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 substitute's bench to sensational effect when he latched onto Jermaine Pennant's through ball and danced past his marker before sliding the ball past 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 strength 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 ten 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 fifteen 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 five thousand 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
Liverpool: Reina, Aurelio, Hyypia, Carragher, Arbeloa, Riise, Gerrard (captain), Mascherano, Pennant, Torres, Kuyt. Subs - Itandje, Voronin, Finnan, Sissoko, Benayoun
Wigan Athletic: Kirkland, Kilbane, Boyce, Bramble, Melchiot (captain), Koumas, Skoko, Brown, Scharner, Aghahowa, Bent. Subs - Hall, Olembe, Granqvist, Pollitt, Taylor
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 from 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 man
49 mins : I mean 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 |
發表於 2007-9-30 12:17 AM
| 
