20 March 2005 Liverpool 2 (Gerrard 27, Luis Garcia 32) Everton 0 Liverpool move to within four points of Everton after a dramatic Merseyside derby at Anfield. Liverpool looked the better side in the first half, although it took a while to get going, however two goals in a five minute spell gave the hosts a healthy lead. The first came from a free kick on the edge of the area as Dietmar Hamann tapped the ball to Steven Gerrard and he side footed an effort into the bottom corner. Everton had barely recovered when a stinging long range effort from Fernando Morientes had keeper Nigel Martyn split between catching it and tipping it over, ultimately he did neither as he helped it onto the bar for Luis Garcia to nip in and head home. Remarkable, Liverpool were also forced into making all three substitution before half time as Stephen Warnock (ankle), Hamann (knee) and Morientes (thigh) were all injured and just before the interval, Garcia was effectively a passenger as he also collected a knock. The second half headlines were made by Milan Baros who was twice through on goal only to waste both chances, firstly when he was tackled by Tony Hibbert as he shaped to shoot and later by the foot of Martyn as he went to slot home. Not content with that, he then got himself a straight red card for a high, studs first, challenge into the knee of Alan Stubbs, leaving Liverpool playing with ten men for the final stages. Everton took advantage and pulled one back when Duncan Ferguson's knock down was drilled inside the near post by Tim Cahill, however despite a frantic finale, Liverpool held on. Attendance : 44,224 Red Card : Baros 77 (Liverpool) Assists : Haman (fk), n/a, Ferguson Middlesbrough 1 (Hasselbaink 41 Southampton 3 (Jakobsson 14, Crouch 60, 67) Southampton move out of the bottom three after an excellent win at Middlesbrough who appeared to be nursing a post-European hangover. Saints began well and went ahead when Henri Camara's low cross was tapped in at the far post by Andreas Jakobsson, however just before half time Boro were level when Bolo Zenden's long range effort was parried by Antti Niemi and after Joseph Desire Job poked the loose ball past the keeper, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink tapped it into an empty net. On the hour, Saints regained the lead when a deep cross from Olivier Bernard was met by Peter Cruch whose towering header went across goal and into the far corner and seven minutes later, he did it again, this time with a side footed volley from Graeme Le Saux's cross. Attendance : 30,082 Assists : Camara, Job, Bernard, Le Saux Birmingham 2 (Heskey 52, Gray 89) Aston Villa 0 Birmingham remain unbeaten in the Premiership against local rivals Aston Villa after two second half goals gave them victory against David O'Leary's side. A drab first half almost sprung to life on half time when Nol Solano's free kick was touched onto the inside of the post by home keeper Maik Taylor, however after the interval there was only one team in it, although Villa did themselves no favours. Seven minutes into the second half, Emile Heskey was put through by Walter Pandiani and after holding off his marker, his near post shot should have been dealt with by Thomas Sorensen, however not for the first time in these derby games, the Danish keeper made a hash of things and allow the ball to squirm under him body and into the net. The points were secured late on when a clearance thudded against Martin Laursen, sending sub Julian Gray clear on goal and he slotted the ball calmly into the corner. Attendance : 29,297 Assists : n/a, n/a 19 March 2005 Blackburn (0) 0 Arsenal (1) 1 (Van Persie 43) Arsenal maintain their dwindling title challenge with a narrow 1-0 win at Blackburn. They took the leads thanks to a lovely piece of skill by Robin Van Persie, who was only playing due to an injury sustained by Freddie Ljungberg in the warm up prir to the game. Ashley Cole played the ball into the young Dutchman who turned his man superbly on the edge of the area, rounded the keeper and slotted the ball into the empty net. Jose Reyes was denied twice in the second half by Brad Friedel and then set up Van Persie whose curling effort struck the bar and they were almost made to pay when Brett Emerton burst through only to drive his effort wide and in stoppage time, Steven Reid shot wide from the edge of the area. Attendance : 22,992 Assist : Cole Charlton (1) 1 (Johansson 24) West Brom (1) 4 (Horsfield 9, Earnshaw 73, 84, (pen) 90) SENT OFF : El Karkouri (Charlton) 29 A remarkable hat trick from sub Robert Earnshaw gave West Brom their first away win of the season as well as genuine hope of getting out of the drop zone. European hopefuls Charlton were on the wrong end of the hiding which began as early as the ninth minute when Zoltan Gera's hooked cross was nodded in by an unmarked Geoff Horsfield. The hosts were level when a long ball from Jerome Thomas sent Jonaton Johansson clear and as keeper Russell Hoult came out, he only blasted his clearance against the striker who then went on to slot the ball into the empty net. Five minutes later, Charlton were reduced to ten men when Gera and Talal El Karkouri challenged for the ball only for the latter to go in two footed and high, resulting in an instant red card and stud marks on the top of the thighs for Gera. It wasn't until the final stages when the visitors took total command and only then after the arrival of Earnshaw from the bench as he regained the lead for his club when he nodded in after Horsfield had helped Paul Robinson's cross back into the area. With six minutes left, the Welshman scored again when he was sent clear by Gera's pass and provided a clinical finish and in stoppage time, Richard Chaplow was hacked down in the area by a frustrated Bryan Hughes, resulting in Earnshaw slotting in his third from the penalty spot. Attendance : 27,104 Assists : Gera, n/a, Horsfield, Gera, Chaplow (won pen) Chelsea (1) 4 (Lampard 29, Cole 54, Kezman 78, 90) Crystal Palace (1) 1 (Riihilahti 42) Chelsea edged closer to the title with a comfortable win against struggling Crystal Palace, although it was only in the final half an hour or so that they really took control. This wasn't the usual fluent Chelsea and it needed a superb long range effort from Frank Lampard to break the deadlock, his shot finding the corner after good work from Joe Cole, however just before half time, Lampard's miskick at the near post from Wayne Routledge's corner allowed Aki Riihilahti to sneak in and equalise. Joe Cole put his side back in front with a crisp effort from the edge of the area after Eidur Gudjohnson had set him up and then Mateja Kezman made it three with a shot from the left edge of the area which went straight through the legs of keeper Gabor Kiraly and dribbled slowly over the line. Arjen Robben, returning from injury with a subs appearance had set up Kezman's freak goal, but he had no hand in the fourth as Lampard and Tiago had shots blocked before Kezman was on hand to score from close range. Attendance : 41,667 Assists : Cole, n/a, Gudjohnson, Robben, n/a Man United (1) 1 (Ronaldo 21) Fulham (0) 0 Man United stay second, albeit a massive eleven points adrift of Chelsea, with a narrow win against Fulham, who are gradully being dragged into the relegation dogfight. The only goal was a beauty and came from Cristiano Ronaldo who collected a pass from Roy Keane and smashed a superb shot into the far corner. Attendance : 67,959 Assists : Keane Portsmouth (1) 1 (Stone 45) Newcastle (1) 1 (Dyer 43) Honours even at Fratton Park as two goals in three minutes before half time shared the points. Newcastle went ahead when Lee Bowyer's cross was headed back towards his own goal by Linvoy Primas, allowing Kieron Dyer to sneak in and nod the ball home, however with two minutes, former Newcastle star Lomana Lua-Lua twisted and turned in the area and his cross was touched in by Steve Stone, although he may have been marginally offside. Attendance : 20,165 Assists : n/a, Lua Lua Spurs (1) 2 (Defoe 16, Keane 84) Man City (1) 1 (Reyna 44) Spurs keep their European dreams alive with a late win against Man City, led by Stuart Pearce for the first time. A strange goal put the home side ahead as City lost possession in their final third, allowing Steven Reid to cross. Jermain Defoe got a touch at the near post, however it ony diverted the ball away from goal to the edge of the area where Simon Davies was loitering with intent. The Welshman's shot was wildly off target, only for Defoe to react quickly and get his head to the ball and nod it in. City were level just before half time when both Joey Barton and Robbie Fowler were involved before Claudio Reyna drilled in the equaliser off the near post. Six minutes from time, Spurs clinched victory as a cross from Davies was converted from close range by Robbie Keane. Attendance : 35,681 Assists : Davis, Fowler, n/a Bolton (1) 1 (Giannakopolous 42) Norwich (0) 0 Bolton's quest for a European place continued with a narrow, yet comfortable win over bottom club Norwich at the Reebok. The only goal came just before half time when a corner from Stelios Giannakopolous was only partially cleared by the visiting defence and ultimately found it's way back to the Greek international. He cut inside to the edge of the area and struck a superb shot which found the opposite top corner. Norwich had plenty of possession after the break but did little with it and it was Fernando Hierro who came as close to scoring as anyone which a crisp volley well saved by Norwich keeper Robert Green. Attendance : 25,081 Assist : n/a Gary Dowden - Joint Admin Topica Premier-L list http://www.topica.com/lists/premier-L Leeds United and Scotland and proud of it http://www.peanutsfan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/footiemad The Unofficial Premiership Site |