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| Wigan Athletic 0 - 1 Liverpool | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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BRILLIANT
BENAYOUN WINS IT FOR REDS Liverpool have returned to winning ways in the Premier League after a brilliant individual goal from Yossi Benayoun secured all three points at the JJB Stadium. Benayoun came off the substitutes' bench to sensational effect when he latched onto Jermaine Pennant's through ball and danced past his marker before sliding the ball beyond Chris Kirkland into the back of the net. The goal was no more than the Reds deserved and came at a time when it looked as though Wigan's defensive rearguard was going to see Liverpool forced to settle for their third successive league draw. Chances came and went throughout the match until the Israeli international nipped in to net his second goal in two games and ensure the Reds stay within striking distance of Arsenal at the top of the table. With Fernando Torres restored to the forward line after being rested for last weekend's Premier League clash with Birmingham, the Reds always looked a threat going forward even though the first half failed to produce a goal. The Spanish striker was at the centre of most of the Reds' best action in the early stages, with the Wigan defence often at full stretch to prevent Torres finding too much space in front of goal. Chris Kirkland was forced into a smart save midway through the half when he blocked Torres' low drive with his legs, and then looked on with relief as the ball bounced back off the Reds forward and rolled just the wrong side of the post. Torres also fired an acrobatic overhead kick just wide of the post as Liverpool threatened to take the lead - but the home side saw the half out. The deadlock was almost broken 10 minutes after the break when Steven Gerrard kept the ball in on the byline and set up Dirk Kuyt for a goalbound shot which was brilliantly blocked by Josep Skoko. Wigan threatened for the first time shortly after when Pepe Reina was beaten to a loose ball inside his area and Paul Scharner nipped in to clip a shot agonisingly wide for the home side. With time starting to tick away the Reds introduced Benayoun to the action in place of the returning Fabio Aurelio and he wasted no time in stamping his mark on proceedings. Only 15 minutes remained on the clock when Pennant found his midfield colleague inside the box, and Benayoun showed all his class with a drop of the shoulder to create the space before a quality left-footed finish sent the 5,000 travelling supporters wild with delight. Liverpool had chances to finish the game off with Torres and Gerrard going close, but after a couple of frustrating goalless draws Rafa Benitez will be delighted that one goal was enough to secure maximum points, even though the home side should have levelled in stoppage time when Aganhowa directed a header just wide from inside the six yard box. Teams Wigan Athletic: Kirkland, Kilbane, Boyce, Bramble, Melchiot (captain), Koumas, Skoko, Brown, Scharner, Aghahowa, Bent. Subs - Hall, Olembe, Granqvist, Pollitt, Taylor. Liverpool: Reina, Aurelio, Hyypia, Carragher, Arbeloa, Riise, Gerrard (captain), Mascherano, Pennant, Torres, Kuyt. Subs - Itandje, Voronin, Finnan, Sissoko, Benayoun. Referee: Mark Clattenburg Conditions: Warm Attendance: Unknown Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Yossi Benayoun Breakdown 14:00 GMT : Match Starts 1 min : Kuyt and Torres get the game underway and Torres is fouled immediately midway inside their half 1 min : Michael Brown pushes Dirk off the ball 2 mins : Gerrard hits the free-kick...it's low but Kirkland handles well 3 mins : Wigan corner in front of the Liverpool fans...it's a full house here at the JJB 3 mins : Hyypia heads clear 4 mins : Marcus Bent takes it past Sami but his shot is well wide 5 mins : Amid all the talk of hat-tricks this week it's easy to forget there's another man who could get an impressive hat-trick today - Titus Bramble. He's bagged OGs against us for Newcastle and Ipswich - can he become the first man to bag three Liverpool goals for three different clubs? 8 mins : Liverpool free kick on the left 9 mins : Nice interception from Sami but the visitors are struggling to get out of their own half at the minute 10 mins : Good defensive work from JP 11 mins : Rafa is off his feet 13 mins : Of course this fixture is no stranger to hat-tricks. Steve Staunton got one the first time Liverpool played Wigan in 1989. He was wearing the number 9 shirt in the absence of injured Ian Rush 13 mins : Javier careless in midfield but gets it back 13 mins : Great move - all because of a great run inside from JP. Reds corner 13 mins : Cleared 18 mins : Lovely dipping cross by Torres by Pennant's volley is deflected for a corner 18 mins : It's hit to Aurelio on the edge of the box - his volley lacks power 20 mins : Bit dull, this 20 mins : Skoko hits one but you have to do better than that if you're going to beat Pep 21 mins : We need to get JP in the game - he could kill Kilbane down the right 22 mins : A big shout out to Foster Gillett watching from the directors' box here at the JJB 23 mins : He's got shades on but the weather's starting to turn here in Wigan 23 mins : Another corner...Gerrard to take 24 mins : That was a stone wall pen - Hyypia clattered into by Titus. 25 mins : Pennant crosses for Dirk...he nods it to Torres but the Spaniard can't get much on his effort 26 mins : I've got Hunter one side of me and the BBC Asian Network the other - it's like GBH of the ears 27 mins : Torres goes down on the edge of the box but it's no foul 28 mins : Wigan get a free-kick down our left 28 mins : Torres heads clear 29 mins : Koumas takes a corner for the home side but it's cleared. Koumas used to be a trainee at Anfield you know 30 mins : Torres one on one - Kirky saves but the ball's rolling towards goal...wide 31 mins : Torres in acres - totally unmarked - but his overhead kick is wide 33 mins : JP tries one...it's curling...not enough though 35 mins : Reds starting to dominate 36 mins : JP crosses but Boyce clears before Torres can get there and it's a Reds corner 36 mins : Aurelio takes but it doesn't make it past the first man - Kevin Kilbane, who's making his 250th Premier League appearance today. Well done Kevin 37 mins : Torres fed through down the right but his cross balloons over the box 38 mins : Nice trickery from JP in his own half 39 mins : And then he's fouled by Koumas right near the corner flag. Promising, this 39 mins : Gerrard takes but it's cleared. Come on Reds 40 mins : Rafa's mad at Clattenburg after Wigan get a free-kick midway inside our half 41 mins : Gerrard heads it away. It's a bit scrappy at the moment 42 mins : That would have been a Wigan pen had Aghahowa not been offside - Carra's feet were very high 43 mins : Aurelio down the left wing but his cross is poor 43 mins : Ghost ground 43 mins : Spot on Steve... 45 mins : First Booking: Javier Mascherano: Clattenburg hands out his 20th yellow card of the campaign 14:47 GMT : Half Time Reached 15:03 GMT : Second Half Begins 46 mins : Wigan get the second half underway. Let's hope it's better than the first 47 mins : Today's attendance is 24,311 47 mins : Early pressure from Reds culminating in Aurelio firing one across the face of goal - no one's there though 49 mins : Riise goes down holding his head but he's hard, he'll be up in a min 50 mins : Bent gets the ball in the back of the net but the Reds are saved by a late flag. Today's matchday programme ran with the headline HEAVEN BENT. Now, I don't know about that, but he certainly got himself in a dangerous position there 52 mins : Rafa is calling Yossi over 53 mins : Corner to us...taken quickly by Pennant to Aurelio...oh, the Brazilian makes a mess of the cross 55 mins : Good save from Reina 55 mins : Chance for Fabio...scuffs his shot 55 mins : How the hell did that stay out. Torres had a go, Gerrard followed up, then it went to Kuyt but his shot was blocked well. Still hasn't scored in the league this season, has he? 56 mins : Substitution: Yossi Benayoun for Fabio Aurelio: 57 mins : Wigan corner 57 mins : It come to Melchiot but his header hits the roof of the net 58 mins : Lovely run from the skipper...cuts it inside to Kuyt on the edge of the box...first touch could have been better...hits one anyway but it's blocked 59 mins : The gaffer looks frustrated 60 mins : Really good defending from Carra 60 mins : That was messier than one of John Barnes' shirts and the Reds are very lucky not to be a goal down 62 mins : Benayoun running down the left...takes it past one...the ball's got away from him 63 mins : This has got 0-0 written all over it 63 mins : Kuyt in space on the edge of the box but his throughball is quite a bit away from Gerrard 64 mins : Clever play by Gerrard to find Riise down the left but his cross is weak 65 mins : Stevie's gonna have a go here...30 yards out...just wide 66 mins : Schamer strolls past a couple of Liverpool players but thankfully the move comes to nothing 69 mins : Fast break forward by SG...two options: Yossi and Torres...he chooses Torres but the ball is snapped up by Kirky 70 mins : Koumas does well to beat Arbeloa down our right but his cross is just too long 71 mins : Gerrard drills the ball across goal TWICE but Wigan are defending really well 72 mins : Superb tackle from the captain 73 mins : Benayoun swings one in from the right but Kuyt leaves it for reasons unknown 75 mins : Is Sami playing on the left wing? 75 mins : Javier does brilliantly to win the ball in the middle 76 mins : GOAL! Yossi Benayoun: YOU LITTLE BELTER. 79 mins : Disgraceful scenes at the JJB as fighting erupts in the home end. There's suggestions a stray Liverpool fan may have been in there 80 mins : It's difficult to keep an eye on the match when there's so much activity in the stands but things are starting to calm down now and Liverpool seem to be on the back foot. 81 mins : Torres is through...should score...lingers too long and Bramble intercepts 82 mins : Substitution: Andriy Voronin for Jermaine Pennant: 82 mins : Substitution: Ryan Taylor for Paul Scharner: 83 mins : Dangerous free-kick on the edge of our box after a foul from Javier 83 mins : Koumas curls it over the wall and the crossbar 85 mins : I think I've lost that fiver on another Torres hat-trick... 87 mins : The home faithful are up in arms about something but I was distracted by the Chelsea latest. Nil all against Fulham with Drogba sent off and Terry off with a head injury 88 mins : First Booking: Mario Melchiot: 90 mins : Substitution: Momo Sissoko for Fernando Torres: 90 mins : Low ball in from Bent and Ryan Taylor taps it narrowly wide 90 mins : Momo's up front! 90 mins : Hearts in mouths for the travelling Kop as Aghahowa misses a sitter 15:51 GMT : Match Over Copyright of Official Site Liverpool FC |
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