|
|
 |
|
|
|
Match Report
Liverpool v Portsmouth 19 November 2005
Reds heap pressure on Perrin
Liverpool 3 - 0 Portsmouth
Liverpool recorded their third Premiership victory in a row as they heaped the pressure on Portsmouth boss Alain Perrin with a 3-0 win at Anfield.
The Reds dominated from start to finish and Perrin's side were desperately lacking in invention and enterprise throughout the encounter, and on this evidence they may need more than the ambitious transfer target of Roy Keane if they are to avoid a prolonged relegation struggle.
For much of the game Peter Crouch was seemingly pursuing a personal crusade to open up his Liverpool account against his former employers, and the England man may need to heed his manager's words and develop a tougher mentality to overcome the psychological scars created by a missed first half penalty.
Boudewijn Zenden spared his blushes by heading in the rebound after winning the spot kick in dubious circumstances, and a lucky Djibril Cisse effort and a second half strike from Fernando Morientes made it a productive afternoon for the Liverpool front-line.
Rafa Benitez's side led from start to finish in the first period and would have torn the visitors apart were in not for some impressive goalkeeping from Jamie Ashdown.
The Pompey shot-stopper showed quick reflexes to deny Crouch in the opening quarter of an hour as he repelled the angular striker's header from a Steven Gerrard corner.
The Reds were proving to be a consistent aerial threat and Andy O'Brien intervened to prevent Cisse from having a clear header on goal, before the Frenchman stole in three minutes later to see another effort gathered by Ashdown.
Despite their dominance, Liverpool were somewhat gifted the chance to take the lead in highly dubious circumstances as Zenden nutmegged Andy Griffin on the edge of the box, and, with minor contact from the Pompey man, fell to the ground to win the spot kick.
Farcical scenes soon followed as Crouch, so desperate to open his account in front of the Kop, grabbed the ball and agonisingly saw his penalty against his former side saved by a diving Ashdown.
However, Zenden, the protagonist of the whole piece, reacted quickest and headed in the rebound despite Gregory Vignal's best efforts to clear off the line.
Crouch was desperate to impress by any means and even tried a speculative overhead kick from the edge of the box before proving troublesome as Cisse's wayward volley was blocked.
Substitute Morientes, on for injured compatriot Luis Garcia, also found Ashdown in determined form as he met Cisse's well-flighted cross with a strong header that the Pompey keeper parried from close range.
Perrin's men were denied a penalty of their own as Stephen Warnock tangled with John Viafara on two occasions, and in a sterile first half for the visitors the isolated figure of lone striker Tresor Lomana Lua Lua summed up his side's frustration with two tepid long range efforts.
Indeed their torment was to continue before the break as Cisse, proving dangerous from the right flank after Garcia's injury, negotiated Vignal and saw his chipped cross float over Ashdown and luckily nestle in the far corner.
After the break Crouch continued his personal crusade but his volley from Steve Finnan's hooked cross was blocked by Griffin, and from the resultant play the striker could not direct Morientes' dragged shot goalwards.
The Spaniard then set his strike partner clear with a glorious back-heel, but Crouch's endeavours again resulted in frustration as he blasted his effort straight at a grateful Ashdown.
Liverpool continued to pile forward as Pompey could only offer another unthreatening Lua Lua effort, and Zenden wasted both time and space as Griffin blocked his shot - whilst Morientes was also denied.
Crouch fluffed an attempted lob before Laurent Robert attempted to surprise Jose Reina with a quick 30-yard effort, and the Pompey winger was disappointed to be removed by Perrin soon after.
However, the home side continued to dominate and Ashdown was called into action once again as he dived full-stretch to his left to collect a low drive from Dietmar Hamann.
Just three minutes later, and almost out of the blue, Portsmouth nearly reduced the deficit as Brian Priske bundled in to meet Gary O'Neil's corner - although Finnan was on hand to clear off the line after Reina parried.
Collins Mbesuma was called upon to replace the jaded Lua Lua, and the Zambian hit-man showed intricate footwork to carve out an opening for Matthew Taylor which the former Luton man skewed wide.
Whilst all the focus was seemingly on whether Crouch would break his goal drought, it was strike partner Morientes who scored his first Premiership goal since April with ten minutes to go.
Crouch provided the knockdown and Sami Hyypia, in an advanced position in the six-yard box, exercised good close control as he fed Morientes who made no mistake as he tapped in from close range.
The former Real Madrid man then opened up the defence to unleash Gerrard, although the skipper shot wide, as Liverpool retained control in a game where their front men came to the fore and increased the focus on Perrin's position.
Report From 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
