| Sunday 19
November 2005 15:00 FA Carling Premier League |
| |
 |
|
 |
| "Liverpool" |
3 - 0 |
"Portsmouth" |
| |
(2-0) |
|
| |
| GOAL |
| Zenden 23, Cisse 38, Morientes 79 |
|
|
| |
Team: 25. Jose
Reina, 28. Stephen Warnock, 3. Steve Finnan, 23. Jamie Carragher, 4. Sami Hyypia, 8.
Steven Gerrard (c), 16. Dietmar Hamann, 10. Luis Garcia, 30. Boudewijn Zenden, 15. Peter
Crouch, 9. Djibril Cisse.
Subs: 1.
Jerzy Dudek, 21. Djimi Traore, 17. Josemi Rey, 14. Xabi Alonso, 19. Fernando Morientes. |
|
Team: Jamie Ashdown, Gregory Vignal, Andy O'Brien, Brian Priske, Andy Griffin, Matthew
Taylor, Gary O'Neill, John Viafara, Richard Hughes, Lomana Lua Lua, Laurent Robert.
Subs: Collins Mbesuma, Linvoy Primus, Giannis Skopelitis, Zvonimir Vukic,
Sander Westerveld. |
| |
| SUBSTITUTIONS |
| Garcia (Morientes 22), Cisse (Alonso
69), Gerrard (Pey 83) |
|
Robert (Vukic 64), LuaLua (Mbesuma
70), Hughes (Skopelitis 75) |
| |
| OFFICIALS & BOOKINGS |
| Referee: Peter Waltonl
(Hertfordshire) |
| Booked: Hamann 75 |
|
Booked: Viafara 62 |
| VENUE |
|
MANAGERS |
Anfield (capacity: 45,362)
Attendance: 44,394 |
|
Gerard Houllier (Liverpool)
Alain Perrin (Portsmouth) |
 Price: 3,00
Notes:
- Peter Crouch missed a penalty on 23'
- Steve Finnan
100th game for Liverpool
By
Ian Doyle at Anfield, Daily Post
By
Chris Bascombe at Anfield, Liverpool Echo
Official Match Analysis
Djibril Cisse scores Liverpool's second goal with a
right-wing cross that floats into the net
 REDS STROLL TO A FOURTH
STRAIGHT WIN
Liverpool marked their return to action after the international break with a
comfortable 3-0 home win over Portsmouth and extended their winning sequence to four
games.
Goals from Bolo Zenden, Djibril Cisse and Fernando Morientes were enough to see the
Reds claim a well-deserved three points against the South Coast strugglers on a bitterly
cold Anfield afternoon.
However, there was more frustration in front of goal for Peter Crouch who, despite
turning in another impressive performance, failed to end his much-publicised goal drought
and suffered the misfortune of having a penalty saved by Pompey keeper Jamie Ashdown.
 ON THE REBOUND ... Zenden celebrates
after tucking home from Crouch penalty miss
Crouch was one of four players recalled to the starting line-up as Rafael Benitez
shuffled his pack in order to rest several of his stars following their midweek exertions
in the World Cup qualifiers.
In a game Liverpool dominated from start to finish Ashdown was kept on his toes
throughout and only some fine goalkeeping by him kept the scoreline respectable.
First he punched clear an in-swinging free-kick from the left by Steven Gerrard,
before denying Peter Crouch a long-awaited first Reds goal when palming away a headed
effort by the striker.
|
|
A much clearer opportunity came his way ten minutes
later when Liverpool were awarded a penalty after Zenden was fouled in the box but with
almost everyone inside Anfield willing him to score his spot-kick was saved by Ashdown,
who guessed correctly and dived to his right to save.
Fortunately, the rebound fell invitingly on to the head of the in-rushing Zenden
and the Dutch winger made no mistake from close-range.
Amid the celebrations Crouch held his hand up to the Kop as if to apologise and the
fans responded by chanting his name in a bid to lift his spirits. It seemed to do the
trick. He refused to let his confidence be affected and shortly afterwards he tried his
luck again with an acrobatic overhead kick on the edge of the box.
By this stage the hosts were totally dominant and their advantage was deservedly
doubled in the 38th minute when Cisse's intended cross from the right sailed over the head
of Ashdown and into the top corner of the net.
Liverpool's grip on the game showed no signs of lessening after half-time and the
impressive Ashdown had his work cut out to keep the score down. On 54 minutes he denied
Crouch once again and his inspired form continued as the game wore on.
Crouch misses from the penalty spot
Portsmouth somehow survived the relentless second half pressure applied by the Reds
until 11 minutes from time when Morientes sealed a comprehensive win with a close-range
finish after good aerial play by Crouch.
A goal for Crouch himself was all that was missing from a highly satisfactory
display. Sadly, it wasn't to be. But as the referee's final whistle signalled a fourth
straight win there was little else to worry about for Rafa's rapidly improving Reds.
Teams
Liverpool (4-4-2): Reina, Warnock, Carragher, Hyypia,
Finnan, Zenden, Gerrard, Hamann, Garcia, Crouch, Cisse. Subs - Dudek, Alonso, Morientes,
Josemi, Traore.
Portsmouth: Ashdown, Vignal, Priske, O'Brien, Griffin, Taylor, O'Neill, Viafara,
Hughes, Lua Lua, Robert. Subs - Westerveld, Vukic, Skopelitis, Mbesuma, Primus.
Referee: Peter Walton
Conditions: Cold
Attendance: 44,394
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Bolo Zenden
Breakdown
15:00 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Liverpool kick-off attacking the Kop
2 mins : Liverpool win an early free kick following a handball down the left
2 mins : Gerrard swings in the free kick and Ashdown punches clear
3 mins : LuaLua tries to get away down the left but Hyypia defends well to clear
4 mins : Finnan and Garcia combine by the Kop end to win the first corner of the game
7 mins : Zenden curls a free kick into the area which Pompey defend well
11 mins : Hamann's shot is deflected behind for a corner after good work by Crouch and
Gerrard
12 mins : Gerrard curls the corner in for Crouch who thinks he's headed his first goal
before Ashdown makes a fine stop
14 mins : More good defending from Carragher as he concedes a corner under pressure from
LuaLua
16 mins : Cisse gets his head to Finnan's cross but can't find the pace to trouble Ashdown
22 mins : Substitution: Fernando Morientes for Luis Garcia:
23 mins : GOAL! Boudewijn Zenden: Zenden heads the ball home after Cruch's penalty was
saved by Ashdown
26 mins : Crouch attempts an acrobatic overhead kick but can't trouble Ashdown
29 mins : Robert beats Cisse to the ball and concedes a corner to the Reds
33 mins : Robert gets free down the left but Reina cuts out his cross
34 mins : Ashdown is called into action again to palm away Morientes' header from Cisse's
cross
39 mins : GOAL! Djibril Cisse: Cisse crosses from the right and the ball lands in the far
corner of the net
15:46 GMT : Half Time Reached
16:03 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Portsmouth kick off the second half attacking the Kop
48 mins : Crouch battles for the ball in the area but Ashdown comes out to clear the
danger
53 mins : Liverpool win a corner after a scramble in the area during which Crouch should
have done better with a half chance
54 mins : Crouch bursts clear on goal but Ashdown makes another fine save to deny him
56 mins : Zende
56 mins : Zenden controls the ball in space and then wins a corner with a deflected shot
62 mins : Booking: John Viafara:
62 mins : Crouch controls the ball outside the area but then lifts his attempted lob over
the goal
63 mins : Robert cuts infield on his left foot and drives a low shot wide of the target
64 mins : Substitution: Zvonimir Vukic for Laurent Robert:
65 mins : Zenden sets up Hamann on the edge of the box but his low shot is well saved
68 mins : Taylor fires in a cross from the left which is deflected for a corner
68 mins : Finnan is forced to clear off the line as Pompey to threaten to score following
a corner
69 mins : Substitution: Xabi Alonso for Djibril Cisse:
69 mins : Substitution: Collins Mbesuma for Lomana Lua Lua:
74 mins : Crouch shows good skill in the centre of the field but can't find a team-mate
74 mins : Substitution: Giannis Skopelitis for Richard Hughes:
75 mins : Booking: Dietmar Hamann:
79 mins : GOAL! Fernando Morientes: Morientes turns in the area and smashes home our third
goal
83 mins : Gerrard has space in the area but turns the ball wide of the far post. Good
chance.
83 mins : Substitution: Josemi Josemi for Steven Gerrard:
88 mins : Alonso limps off the field injured but the Reds have no further subs on the
bench
90 mins : Two extra minutes to be played
16:50 GMT : Match Over
© Copyright of Official Site Liverpool FC
|
