After The Match 

            


LIVERPOOL-LEEDS 3-1 (1-1)           Sat Oct 25                     Premier League
Goals: Owen (35), Murphy (57), Ponoglle (85)            Smith (42)
Team: Dudek, Finnan, Hyypia, Biscan, Riise, Diouf, Gerrard, Smicer, Kewell, Owen, Heskey
Subs: Muphy (Smicer 49), Pongolle (Owen 59),
Le Tallec (Kewell 87)
Not used: Kirkland, Henchoz
Yellow: Batty (63), Matteo (65)
Red: None
Referee: Jeff Winter
Attendance: 43.599

                                                              FIXTURES & RESULTS
TEAM STATS
On target: 9-5
Off target: 11-2
Fouls: 11-13
Corne:rs 9-3
Yellow: 0-2
Red: 0-0

 

 

 

HEADLINES

"...the sooner Jeff Winter goes off to Superstars permanently the better from
our point of view.''

                          Peter Reid

2710: Flo dedicates first goal to Le Boss
2510: Reds thankful for Winter intervention
2510: Reid incensed with decision
2510: Liverpool see off Leeds

 

OCTOBER 27
Flo dedicates first goal to Le Boss

LFC Official Website

Teenage superstar Florent-Sinama Pongolle has dedicated his first Anfield goal to the man who brought him to England - Gerard Houllier.

The striker who left Le Havre in the summer to join Gerard Houllier's Anfield revolution opening his first team scoring account on Saturday and he was quick to dedicate the goal to the manager.

"That was a big win for the team, but most of all for the manager," claimed the 19-year-old. "There's been a lot of pressure put on us and on him most of all over the last few weeks, so it's satisfying to play my part in relieving that a bit by scoring. That win will do us all a lot of good.

"He's believed in me and helped me, so to make my mark out there on the pitch for him is hugely satisfying. I owed him that. That was a dream come true.

"Scoring was nice enough, but it meant more because it sealed the win. There's plenty of personal satisfaction, but that was a really big win for us and that's the most significant thing.

"As a team we're close, everyone giving confidence to each other. I should thank my team-mates for giving me the confidence to score that goal.

"We can kick on from here. It's great to have scored, but we proved something out there. We showed that, in the big matches that really matter, when the pressure's on, we stick together, stand up and come through. That bodes well for the future.

"There's still lots to come but the confidence's there again now, everyone's positive, and we know we'll be climbing up the table again. That's the aim - we're all motivated and we're all confident.

"We were conscious of the pressure on us, of the expectation before the game. We knew we could do better than we've done in the last few matches, last week at Portsmouth in particular. But we knew we hadn't been playing too badly in most of those games and that helped us.

"We could come into this match concentrating just on being positive, knowing that we've been doing some things well in our game, and that's what we were able to do. It helped relieve a bit of the pressure.

"We hadn't had a sit-down meeting or anything after the Portsmouth defeat, we just worked as hard as ever in training, preparing to put things right. When we did talk together it was just urging each other on, to go out there and play to our best.

" We were frustrated at the way things had gone and everything was geared to getting a result, which is exactly what we did. We'd slipped a bit down the table, and we'd been getting stick, but now we're climbing again. We've got to carry that on."

"I never thought I'd be playing, let alone scoring, so soon after coming to Liverpool. Both myself and Anthony le Tallec thought we'd be spending about six months or so getting used to English football, playing with the reserves and adapting our game, but the number of injuries the club's had meant we were needed in the team.

"We were called in and we've done our bit. Everyone was desperate to rise up the table and to have played my part in that is fantastic. Now I've got to keep working in training, as well as when I have a chance on the pitch, to make sure I continue my progress. That's the main thing for me."


OCTOBER 25
Reds thankful for Winter intervention

Ananova

Gerard Houllier coneded Liverpool had benefitted from a crucial decision by referee Jeff Winter as they won 3-1 at home to Leeds.

Liverpool took the lead with a fine strike from Michael Owen, who had not trained properly for three weeks and was a surprise inclusion.

Houllier said: "It was not a gamble; I never take gambles with the health of my players."

Alan Smith stole an equaliser just before the break then Danny Murphy's left-wing free-kick somehow found its way past Paul Robinson, and was allowed to stand despite the linesman raising his flag and three Liverpool forwards standing in offside positions.

Winter over-ruled flag-waving official Ray Gould, clearly deciding the Liverpool players were not interfering with play.

Leeds boss Peter Reid was fuming, and it got worse for the visitors when Florent Sinama-Pongolle struck an excellent first goal for the Reds in the final moments.

Houllier had sympathy with his opposite number Reid, saying: "I can understand Peter Reid's view on that second goal; I would have been disappointed myself.

"But it was a turning point, and it certainly helped us. I felt we had more chances and deserved the victory. My players were aware of the importance of that win, and they responded accordingly.

"Now we are strong enough to go on a decent run of results. We are about six points short of what I feel we should be - and now we must recover that lost ground."


OCTOBER 25
Reid incensed with decision

Football 365

Peter Reid kept his temper but still managed to blame referee Jeff Winter for the goal that sent Leeds plunging to another costly defeat at Anfield today.

While relieved Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier saw his side's 3-1 success over Reid's strugglers as a turning point of his own, the Leeds manager could be forgiven for believing the gods are conspiring against him.

Yet he even managed to raise a post-match laugh at Winter's expense, the Stockton official who is starring as the TV referee of Superstars.

Reid claimed Liverpool's second goal should have been ruled out, after a linesman had flagged three home players offside - the most prominent a predatory Michael Owen - as Paul Robinson's blunder gifted Danny Murphy a goal direct from a left-wing free-kick.

"I have not had a word with the referee - it is not worth a £10,000 fine these days,'' said Reid.

"But the sooner Jeff Winter goes off to Superstars permanently the better from our point of view.''

Winter over-ruled flag-waving official Ray Gould, clearly deciding the Liverpool players were not interfering with play - and he opted afterwards to explain his decision to the media.

"My colleague correctly indicated that there were three players in an offside position,'' said the referee.

``Ninety-nine times out of 100 when the flag goes up you hit the whistle and give the offside. But I felt from my position - where I have a totally different view from the linesman looking across the pitch - that the ball was going to go into the net anyway.

"Those three players had not interfered with play. I went across and consulted with my colleague, asked his opinion, told him mine - and we have agreed the goal should stand.

"There were three players standing offside. But that does not mean you have to give the offside. They were not interfering and did not affect the outcome.

"The game is about goals, and with the offside law for the last few years the view has been that doubt should be given to the attacking side rather than just whistling every time the flag goes up.

"Had we chalked that goal off it would have been the wrong decision - and if you are not happy with the decision, my name is Uriah Rennie!''

Reid was not impressed.


OCTOBER 25
Liverpool see off Leeds

BBC Sport Online

Michael Owen and Danny Murphy returned from injury to breathe life into Liverpool's ailing season.

The threat of a fourth successive Premiership defeat was banished by a clinical strike from Owen and a controversial Murphy strike after Alan Smith had equalised.

And Liverpool's much-needed victory was confirmed when substitute Florent Sinama-Pongolle struck his first goal for Liverpool six minutes from time.

The absence of England pair Owen and Murphy had coincided with a lack of form for Liverpool.

But it was not just the home side who were desperate for the points as Leeds came into the game on the back of their own poor run having lost four of their last five Premiership games.

But Gerard Houllier and Peter Reid both were clearly keen to get back in the winning habit as their sides went at each other in the opening stages.

Both had opportunities to go in front before Owen's 35th-minute opener, though the majority were half chances in a free-flowing game.

El Hadji Diouf tested Paul Robinson early on with a thumping drive and Alan Smith headed over the crossbar at the other end.

But Smith wasted the best chance of the opening half an hour when he completely missed his kick following a good run and pull-back from James Milner.

Owen soon taught him a valuable lesson in the art of finishing, as his ninth goal of the season showed he has lost none of his sharpness during his three-week injury lay-off.

John-Arne Riise headed down and Owen celebrated his return to the starting line-up by lashing a left-foot volley into the top corner.

But if that was a lesson for Smith then he is clearly a quick learner as he pulled Leeds back on level terms seven minutes later with his 50th goal for the club.

Jermaine Pennant was the architect with a fine run down the Leeds right and his searching low centre on a skiddy surface was cleverly finished off at the near post by Smith.

Leeds pushed for the lead and Mark Viduka should have given the visitors the breakthrough early in the half.

Seth Johnson sent him clear and, though Jerzy Dudek blocked well with his legs, Viduka should have put the ball away.

Instead, it was Liverpool who took control in controversial circumstances on 57 minutes.

Murphy, on for the injured Vladimir Smicer just a few minutes earlier, fired a free-kick that squirmed horribly through the grasp of Robinson.

The Leeds keeper looked set for a reprieve courtesy of a linesman's raised flag, but referee Jeff Winter ruled there had been no interference from the three Liverpool players in offside positions.

Leeds, having played so well for so long, took their frustrations out on Liverpool.

David Batty was booked for persistent fouling and, as the visitors' spikiness in midfield increased, so did Liverpool's grip on the game.

And though Liverpool showed signs of anxiety, they finally secured victory when Pongolle beat Robinson to Emile Heskey's flick-on to fire home the third.


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