his shot is off target
52 mins: Poor cross from Otsemobor is too high for Heskey
53 mins: Diouf goes down in the area as Pongolle strips off his tracksuit to come on
54 mins: Clear header on goal for Beattie but Kirkland pulls off a great save
56 mins: Substitution: Florent Sinama Pongolle for Dietmar Hamann:
56 mins: Substitution: Anthony Le Tallec for El-Hadji Diouf:
58 mins: Murphy gets treatrment for a clash of heads
59 mins: Amazing save denies Heskey a goal and then Reds have a header cleared off the
line
60 mins: Reds looking a far greater goal threat now
62 mins: Beattie wins a corner off Biscan
63 mins: Substitution: Fabrice Fernandes for Marian Pahars:
64 mins: GOAL! Michael Svensson: Header into the roff of the net from corner
65 mins: Biscan has a long-range effort well saved
67 mins: Reds win a corner
69 mins: Saints break up an attack led by Smicer
70 mins: Good cross from Gerrard to Pongolle is cut out inside the box
71 mins: Murphy shoots high and wide after le Tallec has a shot blocked
72 mins: Good defending by Hyypia as Saints threatened with two men at the back post
unmarked
73 mins: Otsemobor shot well saved by Niemi
75 mins: GOAL! Emile Heskey: Easy finish after Gerrard shot was first saved
76 mins: Reds win another corner as pressure on Saints mounts
79 mins: Pongolle shot cleared off the line after beating the keeper
80 mins: Scramble in the Saints box as Reds push for equaliser
80 mins: Substitution: Agustin Delgado for James Beattie:
82 mins: Yet another corner for the Reds
82 mins: Heske
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