ZAK AND FOY HELP RESERVES TO BORO WIN

Official LFC Website, 2 Feb 2005
Steve Hunter at Wrexham

Goals from Zak Whitbread and Robbie Foy helped Liverpool reserves bounce back from Saturday's heavy defeat at Aston Villa to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground.

Liverpool battled hard for the victory and Vladimir Smicer got 45 minutes in the second half which will do him the world of good on his way back to fitness.

Anthony Le Tallec again played the full 90 minutes as a central striker and Mauricio Pellegrino and Antonio Nunez both played 45 minutes.

Stephen Warnock had a great game at left back showing great determination and attitude and John Welsh and Darren Potter battled hard in midfield. Scott Carson had another solid and safe match in goal.

Boro's experienced goalkeeper Carlo Nash was called into action twice in the opening 15 minutes making decent saves to keep out efforts from Le Tallec and a stinging drive from Foy.

Liverpool opened the scoring after 29 minutes and it came from a right wing corner. The ball fell to Zak Whitbread who turned sweetly and produced a brilliant finish giving Nash absolutely no chance.

Welsh went close to making it 2-0 with a fierce strike well held by Nash after a good run from midfield.

Mauricio Pellegrino had a good 45 minutes when he played the first half and was constantly shouting encouragement and helping the young lads like Whitbread and David Raven alongside him.

Vladimir Smicer and Jon Otsemobor both came out for the second half replacing Nunez and Pellegrino.

Otsemobor had a great second half and within two minutes of the restart he had made an instant impression. Striding down the right wing he produced a superb low cross for the unmarked Robbie Foy to score the second goal.

Six minutes into the second half Le Tallec should have made it 3-0. Warnock fired in a great cross from the left which was superbly headed to Le Tallec by Smicer. Unfortunately the French striker couldn't get the contact he wanted and Nash made the save.

Richie Partridge made a comeback on the hour mark as he replaced David Mannix and after six weeks out we hope the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international winger can have some better luck on the injury front.

For the opening 65 minutes of the game goalkeeper Scott Carson had very little to do apart from catch one or two crosses. Then like last week against Birmingham he showed how good his concentration levels are with a fine save. Thomas Craddock broke into the Liverpool penalty area and looked certain to score but Carson denied him.

Boro pulled a goal back with 13 minutes left when Adam Clough got in behind the Reds defence down the right and from his cross Jason Kennedy slotted home.

It made for a nervous finale but Liverpool could easily have built up a bigger lead. First Le Tallec ran clear but scuffed his effort straight at Nash then Smicer was unlucky with a neat chip that just cleared the bar.

Liverpool Reserves: Carson, Raven, Warnock, Whitbread, Pellegrino (Smicer 45), Potter, Nunez (Otsemobor 45), Welsh, Le Tallec, Mannix (Partridge 60), Foy. Subs unused: Luzi, O'Donnell.

Middlesbrough Reserves: Nash, Hines, Taylor, Cattermole, Bates, Wheater, Lemere, Kennedy, Graham, Craddock, Johnson.

Referee: P J Grove.

Liverpoolfc.tv Man of the Match: Stephen Warnock. Had a good match at
left back.