Phil Neville won the toss of the coin and opted to defend the Kop goal in the first forty-five minutes, thus giving the onus to his defenders of facing Fernando Torres at his favourite side of the pitch at his freshest. His decision back-fired to him as early as the sixth minute, as the latter scored his fifteenth goal in his debut season, infront of the legendary stand. There have been instances where the Kop was said to have sucked the ball in, but yesterday there was no need for that, as the superlative Spaniard’s shot was accurate and powerful enough to beat the opposing keeper that yesterday happened to be Tim Howard.
Everton looked to have done enough to avert the danger from a Steven Gerrard corner, and Yakubu seemed to have taken it for himself to coolly start a counter-attack. Xabi Alonso though dispossessed him easily, fed Dirk Kuyt who sequently propositioned to Torres. Beating the offside trap, Torres instinctively drove towards the goal and just lashed a shot past the American. In his first Merseyside derby, Torres got the match-winner.
Torres’ goal was worthy enough of any match-winner but it was only to profligacy, bad luck and the post that Liverpool, particularly Steven Gerrard did not add up to this solitary goal, consequently leaving the result and the fate of the three points in doubt. Gerrard’s dominance on the pitch was never transferred to goals, but it was only the folklore of the Merseyside derby that everything can happen, that seeded these doubts as Pepe Reina hardly had a save to make, and Everton looked miles apart from Liverpool, in the process justifying their decision to uproot their stadium to Kirkby, leaving the whole city to the club with the Liverbird badge.
The minimum required, that is qualification for the Champions League seems to be well on track and within sight, as this five points margin will give the reds a breathing space, that with Arsenal on the horizon for three consecutive times will be much needed. In the meantime, a certain degree of belief must have returned to the side that made last Easter feel like Ash Wednesday.
Everton looked to have done enough to avert the danger from a Steven Gerrard corner, and Yakubu seemed to have taken it for himself to coolly start a counter-attack. Xabi Alonso though dispossessed him easily, fed Dirk Kuyt who sequently propositioned to Torres. Beating the offside trap, Torres instinctively drove towards the goal and just lashed a shot past the American. In his first Merseyside derby, Torres got the match-winner.
Torres’ goal was worthy enough of any match-winner but it was only to profligacy, bad luck and the post that Liverpool, particularly Steven Gerrard did not add up to this solitary goal, consequently leaving the result and the fate of the three points in doubt. Gerrard’s dominance on the pitch was never transferred to goals, but it was only the folklore of the Merseyside derby that everything can happen, that seeded these doubts as Pepe Reina hardly had a save to make, and Everton looked miles apart from Liverpool, in the process justifying their decision to uproot their stadium to Kirkby, leaving the whole city to the club with the Liverbird badge.
The minimum required, that is qualification for the Champions League seems to be well on track and within sight, as this five points margin will give the reds a breathing space, that with Arsenal on the horizon for three consecutive times will be much needed. In the meantime, a certain degree of belief must have returned to the side that made last Easter feel like Ash Wednesday.
posted by jean paul at 9:21 am
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