Premier League - Ince misery as Liverpool stay top

Eurosport - Sun, 07 Dec 12:59:00 2008

Liverpool maintained their lead at the top of the Premier League table thanks to a 3-1 win over Blackburn at Ewood Park.

Steven Gerrard scores for Liverpool against Blackburn - 0

Despite the scoreline, it was a far from convincing display from the visitors, who had - until Xabi Alonso broke the deadlock in the 69th minute - looked second best against a Blackburn side motivated by recent criticism of manager Paul Ince.

But the opener changed the complex of the game and Yossi Benayoun doubled the lead 10 minutes later to put Liverpool firmly in the driving seat.

Roque Santa Cruz's 86th minute header briefly gave the hosts hope of staging an unlikely comeback but Steven Gerrard (pictured) netted deep in injury time to seal all three points and snap a run of two consecutive goalless draws.

Victory also ensured the attack on the Premier League summit staged by Chelsea - who were 2-0 winners at Bolton - was successfully fended off - at least for the time being.

For Blackburn, the result - if not the performance - brought nothing but misery. Ince's side are now mired in the relegation zone and should West Brom beat Portsmouth at the Hawthorns on Sunday, Rovers will finish the weekend bottom of the league.

It could easily been a different story. Having seen their manager go public with his grievances at perceived unfair treatment by the media in the build-up to the match, Blackburn's players seemed determined to show their support for Ince with a gutsy performance on the pitch.

And from the first whistle, Rovers looked like a side with a point to prove. In the early stages of the game, they were a far more hungry side than Liverpool; that mind-set was typified by their desire to get to every ball first and the bite in every challenge.

The home crowd soon followed suit and, having voiced concerns over Ince's leadership during the 5-3 Carling Cup reverse at Old Trafford on Wednesday, gave their full vocal backing to the team three days later.

The result was a stirring start to the game from Rovers and it was the hosts who went closest to taking the lead when Morten Gamst Pedersen's wickedly swerving effort from 25 yards forced Jose Reina into tipping the ball onto the cross-bar.

The Norwegian again forced Reina into action with a bouncing free-kick on 38 minutes as Rovers edged the opening period, even though Liverpool had a decent chance of their own to get on the scoresheet.

Having struggled for goals since his summer move from Tottenham, Robbie Keane was relegated to the bench as Rafa Benitez turned to Dirk Kuyt to lead the Liverpool line at Ewood.

And the Dutchman was the architect of the Reds' best chance of the first half, finishing off a neat passing move by playing in Benayoun with a clever through ball on 18 minutes. But the Israeli midfielder delayed pulling the trigger for a moment too long, allowing Stephen Warnock to get back and make a decisive tackle.

That was to prove as near as Liverpool came during the opening period; without a decisive pass in their repertoire, they struggled to break down a determined home defence.

But after the break, Liverpool upped the tempo slightly and began to find chinks in Blackburn's armour, Alonso, Gerrard and then Benayoun all bringing Paul Robinson into his first meaningful action of the day within a five minute period.

It remained goalless until the 69th minute, when the ball fell to Alonso on the edge of the box after Kuyt had seen his first-time effort well blocked. The Spaniard coolly sidefooted past Robinson to put the visitors into the lead.

Santa Cruz was then given a golden opportunity to level for Rovers on 76 minutes, Andre Ooijer's cross finding the Paraguayan's head, but he could only direct the ball wide of the mark.

The hosts were made to rue that miss as Benayoun netted three minutes later, finishing well after having left Warnock for dead on the right hand side.

Santa Cruz did mange to pull one back for Rovers - a header from a quickly-taken short corner - but it proved nothing more than a consolation as Gerrard swooped with a third in the 95th minute of play.

The Liverpool skipper had the easiest of tasks after Robinson's block at the feet of substitute Nabi El Zhar rebounded out to another replacement Albert Riera who had the presence of mind to square for Gerrard to find the back of an empty net.

Mike Hytner / Eurosport

Comment 79 - 98 of 98

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  1. jimv post 96 - are you some sortofcock?

    From Kevin, on Mon 8 Dec 3:08PM

  2. Does anyone else think that Paul Robinson had a tenner­ on alonso to score the first goal? he dived over the­ ball!!

    From davidwombell, on Mon 8 Dec 2:13PM

  3. Now that the ruler of Dubai has lost interest in­ yankeepool, the yankeepool fans can talk about their­ club's history, because soon yankeepool will be­ nothing more than history.

    yankeepool nowhere to be­ seen come May.

    From Jim V, on Mon 8 Dec 1:07PM

  4. So much for the hype about Ince. He is obviously not up­ to the job, and is probably as poor a manager as the­ awful Souness. Time to go, I feel. It took Rovers (and­ Liverpool for that matter) a long time to get over­ Souness, don't let Ince repeat that disaster­ please!

    From PAUL, on Sun 7 Dec 7:35PM

  5. I was laughing when gayanldo left his team playing 10­ players cause he has minor injury!!!! What a real gay!­ What a team spirit he has! LOL and he was awarded !!­ LOL IT is funny!
    Gaynaldo needs to sit on a chair and­ Learn from the Legend Torres!

    From Domistiic, on Sun 7 Dec 6:56PM

  6. ALL ENGLISH FOOTBALL
    PREMIER LEAGUE – FA CUP – CARLING­ CUP
    CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – UEFA CUP
    ALL MATCHES ON WEB: ­ PREMIER LEAGUE, LIGA, SERIE A, BUNDESLIGA AND CHAMPIONS­ LEAGUE - UEFA CUP
    ALL THE HIGH-LIGHTS OF PREMIER­ LEAGUE MATCHES

    From go to www.premiership.altervista.org, on Sun 7 Dec 4:34PM

  7. enjoy it it wont last still
    You
    Never
    @#$%
    Alone

    cos­ your all @#$%$

    From U R SOLES, on Sun 7 Dec 3:09PM

  8. I really hope Liverpool win the Premiership Title. I­ don`t want that load of gays from Manchester Utd to get­ it.

    From Bobby Robson A Legend, on Sun 7 Dec 2:12PM

  9. Hey, Manchester United won unconvicingly, almost have a­ draw. I don't think united is going to catch up or­ last long!!!!!!!!!!!LIVERPOOL fans, remember You'll­ Never Walk Alone.

    From kyap_8, on Sun 7 Dec 1:31PM

  10. I'm not entirely convinced by Liverpool yet, an­ think keane was not the best signing rafa ever made,­ but they seem to get better in the latter part of the­ season, look at last year. The last 12 games had better­ results than any other team They might just do it an I­ really hope so. Sick an tired of seeing mancs an­ chelski up there.
    Liverpool granted do rely on gerrard­ a lot, but beat mancs without him an torres an did­ chelski without torres.
    It could happen!

    From david, on Sun 7 Dec 11:55AM

  11. 'Gerrard is biggest overated palyer in­ Premiership'

    Paul French - it is ­ O-V-E-R-R-A-T-E-D- P-L-A-Y-E-R !

    3 points = 3 points,­ I don't care if its 1 point, 1 nil at a time just­ as long as LFC win the Premiership!

    Cockney Red

    From kirstie, on Sun 7 Dec 10:58AM

  12. tonycurrie and evshuw are a bunch of @#$%

    From darren, on Sun 7 Dec 10:56AM

  13. CONGRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA LIVERPOOLllllllllllll

    From Melat D, on Sun 7 Dec 10:04AM

  14. Robinson is class!!!!!!!!! So pleased i took the 16/1­ on Blackburn being relegated when they brought him Ha­ Ha HA bye bye Rovers you wont stay up and wont get out­ of Championship

    From PAUL, on Sun 7 Dec 10:03AM

  15. No matter what you chelsea & utd fans say liverpool­ are top & thats the only thing that matters not how­ they are playing, grinding out results thats what­ matters... up the reds!!!!

    From loafer1, on Sun 7 Dec 10:02AM

  16. Gerrard is biggest overated palyer in Premiership

    From paulfrench2000, on Sun 7 Dec 9:40AM

  17. Another poor performance from the scousers.I dont think­ they will hold top spot for too long.They always go on­ about their history but that counts for nothing.Its­ what you do now that counts.History is nothing more­ than that.

    From paulfrench2000, on Sun 7 Dec 9:38AM

  18. liverpool r staying top man u nothing unless ronaldo is­ firing

    From noelmcging, on Sun 7 Dec 9:26AM

  19. well here we are again! another loss! how much longer­ before the board wake up smell the coffee and take some­ decisive action? the team (if you can call it that)­ does not look fit or capeable currently of playing for­ a full 90 minutes never mind winning, how many more­ late goals because we just arn't at the game,­ nieve, no plan, no alternative plan other than throwing­ a player on with minutes left, schoolboy football at­ its best im sorry mr ince, great player but not got the­ experience with prem players the lower teams in awe but­ not this bunch, pederson finally turned in a half­ decent performance after 2 years of disgacefull­ outings! Rocca for all the "Im Happy" talk is­ playing about half pace and cant wait for his christmas­ pay day, on the subject of panto whats happend to­ Cinderella? McCarthy (he never even got to the ball)­ every game he gets worse! roberts the joe bugner of­ ewood fantastic physic couldnt punch his way out of a­ paper bag! with forwards like these relegation is a­ certainty we need to find someone who can actually find­ the back of the net, derby is a 100% tryer but still­ young and reletivly inexperienced, on a brighter note­ some of the younger players look interesting but not at­ this level yet, the performances reflect that every­ game we just dont seem to have a clue and thats down to­ the coach and his staff take the man u game, three­ players were a threat before the game! nani teves and­ anderson, take out those three and we could have at­ least a chance what did we do nothing? why not go man­ for man and play them out the game emerton tried but­ teves could have built a 4 bedromm house on the room­ he got no one took the responsibilty! that lies off the­ pitch!!!!over 50 yrs iv'e been travelling to ewood­ park and never have i been so angry at whats happened­ to Blackburn. good luck for the future but from euro­ contemders to relegation certanties if the board dont­ act now!!!

    From stevefarnsworth14, on Sun 7 Dec 8:20AM

  20. THE BBC IS FULL OF MAN U SUPPORTERS, GET A LIFE. L,POOL­ ARE TOP AND WILL STAY THERE. ITS TAKEN MAN U 20YRS TO­ CATCH L.POOL UP.

    From Henry K.

    From joseph k, on Sun 7 Dec 7:10AM
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