Saturday 10 December 2005 12:45 FA Barclays Premier League
"Liverpool"	2 - 0	"Middlsborough"
	(0-0)
GOAL
Morientes 71, 77
25  Jose Reina   6  John Arne Riise   3  Steve Finnan  23  Jamie Carragher   4  Sami Hyypia   8  Steven Gerrard (c)   7  Harry Kewell  22  Mohamed Sissoko  14  Xabi Alonso  19  Fernando Morientes  15  Peter Crouch  Subs:   1  Jerzy Dudek  17  Jose Miguel Rey  28  Stephen Warnock  10  Luis Garcia   9  Djibril Cisse		1  Mark Schwarzer  26  Matthew Bates   6  Gareth Southgate (c)   5  Chris Riggott   3  Franck Queudrue  25  James Morrison  17  Doriva   7  George Boateng  10  Fabio Rochemback  36  Mark Viduka  20  Aiyegbeni Yakubu  Subs:  22  Bradley Jones   4  Ugo Ehiogu  12  Emanuel Pogatetz  37  Adam Johnson   9  Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink
SUBSTITUTIONS
Crouch (Garcia 67)  Kewell (Cisse 83)  Morientes (Rey 87)		Morrison (Hasselbaink 76)  Yakubu (Ehiogu 86)
OFFICIALS & BOOKINGS
Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent)
Booked: Sissoko 66		Booked: Bates 66, Riggott 79  Sent Off: Riggott 84
VENUE		MANAGERS
Anfield (capacity 45,362) Attendance: 43,510		Rafael Benitez (Liverpool) Steve McLaren (Middlesbough)

 Price: J3,00

  Notes:

  - Liverpool go 10 games without conceding a goal, equalling the record from 1987-88 season.

  - This programme on cover signed by Jose Reina.

  NANDO DOUBLE NAILS BORO

  Liverpool have emulated the class of 1987-88 after two goals from Fernando Morientes gave them a deserved 2-0 win over Middlesbrough and their 10th consecutive clean sheet at Anfield today.

  The Reds have now gone 925 minutes without conceding a goal and they've moved back to 2nd place in the premiership table before this afternoon's fixtures. It's feat that they haven't managed since Kenny Dalglish's League Champions did it in 1987-88.

  Liverpool started this game looking to ensure they could leave for Japan with their Premiership fortunes still on the up; and Rafael Benitez named a strong side that included last week's goal-hero Peter Crouch.

  And if last night's World Cup draw distracted the attention of Crouch and the rest of the Reds' England contingent, there could be no doubt that their focus would now be firmly on beating Boro and continuing their excellent recent run.

  This was apparent almost from the first whistle when first Morientes and Crouch nearly created a chance and then Captain Gerrard had two sight finders before warming the hands of Schwarzer with a third drive that had been top corner bound.

  Middlesbrough had survived more than 60 minutes before conceding at Chelsea last week, but they would go on to have an uncomfortable time from the Reds in the first half.

  How Liverpool never led at the break is of some wonder because they came close on a number of occasions. Their first good chance came after 23 minutes when Morientes' header forced Schwarzer into a fingertip save. And then from the resulting corner, Crouch's header was cleared off the line by Bates.

  As half time approached, the pressure on the Boro goal began to grow again and we almost saw a first Reds goal from Momo Sissoko, but headed straight into the arms of Schwarzer with a goal looking likely.

  Liverpool's last chance of the first half fell to Peter Crouch and we would have been celebrating his 3rd Liverpool goal had it not been for the superb intervention of Chris Riggott.

  The Reds were almost made to rue those missed opportunities as soon as the second half kicked off. Ex-Leeds striker Mark Viduka has made a habit out of scoring against Liverpool and only the legs of Reina prevented him from becoming the first man to score against them in 10 games after 47 minutes.

  It was a chance that served as a reminder to the threat Steve McClaren's men posed, but the Reds in perfect fashion and Riise and Morientes both came close to scoring with Rafa's men now firmly back in the ascendancy.

  Liverpool were using the ball well, but they just couldn't find the goal that their dominance deserved. You felt a Reds goal would open the floodgates and they came close again after 56 minutes when Kewell's brilliant lob almost deceived his compatriot Schwarzer.

  Schwarzer was in great form, but he could do nothing to stop the Reds taking a deserved lead through Fernando Morientes after 71 minutes. Schwarzer had kept his side in the game, but he was powerless to stop Morientes' shot after Gerrard's clever dummy had left him clear.

  And from looking like being a frustrating afternoon, Liverpool tied the game up after 77 minutes when Morientes beat the offside trap before lobbing Schwarzer to make it 2-0.

Middlesbrough capped a miserable afternoon for them when Riggott was sent off with 6 minutes to go, but nothing could dim the mood of the Anfield faithful who had enjoyed another excellent performance.

  It's the World Club Championships next for the Reds, but they say goodbye to the Premiership until Boxing day knowing they have plenty to smile about.

  Teams

  Liverpool (4-4-2): Reina, Riise, Hyypia, Carragher, Finnan, Kewell, Alonso, Sissoko, Gerrard (c), Crouch, Morientes. Subs - Dudek, Cisse, Garcia, Warnock, Josemi.

  Middlesbrough (4-4-2): Schwarzer, Queudrue, Southgate (c), Riggott, Bates, Rochemback, , Boateng, Morrison, , Viduka. Subs - Pogatetz, Hasselbaink, Ehiogu, Johnson, Jones.

  Referee: S Bennett

  Conditions: Dry

  Attendance: 43,510

  Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Fernando Morientes

  Breakdown

12:47 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Middlesbrough kick-off attacking the Kop
1 min : Gerrard fires an early long-range effort wide of the goal
3 mins : The skipper tries his luck again, this time with a shot from the right side of the box that goes over
5 mins : Gerrard has another pop at goal and forces Schwarzer into a save
14 mins : Rochemback threatens with a shot across goal that flies wide of the far post
21 mins : Gerrard's cross from the right is deflected behind for the first corner of the match
22 mins : Crouch heads way wide from Gerrard's corner
23 mins : Shwarzer does well to tip a close-range Morientes header over the bar
24 mins : A goalward bound Crouch header is headed clear by Bates
27 mins : A vital interception by Riise averts the danger as Boro launch a threatening attack
28 mins : Riggott is forced to head off the line as Kewell knocks a ball into the heart of the Boro six-yard box
29 mins : Kewell's glancing header is deflected narrowly wide for a corner
32 mins : More good defending by Riise who gets in an important header as Yakubu lurked menacingly
34 mins : Kewell is fouled in a central position 25-yards from goal and Alonso strikes the resultant free-kick into the Boro wall
36 mins : Crouch heads over at the far post from a Kewell centre
39 mins : Southgate charges through the Reds midfield a hammers a volley wide
41 mins : Sissoko heads straight into the arms of Shwarzer with Liverpool's best chance so far
44 mins : Crouch is foiled by an excellent tackle by Riggott six-yards from goal
45 mins : The fourth official indicates that one minute of added time will be played
13:33 GMT : Half Time Reached

13:50 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Liverpool restart the game
47 mins : Reina saves superbly with his right leg to deny Viduka
51 mins : A long-range rocket shot from Riise flies narrowly over the bar
52 mins : Morientes goes close with a deflected shot that is tipped away by Schwarzer
56 mins : Kewell lobs the ball towards goal from 30-yards by Schwarzer tracks back to push the ball over
59 mins : Riise centres from the left and Crouch's header is saved by Schwarzer
65 mins : Booking: Matthew Bates: for a push on Sissoko
65 mins : Booking: Momo Sissoko: for a foul on Bates
67 mins : Substitution: Luis Garcia for Peter Crouch:
69 mins : Hyypia and Boateng clash heads in the box and require treatment
71 mins : GOAL! Fernando Morientes: nets from close-range with a cool finish past a diving Scwarzer following a cross from the right by Alonso
73 mins : With a bandaged head Hyypia returns to the pitch amid loud applause and then heroically heads clear to deny Boro
76 mins : Substitution: Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink for James Morrison:
77 mins : GOAL! Fernando Morientes: exquisite chip over Schwarzer from the edge of the box
79 mins : Booking: Chris Riggott: for a foul on Morientes
82 mins : Substitution: Djibril Cisse for Harry Kewell:
83 mins : Garcia denied by an upstanding Shwarzer after being played through on goal by a delightful Morientes ball
84 mins : Sending Off: Chris Riggott: for a foul on Gerrard
86 mins : Substitution: Ugo Ehiogu for Yakubu :
87 mins : Substitution: Josemi Josemi for Fernando Morientes:
14:39 GMT : Match Over

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