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| Sunderland 0 - 2 Liverpool | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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RAMPANT
REDS WIN AWAY AT SUNDERLAND Goals from Momo Sissoko - his first for the club - and Andriy Voronin gave Liverpool an excellent 2-0 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. The Reds found Sunderland's record signing, Scottish goalkeeper Craig Gordon, in superb form and for a time none of their forwards could find a way past him. They eventually took the lead in the 37th minute of a first half that had looked certain to end goalless before Sissoko beat Gordon with a superb right foot shot. Voronin confirmed a second away win of the season after excellent play involving Babel, Pennant and Torres in the 87th minute. Sunderland came into this game having had their good start to life back in the Premier League halted by defeat at Wigan, while Liverpool were hoping to add three points to the four they already had before embarking on the job of ensuring qualification for the group stages of the Champions League against Toulouse on Tuesday. A hairline fracture of the toe meant the Reds had to do without their captain at the Stadium of Light. Gerrard didn't travel to the North East and his place was taken by Momo Sissoko, who partnered Xabi Alonso in the centre of the midfield. There were also first starts in the Premier League for Ryan Babel and Andriy Voronin. Liverpool kicked the game off and started well. We'd had just 30 seconds when a loose pass gave Voronin a chance to score. The Ukrainian did well to muscle his way through the Sunderland defence, but he couldn't beat their goalkeeper Gordon, who made a fine save before the ball was scrambled away. Buoyed by that, Liverpool continued on the front foot in the early stages and two corners in quick succession increased the pressure on Roy Keane's side. Sunderland did manage to break in the 8th minute and Richardson's near post cross bounced dangerously off McShane and just wide. The Reds were back on the attack in the 11th minute when Xabi Alonso had a shot blocked, but they almost went behind in the 24th minute when Stokes, who had just come on for Richardson, broke free. It took a fine save from Reina to deny the Sunderland man. The game appeared to be drifting towards a goalless half time with neither side ready to seize the initiative. Sissoko's goal was just what the doctor ordered. Liverpool almost made it 2-0 on the stroke of half time when Gordon made what was to be the first of a series of saves from Fernando Torres before stopping the ball on his goalline. The second half started as the first had done, with Liverpool on the attack. It took another good Gordon save from the ever dangerous Torres in the 51st minute and the Sunderland stopper was busy again just minutes later when Pennant's shot needed saving. Roy Keane tried to change things when he replaced Dwight Yorke with Grant Leadbitter, but still the chances continued to come for Liverpool with Torres again getting in behind the home defence only to shoot tamely wide. Concern was growing that the Reds would be made to pay for not killing the game off and when Gordon made another brilliant save from Voronin in the 76th minute you feared a sucker punch. But the Ukraine international beat the Scot in the 87th minute to make it 2-0 and two away wins out of two for the Rafa's men. Teams Sunderland: Gordon, Wallace, McShane, Nosworthy, Halford, Richardson, Etuhu, Yorke (c), Miller, Chopra, Murphy. Subs - Anderson, Connolly, Leadbitter, Stokes, Ward. Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Finnan, Babel, Alonso, Sissoko, Pennant, Torres, Voronin. Subs - Agger, Itandje, Kuyt, Mascherano, Riise. Referee: M Halsey Conditions: Unavailable Attendance: Unavailable Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Momo Sissoko Breakdown 11:47 GMT : Match Starts 1 min : Voronin and Torres get the game underway at the Stadium of Light 1 min : Awful defensive pass from Halford gifts Voronin a one-on-one but Craig Gordon saves his team 2 mins : Sissoko has picked up a knock 4 mins : Now Hyypia has been floored 4 mins : Keane and Benitez shared a warm handshake before kick-off - that's nice to see after the week that's just been 5 mins : Sami is getting treatment for a bloody nose 6 mins : Liverpool wearing black 7 mins : Reina off his line well to tidy things up 7 mins : Arbeloa forced to concede a corner - Sami Hyypia back on just in time 7 mins : McShane fires well wide - though he doesn't know much about it 8 mins : Sunderland have started brightly 9 mins : Pennant wins free-kick midway inside their half 10 mins : Great run inside from JP...lays it to Voronin...he's clipped and the Reds have a free-kick from a similar position Gerrard scored v Villa 10 mins : Xabi looks braced... 10 mins : Hits the wall 11 mins : Reds win a corner 14 mins : What's Momo doing...surges down the right...skins a man...gives it to the overlapping Finnan...the cross comes in...Alonso fires wide 16 mins : Substitution: Daniel Agger for Sami Hyypia: 16 mins : Agger gets his 50th appearance after all - they can't stop Sami's nosebleed 17 mins : Sunderland have beaten Liverpool just once at home in 50 years 18 mins : Torres flings himself at backpass but just can't get there 20 mins : Charlie from Big Brother's cousin is coming off 21 mins : Xabi nearly caught in possession 22 mins : Murphy volleys over from distance 19 mins : Substitution: Anthony Stokes for Kieran Richardson: 24 mins : Stokes through after great ball from Chopra...scuffs the shot...Agger clears - come on Reds, sort it out 26 mins : Sunderland are battling like 11 Roy Keanes 27 mins : First Booking: Dickson Etuhu: Terrible challenge on Arbeloa - that's his third booking of the season 30 mins : Poor kick out by Gordon but Babel mis-controls 31 mins : Torres tackle sets off Reds attack but Babel is hussled out of it 33 mins : Babel tries one-two with Torres but the Spaniard overhits the pass 34 mins : We're seeing a lot of close ups of Keane...he's wearing his tie really high, like the hard kids used to at school 34 mins : Pennant swings in a free kick from the right but it's cleared easily 35 mins : Why's Dwight Yorke got a bad back? 36 mins : 'Cos he's been carrying Cole for years...the old one's are the best 37 mins : GOAL! Momo Sissoko: I can't believe what I've just seen...Voronin lays it back to Momo who drives it into the bottom right-hand corner from 25 yards. His first Liverpool goal 41 mins : Some nice touches from Babel down the left 42 mins : Voronin crosses well but McShane just beats Torres to it 42 mins : Torres heads wide from a corner 43 mins : Rafa looks mad...he's telling someone to communicate 44 mins : Babel wins a throw right near the corner flag 45 mins : Momo wins the ball well 45 mins : Momo picks up the ball midway inside their half...he's going to try another one...well wide - he won't care 45 mins : Free header for Torres...ooh Fernando...good save from Gordon 12:35 GMT : Half Time Reached 12:52 GMT : Second Half Begins 46 mins : Sunderland get the second half underway and get a corner almost immediately...Carra clears 46 mins : In the excitement (and shock) I forgot to mention Momo had scored our 7,000th league goal...25 fans predicted that on our pre-match vote! 50 mins : Stokes is through...he's too slow on the ball and is crowded out 50 mins : Now Voronin is away...he can't feed Torres through 51 mins : Touch of class from Torres...he's a yard behind two defenders but beats them both...shoots...but Gordon denies the Reds again. Torres is class - fact. 52 mins : Liverpool would be out of sight if it wasn't for their Scottish keeper 53 mins : Good, strong defending from Agger 53 mins : Another stat for you...it took Momo 75 games to score for Liverpool 54 mins : Great chance for Reds to counter but Pennant can't pick out Torres 55 mins : As above but exchange the word 'Pennant' for 'Momo' 57 mins : Lovely ball in from Babel...great touch from Voronin but he loses his balance 60 mins : Momo started out as a striker at Auxerre, you know 61 mins : Substitution: Grant Leadbitter for Dwight Yorke: 63 mins : Carragheresque defending from, er, Carragher to stop Chopra 64 mins : Torres picks up through ball...tries to lob the keeper but it's just wide 65 mins : The ball is stuck to Momo's foot...oh, maybe not 67 mins : First Booking: Alvaro Arbeloa: The Spaniard is penalised for a high challenge 66 mins : Carra is down...he looks winded 67 mins : He got a knee in his ribs, I'm told 69 mins : Well in from Finnan...he's flying forward...gives it to Voronin...his 25-yard shot is well over 70 mins : The doc is talking to Carra...he looks proper hurt 71 mins : Chopra through...Carra's still off the pitch...Arbeloa clears 72 mins : This is going to be a nervous 20 minutes unless we score soon 73 mins : Substitution: Riise for Carragher 77 mins : Voronin shoots from distance...textbook save from Gordon 77 mins : Substitution: David Connolly for Daryl Murphy 79 mins : Nice run from Torres...cuts it back for Andriy...oh, he could have scored but Gordon will be happy with the save 81 mins : Torres has been a class act today 82 mins : Keane is chewing gum with a vigour which would make Alex Ferguson proud 83 mins : Dirk is limbering up 87 mins : GOAL! Andriy Voronin: The Ukrainian drives home inside the box after great build up play from Pennant, Babel and Torres 89 mins : Substitution: Dirk Kuyt for Ryan Babel 89 mins : Hyypia has a broken nose but they reset it at half-time, Carra is having an X-ray 90 mins : Keano, what's the score, Keano Keano what's the score - that's what they're singing in the travelling Kop 13:40 GMT : Match Over Copyright of Official Site Liverpool FC |
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