Liverpool 1 Man Utd 2 Manchester United claimed a third successive Premiership victory by beating Liverpool 2-1 after a frantic second half at Anfield.
Two goals from Ryan Giggs did the job in a 12-minute spell, and although Harry Kewell pulled one back, the champions had shown Liverpool what the winning business is all about. There was no Michael Owen for the hosts after he failed to make a good enough recovery from his ankle injury to even make the 16-man squad. And the first half was a bitter disappointment with both sides respecting each other too much and rarely threatening to break the deadlock. Liverpool had plenty of early pressure but did not give Tim Howard a shot to save, just a hasty snap shot over from Vladimir Smicer and a couple of efforts from Kewell, one a dipping 20-yard volley. The pace quickened from both sides after the break, Kewell forcing Howard into a leaping save at one end while Djimi Traore's clearance stopped Diego Forlan's cross reaching Ruud van Nistelrooy. Then Jerzy Dudek brought back memories of last season's howlers when he cleared poorly on the left of his box. The ball found Giggs, some 40 yards out, and the Welshman's instant drive back was goalbound had not Dudek somehow managed to hurl himself back across goal to get a glove in the way. The breakthrough, when it came, was somewhat fortunate. On 57 minutes Giggs swung over an angled cross which van Nistelrooy attacked with a run across Dudek, but he did not get a touch and the ball sailed straight into the far corner of the net. And on 69 minutes it looked all over. Forlan crossed from the left, van Nistelrooy missed it and Giggs, unmarked on the right of the box, had time to control the ball and lash it past an unprotected Dudek. Anthony Le Tallec immediately replaced El-Hadji Diouf, and Liverpool found some fight, pulling a goal back on 75 minutes. Florent Sinama-Pongolle's clever overhead kick from the byline was neatly side-footed home by Kewell. Then Pongolle got through the middle and went down in the area but referee Graham Poll rightly waved away appeals for a penalty with no contact made. Danny Murphy created a gilt-edged chance for Emile Heskey in injury time, but the striker fell and managed only a faint connection, the ball slipping wide and United were home and dry. Referee: G Poll Attendance: 44159 Liverpool: Jerzy Dudek, Steve Finnan, Igor Biscan, Sami Hyypia, Djimi Traore El Hadji Diouf (Anthony Le Tallec, 70), Danny Murphy, Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer (Florent Sinama Pongolle, 63), Emile Heskey, Harry Kewell Subs: Chris Kirkland, Salif Alassane Diao, John Arne Riise, Anthony Le Tallec, Florent Sinama Pongolle Man Utd: Tim Howard, Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Mikael Silvestre, John O Shea, Quinton Fortune (Darren Fletcher, 83), Phil Neville, Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Diego Forlan Subs: Roy Carroll, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nicky Butt, Eric Djemba-Djemba, Darren Fletcher Action: 33 min - Booking, Ruud van Nistelrooy (Man Utd), Persistent infringement 53 min - Booking, Gary Neville (Man Utd), Unsporting behaviour 59 min - Goal, Ryan Giggs, (Man Utd) 63 min - Substitution, Sinama Pongolle on for Smicer, (Liverpool) 64 min - Booking, El Hadji Diouf (Liverpool), Unsporting behaviour 70 min - Substitution, Le Tallec on for Diouf, (Liverpool) 70 min - Goal, Ryan Giggs, (Man Utd) 76 min - Goal, Harry Kewell, (Liverpool) 83 min - Substitution, Fletcher on for Fortune, (Man Utd) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/tsUolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *************************************** Reply to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe to the list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe from the list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
