[lfc-news] Blackburn report - PA

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PA Sport, 30 Oct 2004
Blackburn 2 Liverpool 2

Djibril Cisse was stretchered off with a suspected broken leg as Liverpool
threw away an early lead and eventually fought back to grab a 2-2 draw at
Blackburn.

Jay Bothroyd had already levelled John Arne Riise's early opener when Cisse
suffered his injury, after a seemingly innocuous tangle with Nils-Eric
Johansson.

Brett Emerton then put Rovers in front in the time added on for Cisse's
treatment, only for Milan Baros to deny them a second win under Mark Hughes
nine minutes after the break.

Cisse tested Brad Friedel with an early shot as Liverpool looked to gain
the ascendancy, although Blackburn were pretty fired up and it took a fine
interception from Jamie Carragher to prevent Paul Dickov reaching Lucas
Neill's low cross.

Craig Short did even better at the other end, sliding in to prevent Milan
Baros unleashing a shot when John Arne Riise appeared to have played the
Czech striker in.

The reprieve was brief though as Liverpool went in front with their next
attack.

It was all fairly routine for the Reds as the Rovers defence fell asleep as
Alonso lofted a ball to the left edge of the penalty area and found Riise
in acres of space.

The Norwegian took one touch to control, then drilled a low shot across
Friedel and into the far corner.

For a side low on confidence like Blackburn, it was a shattering blow and
it might have been worse had Cisse been able to deliver a low cross into
Baros' path as Liverpool ripped the Rovers defence apart again.

Instead, the hosts survived and grabbed themselves an equaliser - almost
from nothing.

Yet again, it was basic stuff as Dickov spotted Brett Emerton's left wing
burst and played the Australian into acres of space.

Emerton could easily have panicked but remained composed and delivered a
square ball straight into Bothroyd's stride - and the former Coventry man
slotted home with ease.

The goal shook Liverpool out of their stride and for a while their slick
passing game began to break down.

Bothroyd caught Djimi Traore late to earn a lecture from referee Rob
Styles, a minor blot on what was otherwise turning into a fine game, with
Hyypia struggling to keep him in check.

Another excellent Carragher clearance robbed Dickov of a goalscoring
opportunity as Emerton briefly switched wings with Stephen Reid to give the
visitors another problem to ponder.

Hyypia nodded a Steve Finnan corner harmlessly over before Baros' stinging
long-range effort was beaten away by Friedel as the visitors started to get
on top again.

Cisse went down in the box under pressure from Johansson and while there
were no penalty appeals from the Liverpool camp, their £14million record
signing did not get up and eventually had to be stretchered from the field
to be replaced immediately by Garcia.

Josemi was the first player booked when he clattered into Dickov as the
opening half entered a lengthy period of stoppage time, during which
Blackburn took the lead thanks to Liverpool's woeful attempts to clear an
Emerton pass into their penalty area.

Neither Josemi, Hyypia not Carragher could get the ball away as it
ricocheted around in the box and when Bothroyd managed to toe it back into
Emerton's path, the midfielder rifled a first-time shot into the corner.

Johansson had two attempts at trying to fire home Tugay's corner as Rovers
started the second period on top.

But Liverpool quickly gained the ascendancy. Short's foul on Alonso
presented the Spaniard with an excellent free-kick opportunity but his
25-yard effort sailed harmlessly over the bar.

Baros had a plausible claim for a penalty when he was tripped in the box by
Johansson as he attempted to reach a ball he was not going to get. Style
probably took that into account when he waved away the protest.

Fortunately for Liverpool, the inquiry did not last long as Rovers gifted
Garcia the ball from their own free-kick and the former Barcelona man
wasted no time in lofting the ball beyond the home defence.

Baros' extra pace gave him a decisive edge over Short and though the
Blackburn man tried to muscle in, the striker had the strength to hold him
off and fired the equaliser under Friedel's body.

Benitez immediately replaced Finnan with Kewell and Liverpool continued to
force the pace.

Tugay was cautioned for a late tackle on Baros before Hughes ended
Bothroyd's excellent evening 20 minutes into the second half when he gave
another young striker Jonathan Stead a chance to shine.

It was Liverpool who came closest to scoring next though as Baros burst 70
yards down the field and cut inside the Blackburn box, only to be crowded
out before he could either unleash a shot or find the supporting Kewell.

The tackles were flying in as the game entered its latter stages and Stead
was the next player booked for a crunching tackle that left Alonso on the deck.

Friedel proved equal to an ambitious curling effort from Kewell before
Chris Kirkland did even better at the other end to keep out Stead's rasping
drive.

Blackburn were now on top and Garcia was forced to clear off his own line
when Short met Emerton's corner with a firm header.

Within seconds, Liverpool were scrambling the ball away again after
Kirkland had brilliantly blocked Dickov's close-range effort following
another blunder from Hyypia.

Riise and Kewell both had chances to win the game late on, but Blackburn
held out.

Blackburn will be happy to have to have broken their dreadful run of
defeats, but Liverpool now face a major striker crisis going into Tuesday's
clash with Deportivo.

Blackburn: Friedel, Neill, Short, Johansson, McEveley, Reid, Tugay,
Ferguson, Emerton, Dickov, Bothroyd (Stead 65)
Subs not used: Enckelman, Flitcroft, Djorkaeff, Todd
Booked: Tugay, Stead
Goals: Bothroyd 16, Emerton 45

Liverpool: Kirkland, Josemi, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Finnan (Kewell 55),
Hamann (Diao 81), Alonso, Riise, Baros, Cisse (Luis Garcia 38)
Subs not used: Dudek, Warnock
Booked: Josemi
Goals: Riise 7, Baros 54

Att: 26,314
Referee: R Styles (Hampshire)

CISSE INJURY BLOW FOR REDS

Blackburn moved off the bottom of the Barclays Premiership after a
thrilling 2-2 draw with Liverpool - but the visitors were rocked by an
injury to striker Djibril Cisse.

An early strike from John Arne Riise put the visitors ahead at Ewood Park
but goals Jay Bothroyd and Brett Emerton put Rovers ahead at the break.

Czech Republic striker Milan Baros capped a fine performance by scoring the
equaliser early in the second-half but his strike-partner Cisse was carried
off with a suspected broken leg after 38 minutes.

Baros said: "I heard something and I thought it was broken. It is a shame
and hopefully he'll get back soon.

"I wish him all the best because I know what it's like to be out with a
broken leg."

Baros broke his ankle on the same ground last season and was out for five
months. He now faces leading the Liverpool attack on his own, although he
believes his team-mates can contribute goals.

"We'll just have one striker probably but Harry Kewell can play up front,
Luis Garcia can play up front so we have a good squad and hopefully we can
replace him (Cisse)."

"In the end it was a good game and we're happy with a point.

"I had a chance in the first few minutes and it was a shame we could not
keep a clean sheet in the first half."

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez could not confirm the extent of Cisse's
injury - and was disappointed not to take three points.

"We have to talk to the doctor. At the moment I don't know," he said of
Cisse's injury.

The former Valencia boss was upset that his team did not maintain their
impressive start to the match.

"I'm disappointed because we started the game with high tempo. After we
scored we reduced the tempo.

"Again in the second half we had high tempo, we kept the ball and had many
chances.

"They (Blackburn) are a good team, they ran a lot and fought for the ball,
but we had our opportunities and they also had opportunities."

Benitez did not see the draw as an opportunity lost - despite leaders
Arsenal dropping points earlier.

"We only think about our games. I don't see a lot of other teams, I prefer
to see my team. If we play like the start of the second half I will be
happy," he told Sky Sports.


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