| Saturday 3 December 2005 12:45 FA
Barclays Premier League |
| |
 |
|
 |
| "Liverpool" |
3 - 0 |
"Wigan
Athletic" |
| |
(2-0) |
|
| |
| GOAL |
| Crouch 19, 42, Garcia 70 |
|
|
| |
Team: 25. Jose Reina,
28. Stephen Warnock, 3. Steve Finnan, 23. Jamie Carragher, 4. Sami Hyypia, 8. Steven
Gerrard (c), 10. Luis Garcia, 14. Xabi Alonso, 7. Harry Kewell, 15. Peter Crouch,
19. Fernando Morientes.
Subs: 20. Scott Carson, 17. Jose Miguel Rey, 6. John Arne Riise, 16.
Dietmar Hamann, 9. Djibril Cisse. |
|
Team: 1. 36. Thomas
Myhre, Luke Young (c), 3. Hermann Hreidarsson, 5. Chris Perry, 7. Radostin Kishishev, 18.
Darren Ambrose, 23. Jonathan Spector, 8. Matt Holland, 20. Bryan Hughes, 6. Marcus Bent,
10. Darren Bent.
Subs: 16. Steve Anderson, 22. Chris Powell, 14. Jerome Thomas, 38. Jay
Bothroyd, 9. Jason Euell. |
| |
| SUBSTITUTIONS |
| Kewell (Riise 62), Alonso (Hamann
67), Crouch (Cisse 74) |
|
De Zeeuw (Jackson 35), Francis
(Connolly 66), Kavanagh (Skoko 78) |
| |
| OFFICIALS & BOOKINGS |
| Referee: Uriah Rennie, Linesmen:
Gary Kellett, Chris Sarginson, 4th Official: Mike Dean |
| Booked: Hyypia 84 |
|
Booked: Chimbonda 73, Henchoz 82 |
| VENUE |
|
MANAGERS |
Anfield (capacity 45,362)
Attendance: 43,892 |
|
Rafael Benitez (Liverpool)
Paul Jewell (Wigan Athletic) |
Price: J3,00
Notes:
- Peter Crouch
scores his first goal for LFC
- Crouch had failed to find the target in his first 18 games. When he finally broke
the deadlock vs. Wigan, he had played 1,229 minutes without scoring.
- Liverpool FC Mascot: Matthew Agger (Huyton 8 aged)
Liverpool's John Arne Riise
substitutes Harry Kewell
|
|
 CROUCH
DROUGHT OVER AS REDS GO SECOND
Peter Crouch ended his much-publicised goal drought in style on Saturday afternoon
by bagging a brace as Liverpool defeated Wigan 3-0 at Anfield.
It was a win that extended the Reds winning run in the Premiership to an impressive
six games, saw them keep yet another clean sheet and moved them up into second place in
the table.
Crouch netted in the 19th and 42nd minute before Luis Garcia completed the scoring
and sealed the points 20 minutes from time.
But this game will forever be remembered for the popular striker breaking his duck
in front of goal and when he later left the field to be replaced by substitute Djibril
Cisse he did with the acclaim of the Kop ringing joyfully in his ears.
With just goal difference separating Liverpool and Wigan this was a vitally
important first-ever league fixture between the two sides.
Rafael Benitez made two changes to the eleven that had started against Sunderland
in midweek, with Harry Kewell replacing the suspended Momo Sissoko and Stephen Warnock
taking the place of John Arne Riise.
In what was a lively opening, Kewell forced Pollitt into an early diving save after
ghosting in from the right to meet a Luis Garcia centre, while at the opposite end Henri
Camara dragged a low show wide of the upright from the edge of the box.
As the play continued to flow, Liverpool's football was a joy to watch and
Morientes then went close with a header that went narrowly wide.
When the deadlock was finally broken there could be no arguments from the visitors.
It was a breakthrough the Reds fully deserved and for the scorer it was a moment he'll
forever cherish, even if his critics will claim it wasn't really his goal.
Despite his shot from 20-yards out taking a double deflection it was on target and
in the eyes of every Liverpudlian the identity of the scorer was never in doubt. A
terrific roar greeted the goal and Crouch ran half the length of the pitch in celebration
before being mobbed by his team-mates and saluting an ecstatic Kop.
Wigan's best moments of the first half were a Jason Roberts shot that was dragged
just wide and an Arjan De Zeeuw header that shaved the top of the bar but a second goal
for the Reds always seemed more likely than a Latics equaliser.
Steven Gerrard twice went close to doubling the lead before the interval and Kewell
should have done better when hitting the side-netting from close-range.
All the talk, however, was of Crouch and with three minutes to go before the break
he sent Anfield into raptures once again when doubling his and Liverpool's tally. A Xabi
Alonso-style through ball by Steve Finnan released the big man and he kept his composure
to delightfully lob the advancing keeper.
Liverpool were well worth their 2-0 interval lead and they almost made it three
just minutes after the restart but Pollitt tipped a Morientes header onto the bar.
The visitors replied with a Graham Kavanagh strike from distance that sailed
agonisingly over and for a brief spell the surprise package of the season so far looked
capable of mounting a comeback.
That was until Garcia converted from close-range with his chest in the 70th minute.
It was a goal that ended the game as a contest and only a fine double save by Pollitt from
Morientes denied Liverpool a fourth near the end.
The Reds are on a roll, the Premiership summit is suddenly within sight and on this
form they're going to take some beating.
Teams
Liverpool (4-4-2): Reina, Warnock, Carragher, Hyypia,
Finnan, Kewell, Alonso, Gerrard, Garcia, Crouch, Morientes. Subs - Carson, Cisse, Hamann,
Josemi, Riise.
Wigan Athletic (4-4-2): Pollitt, Baines, De Zeeuw, Henchoz, Chimbonda, McCulloch,
Francis, Kavanagh, Bullard, Camara, Roberts. Subs - Connolly, Jackson, Skoko, Taylor,
Walsh.
Referee: U Rennie
Conditions:
Attendance: 44,098
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Peter Crouch
Breakdown
12:46 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Liverpoool kick off attacking the Anfield Road end
4 mins : Kewell forces Pollitt into a fine save from Garcia's cross
6 mins : Crouch heads goalwards but it's comfortable for Pollitt
7 mins : Camara shoots wide, but Reina had it covered in any case
10 mins : Kewell breaks and feeds Morientes but the move breaks down
11 mins : Gerrard finds Garcia with a great pass but Garcia's cross is caught by Pollitt
15 mins : Good cross from Warnock gives Morientes a headed chance, but it's wide
16 mins : Garcia is foiled but it's a corner
19 mins : GOAL! Peter Crouch: Crouch silences the critics with his first Reds goal after
his shot was deflected
25 mins : Good pressure from Alonso wins a throw in
26 mins : A foul on Kewell gives the Reds a free kick 20 yards out
27 mins : Pollitt is down quickly to stop Gerrard's driven shot
29 mins : Good play between Kewell and Morientes on the right wins a corner
32 mins : De Zeeuw's header skims the top of the bar and goes out
33 mins : Pollitt does brillianty to keep out Gerrard's shot. it's a corner
35 mins : Substitution: Matt Jackson for Arjan De Zeeuw: De Zeeuw goes off injured
39 mins : Kewell misses a great chance as he side foots wide at the far post
42 mins : GOAL! Peter Crouch: Crouch's gets another when he runs onto Finnan's fine
through pass and lobs Pollitt
43 mins : Hyypia heads wide from Gerrard's cross
45 mins : Crouch nearly has his hat-trick but Gerrard's cross evades him
13:33 GMT : Half Time Reached
13:49 GMT : Second Half Begins
47 mins : Great tackle by Hyypia denies Roberts a shooting chance
47 mins : Kavanagh goes close as Wigan make a good start to the second half
49 mins : Morientes' header comes back off the bar from Finnan's cross
51 mins : Jackson doesn't clear convincingly but the angle is too tight for Morientes
54 mins : Wigan have to defend well as the Reds pepper their box with crosses
58 mins : Wigan press and win a corner
59 mins : Liverpool clear the danger and break but Garcia's ball is too far ahead of
Gerrard
60 mins : Good save from Reina low to his left stops Bullard's shot
62 mins : Substitution: John Arne Riise for Harry Kewell:
66 mins : Substitution: David Connolly for Damien Francis:
66 mins : Liverpool have a corner on the left
67 mins : The Reds try a short corner routine but Chimbonda clears
67 mins : Substitution: Dietmar Hamann for Xabi Alonso:
70 mins : Liverpool break and Gerrard has a great chance but he's foiled by a last ditch
tackle
70 mins : GOAL! Luis Garcia: luis flicks Morientes' header passed Pollitt
73 mins : Booking: Pascal Chimbonda:
74 mins : Substitution: Djibril Cisse for Peter Crouch: goal hero Crouch comes off to a
great reception
74 mins : Pollitt produces a superb save to deny Gerrard again
78 mins : Substitution: Josip Skoko for Graham Kavanagh:
80 mins : Wigan have a corner which Bullard will take
81 mins : Liverpool manage to clear via Warnock
82 mins : Booking: Stephane Henchoz: Henchoz is booked for a foul on Morientes
83 mins : Pollitt produces an astonishing double save to deny Morientes
84 mins : Booking: Sami Hyypia:
89 mins : Connolly is caught offside as we approach full time
90 mins : There will be 2 minutes of stoppage time
14:37 GMT : Match Over
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