FOOTBALL Live

Saturday January 3, 2009 Finished

0 - 2

Preston North End

Liverpool

  • Riera 24’
  • Torres 90’
  1. Liverpool scrape past Preston

    Liverpool scrape past Preston

    Liverpool qualified for the fourth round of the FA Cup after goals from Albert Riera and Fernando Torres gave them a 2-0 win at Preston. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Preston North End
    • Liverpool
    • 90+4 That is the final whistle! The scoreline does not tell the whole story but Liverpool are through to the fourth round of the FA Cup. Well played Preston though!
    • 90+3 Liverpool break, Preston have over-committed forward and it's three-on-one, Babel through to Gerrard, no offside as he is clean through and instead of scoring himself he gives it to Torres who taps in and seals the win!
    • 90+2 Sedgwick to Nicholson and he's in on goal but Carragher with a great challenge to save the day!
    • 90' Riera shrugs off one challenge, then another but oh dear he dives in the box after over-playing it and the ref waves play on. Should have booked him for cheating. Three minutes of added time being played.
    • 89' McKenna in to Jones, now Parkin bustles in to the area but he can't get a shot away and Liverpool clear.
    • 89' Gerrard leads the counter, wide to Riera who almost clips a delightful through ball to Babel but he is offside.
    • 88' Torres turns in to the box, leaving McKenna for dead, but he slips and overplays it anyway. Nolan surges forward, is fouled by Riera and wins a free-kick between the left wing and the D...
    • 87' Nervy moments for Liverpool as McKenna and Sedgwick have half-chances in the box, it flies over to Parkin but he can't connect... Babel gives away a free-kick 35 hards out but Cavalieri claims it easily.
    • 86' Torres goes on a mazy dribble but his cut-back is intercepted by McKenna, he slips though and Gerrard can shoot but straight at Cavalieri.
    • 83' LIVERPOOL SUB: Aurelio on for Mascherano, he'll play in midfield.
    • 81' PRESTON SUB: Nicholson on for Chaplow, a straight swap in central midfield.
    • 78' Carragher in to Gerrard who turns well and tries the shot but St Ledger blocks and Preston clear!
    • 75' Torres tries a shot from range but it goes well wide to the delight of the home fans.
    • 74' Carragher is adjudged to have committed a foul on the Preston left. Looked dodgy that. McKenna swings it over and St Ledger prods it on goal but Cavalieri gets down to save! Any power on that and they would have levelled!
    • 72' LIVERPOOL SUB: Keane comes off for Torres, Preston sigh deeply.
    • 70' Incessant pressure from Preston as a McKenna free-kick is blocked but drops to Chaplow, who shoots but gets it all wrong and sends the ball well over.
    • 68' McKenna on the right tries a cross but it's blocked, he gets it back and finds Jones on the edge of the box but Insua heads clear.
    • 66' Liverpool again struggle with Preston putting high ones towards Parkin and Elliott.
    • 65' Gerrard goes close with a header but he sends it low and wide of the right-hand post.
    • 63' Liverpool fail to clear and the ball is swung over by Wallace on the left AND ST LEDGER HEADS IN TO THE GROUND TO LEVEL FOR PRESTON! But no, the flag is up! Was that offside? Parkin was on the deck so not interfering but ah I see he held back Carragher, idiotically as he had no chance of preventing the goal as he too was on the floor.
    • 62' PRESTON SUB: Elliott on for Mellor.
    • 60' The ball drops to Gerrard who smashes in a dipping, curling strike and a great stop by Lonergan diving across to tip it over the bar! Brilliant save!
    • 58' Mascherano gets the ball on the right and sends a dipping shot on goal but it goes just wide of the right-hand post's angle with the bar.
    • 56' That's the end of the evening for Davidson, he limps off for Eddie Nolan.
    • 55' Davidson seems to be struggling...
    • 53' Good spell of pressure here from North End as they increase the tempo on Liverpool.
    • 51' St Ledger latches on to a loose ball and could be in here but Cavalieri comes out to hoof clear. Preston do well down the right with Sedgwick who almost finds McKenna unmarked but Liverpool hack it away!
    • 48' The corner is swung from the right to AGGER FLYING IN UNMARKED but he puts the downward header wide of the far post! Liverpool should be several goals to the good here.
    • 47' Keane again has a chance but his close-range shot is blocked behind for a corner!!
    • 46' Second half underway!
    • 46' LIVERPOOL SUB: Alonso is injured and Lucas comes on in his place, with Benitez predictably resisting the temptation to go 4-4-2 and bring on Torres.
    • 45+2 Half-time, Liverpool lead 1-0 thanks to that great Riera goal but Robbie Keane in particular has missed some sitters.
    • 45+1 Gerrard gets in on the left again, he feeds Keane on the right of the six-yard but and again he must score but instead sets up Riera whose shot is blocked and Preston survive! Keane is really low on confidence in front of goal, probably not helped by being inexplicably dropped after he finally scored two in the win over Bolton.
    • 45' Mascherano on the left, he finds Gerrard who plays a wonderful cross to the far corner of the six-yard box AND KEANE MUST SCORE but a terrible miss, he shanks it well-wide of the left-hand post.
    • 44' Carragher has one too many words with Atkinson and sees yellow.
    • 42' Gerrard plays it through to Carragher who thought he won a corner but a goal kick is given. Poor, poor decision, clearly Davidson played the ball.
    • 38' Keane gets on to the ball on the left, he cuts past Jones with a great touch and he's one-on-one but Lonergan spreads himself to block! The loose ball takes Keane wide but he can't feed Gerrard or Babel running late in to the area. Preston's keeper keeps them in it.
    • 36' Gerrard takes it short to Mascherano, who drills it across to ALONSO but he sends a low shot well wide.
    • 35' Agger gets forward now and has a shot which is blocked and wide for a corner.
    • 33' Chaplow carded after coming in late on Alonso who makes the most of it.
    • 31' Mascherano clips a ball in to the right-hand side of the area where Babel is in and has support but the bounce fools him and he loses control of the ball.
    • 30' Mawene intercepts just as Keane was about to latch on to the ball.
    • 26' Mascherano to Gerrard, Babel now on the edge of the box with Carragher on the overlap, but he shoots and shoots miles over.
    • 24' Free-kick to Liverpool on the left, Alonso pings is across to Riera, knocked down to Gerrard who is tackled but it spins wide right where Riera pops up, he's in space to cross but cuts back to the edge of the box AND FIRES AN UNSTOPPABLE CURLING SHOT IN TO THE TOP LEFT! WHAT A GOAL! Riera puts Liverpool ahead.
    • 21' Mellor on the left, he's in all kinds of space here and cuts inside to send a curler on goal but well held by Cavalieri!
    • 18' Great ball from Sedgwick looking for former Liverpool trainee Mellor, but Hyypia gets up high and strong to head clear.
    • 16' Free-kick to Liverpool 30 yards out which Alonso takes but St Ledger clears.
    • 13' Babel takes a high ball on the chest and he feeds GERRARD ON THE EDGE OF THE BOX WHO TURNS AND HALF-VOLLEYS BUT SAVED BY LONERGAN!
    • 12' Riera zips past Jones and dribbles between two Preston players in to the box and he cuts the ball back to Keane and the Irishman must score but he totally mis-hits it and the ball trickles well wide!
    • 10' Mascherano plays the ball down the right and Babel races on to it ahead of Davidson and he tries to lob Lonergan but it goes well wide of the far top corner.
    • 7' Good early pressure from Preston but Liverpool break through Gerrard and Keane but Riera miscontrols.
    • 6' Wallace takes the corner from the right, Mawene flies in but his scuffed header goes wide!
    • 5' Good strike from Wallace but Cavalieri gets down low to tip it behind for a corner!
    • 4' McKenna gets past Agger and goes down, there was a nudge from the Dane and the hosts get a free-kick 35 yards out.
    • 3' Gerrard and Keane combine but the move breaks down. Preston pressing Liverpool hard early on.
    • 2' Parkin almost gets in behind the Reds defence but the flag is up.
    • 1' Match underway!
    • - LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWS: Steven Gerrard starts for the Reds following his altercation in Southport last weekend. Rafael Benitez rotates again, with Keane starting alone up front, Yossi Benayoun out of the squad altogether and Xabi Alonso in for Lucas.
    • - Welcome to coverage of Liverpool's FA Cup third-round tie at Preston.

  • Summary

    • 90+3 Liverpool break, Preston have over-committed forward and it's three-on-one, Babel through to Gerrard, no offside as he is clean through and instead of scoring himself he gives it to Torres who taps in and seals the win!
    • 90+2 Sedgwick to Nicholson and he's in on goal but Carragher with a great challenge to save the day!
    • 78' Carragher in to Gerrard who turns well and tries the shot but St Ledger blocks and Preston clear!
    • 74' Carragher is adjudged to have committed a foul on the Preston left. Looked dodgy that. McKenna swings it over and St Ledger prods it on goal but Cavalieri gets down to save! Any power on that and they would have levelled!
    • 63' Liverpool fail to clear and the ball is swung over by Wallace on the left AND ST LEDGER HEADS IN TO THE GROUND TO LEVEL FOR PRESTON! But no, the flag is up! Was that offside? Parkin was on the deck so not interfering but ah I see he held back Carragher, idiotically as he had no chance of preventing the goal as he too was on the floor.
    • 60' The ball drops to Gerrard who smashes in a dipping, curling strike and a great stop by Lonergan diving across to tip it over the bar! Brilliant save!
    • 51' St Ledger latches on to a loose ball and could be in here but Cavalieri comes out to hoof clear. Preston do well down the right with Sedgwick who almost finds McKenna unmarked but Liverpool hack it away!
    • 48' The corner is swung from the right to AGGER FLYING IN UNMARKED but he puts the downward header wide of the far post! Liverpool should be several goals to the good here.
    • 47' Keane again has a chance but his close-range shot is blocked behind for a corner!!
    • 45+1 Gerrard gets in on the left again, he feeds Keane on the right of the six-yard but and again he must score but instead sets up Riera whose shot is blocked and Preston survive! Keane is really low on confidence in front of goal, probably not helped by being inexplicably dropped after he finally scored two in the win over Bolton.
    • 45' Mascherano on the left, he finds Gerrard who plays a wonderful cross to the far corner of the six-yard box AND KEANE MUST SCORE but a terrible miss, he shanks it well-wide of the left-hand post.
    • 38' Keane gets on to the ball on the left, he cuts past Jones with a great touch and he's one-on-one but Lonergan spreads himself to block! The loose ball takes Keane wide but he can't feed Gerrard or Babel running late in to the area. Preston's keeper keeps them in it.
    • 24' Free-kick to Liverpool on the left, Alonso pings is across to Riera, knocked down to Gerrard who is tackled but it spins wide right where Riera pops up, he's in space to cross but cuts back to the edge of the box AND FIRES AN UNSTOPPABLE CURLING SHOT IN TO THE TOP LEFT! WHAT A GOAL! Riera puts Liverpool ahead.
    • 21' Mellor on the left, he's in all kinds of space here and cuts inside to send a curler on goal but well held by Cavalieri!
    • 13' Babel takes a high ball on the chest and he feeds GERRARD ON THE EDGE OF THE BOX WHO TURNS AND HALF-VOLLEYS BUT SAVED BY LONERGAN!
    • 12' Riera zips past Jones and dribbles between two Preston players in to the box and he cuts the ball back to Keane and the Irishman must score but he totally mis-hits it and the ball trickles well wide!
    • 5' Good strike from Wallace but Cavalieri gets down low to tip it behind for a corner!
    • - Welcome to coverage of Liverpool's FA Cup third-round tie at Preston.

Live Team Line-Up

  • Referee: Martin Atkinson

  • Preston North End

    Manager: Alan Irvine

    Captain: Paul McKenna

    Starting line-up

    • A. Lonergan
    • B. Jones
    • Y. Mawene
    • S. St. Ledger
    • C. Davidson Substitution Out (56′)
    • C. Sedgwick
    • R. Chaplow Yellow Card Substitution Out (81′)
    • P. McKenna
    • R. Wallace
    • N. Mellor Substitution Out (62′)
    • J. Parkin

    Subs

    • B. Nicholson Substitution In81′
    • D. Carter
    • C. Brown
    • S. Elliott Substitution In62′
    • E. Nolan Substitution In56′
    • S. Whaley
    • C. Neal

    Injured

    • L. Chilvers
    • W. Henderson

    Suspended

    None

  • Liverpool

    Manager: Rafael Benitez

    Captain: Steven Gerrard

    Starting line-up

    • J. Carragher Yellow Card
    • S. Hyypia
    • D. Agger
    • E. Insua
    • J. Mascherano Substitution Out (82′)
    • X. Alonso Substitution Out (46′)
    • R. Babel
    • S. Gerrard
    • A. Riera Goal
    • R. Keane Substitution Out (73′)

    Subs

    • J. Reina
    • F. Aurelio Substitution In82′
    • F. Torres Substitution In73′ Goal
    • M. Skrtel
    • D. N'Gog
    • N. El Zhar
    • L. Lucas Substitution In46′

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None