First goal of the season from open play for the ‘Pool, 39th minute, Owen pulled the keeper off his line and pushed the ball softly passed him, off the far post and into the back of the net. Cured three+ games of frustration for the Reds and ensured they would not set a club mark with a third consecutive goalless draw. This reporter heard many screams of joy from the offices at BillSaysThis.com after this sweet work!
Danny Murphy was a surprise entry on the substitutes list, losing his place in midfield again to El Hadji Diouf, while Milan Baros got a start up front probably due to Emile Heskey’s still being injured, as Igor biscan made another start in central defense for Stephan Henchoz. I was very disappointed to see Jamie Carragher starting at left back in place of John Arne Riise. Steve Simonson started in goal for home team Everton because of injury to regular man Richard Wright.
Diouf had a lot of touches in the half, some very slick footwork but was too greedy and made very poor finishes. Kewell wasted several opportunities as well by blasting too many balls over top of the goal. Most of the referee’s decisions, to be fair, went Liverpool’s way even if they shouldn’t have and Everton players picked up two yellows.
Everton started the second half with one subs, bringing on the Danish international Thomas Graveson and quickly got a very dangerous free kick from 31 yards but Jerzy Dudek made a smart save. After handling the pressure, Harry Kewell picked up a yellow for a very hard charge into Italian international Alessandro Pistone, forcing the game to pause for almost two minutes.
Baros did some fine footwork around Yobo on defense to get into the box where he laid it off onto the foot of Michael Owen, and Owen did not hesitate in slamming the ball past Simonson for his second of the match in the 53rd minute. Number 10 almost made the hat trick in the 61st but Simonson pushed the ball over the top with a couple of fingertips.
Linderoth off, Duncan Ferguson on in the 71st for Everton; the Reds made their first substitutions Baros and smicer off, Heskey and Murphy on in the 73rd. After a stretch of rough play by both sides, Owen got the ball deep in Everton territory and Simonson came all the way to the edge of the 18 yard box to try and stop him, but Owen juked, the keeper fell down, Owen put the ball on goal where a defender headed it directly to Harry Kewell, and Kewell finally got his shot down and into the netting for a 3-0 lead at the 80th minute.
Wayne Rooney, Everton’s teen star striker, had a strong match though he couldn’t quite make a score but did show his immaturity with a nasty foul on Dudek early in the second half as well as picking up a yellow for arguing with the referee just after Kewell’s goal. Riise came on for Diouf very late, after the Senegalese international really made a difference after early roughness.
Spot analysis: Amazing relief to get the season’s first win but I have to say that luck was certainly on our side today; Eighth consecutive Merseyside derby victory for LFC! Steven Gerrard was MIA as field general most of the afternoon and I’m wondering if Houllier should give Diouf a chance in that role, putting Riise back into his wide midfield role where he did so well last season and leaving Baros as the starter alongside Mr. Owen up front.
BillSaysThis 