[lfc-news] Portsmouth report - PA

PA Sport, 14 Dec 2004
Liverpool 1 Portsmouth 1

Liverpool were left stunned as Lomana LuaLua grabbed a dramatic
stoppage-time equaliser at Anfield.

Goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek, back in the side with Chris Kirkland injured,
looked at fault for the strike which rescued a Barclays Premiership point
for Pompey.

He could only palm a cross from Matthew Taylor into the path of LuaLua, who
gratefully headed home.

Liverpool were shell-shocked - and little wonder because they had run a
game in which Steven Gerrard gave them a 70th-minute lead.

Gerrard had almost opened the scoring in the eighth minute when his shot
was parried by goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown.

Then 60 seconds later Dietmar Hamann failed to find the target from close
range after Antonio Nunez had flicked on a corner from Gerrard.

They came under pressure again in the 18th minute when Nunez whipped in a
good cross to the near post.

But defender Linvoy Primus was perfectly positioned and steered the ball to
safety.

Portsmouth almost made the breakthrough in the 25th minute after a swift
counter-attack.

LuaLua tried to curl a shot from inside the area beyond Dudek, but Steve
Finnan got a vital touch.

Liverpool surged forward a minute later, and Gerrard picked out Nunez at
the back post. He had time on his side but succeeded only in sending a weak
shot into the arms of Ashdown.

Finnan raced forward in the 35th minute and whipped in a cross to the near
post. Again Portsmouth defended staunchly with Andy Griffin booting the
ball clear.

The visitors almost paid for a moment of slackness in the 38th minute, however.

Amdy Faye was easily knocked off the ball by Nunez, who broke forward deep
into the Portsmouth half. He cleverly released Harry Kewell in a good
position on the edge of the area.

The Australian midfielder seemed to be caught in two minds, and his
attempted pass to Finnan drifted out of play.

Portsmouth remained dangerous on the break, and LuaLua showed a good turn
of pace in the 42nd minute to race into the opposing area. The striker's
shot was on target but did not carry enough power to trouble Dudek, who got
down quickly to block his effort.

This was a good spell by Portsmouth - and a minute later Gary O'Neil saw
his well-struck effort go narrowly wide of the post, with the goalkeeper
well beaten.

Liverpool regained the momentum at the start of the second half, and
Gerrard fired in a powerful shot after 47 minutes which just cleared the bar.

They kept up the pressure, and Kewell made space inside the area only to
see his effort go wide of Ashdown's left-hand post.

Then Dejan Stefanovic was forced to make a hurried clearance under pressure
from Milan Baros in the 51st minute. Gerrard had begun the move with an
incisive pass to Nunez, who delivered a cross from the right.

Portsmouth were again forced on the back foot two minutes later when they
scrambled the ball away from Baros after a clever free-kick from Xabi Alonso.

Kewell was again out of luck in the 56th minute when his fierce drive
whistled past the post as the Kop held its breath.

Ashdown twice came to his team's rescue in quick succession.

He superbly blocked Nunez's effort in the 58th minute - and then somehow
managed to parry and then catch Hamann's close-range header.

Kewell then got away from former Liverpool midfielder Patrik Berger but
failed to test Ashdown from the edge of the area.

The former Leeds star was finding plenty of room to manoeuvre and saw
Ashdown make a good block from his effort in the 69th minute.

Gerrard, typically, opened the scoring in the 70th minute with a 25-yard
thunderbolt into the corner following a short free-kick from Hamann.

Portsmouth were looking disheartened, and the home side almost added a
second in the 86th minute.

Substitute Florent Sinama-Pongolle saw Arjan de Zeeuw block his shot which
bounced into the path of Kewell. He rattled the ball back towards the goal
only for Ashdown to get down quickly to smother his effort.

Then came LuaLua's equaliser to leave the Kop in a state of disbelief at
seeing two precious home points slip away.

Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Traore, Nunez (Josemi 89.00),
Hamann, Gerrard, Alonso, Kewell, Baros (Sinama Pongolle 82).
Subs Not Used: Riise, Mellor, Harrison.
Booked: none
Goals: Gerrard 70.

Portsmouth: Ashdown, Griffin, De Zeeuw, Primus, Stefanovic, LuaLua, Faye
(Berkovic 85), Stone, O'Neil, Berger, Fuller (Taylor 61).
Subs Not Used: Hislop, Mezague, Cisse.
Booked: none
Goals: LuaLua 90.

Att: 35,064
Ref: M Clattenburg (Co Durham).



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