[lfc-news] Middlesbrough report - PA

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PA Sport, 30 April 2005
Liverpool 1 Middlesbrough 1

Liverpool again failed to take advantage of an Everton slip-up in the
increasingly bitter race for the fourth Premiership place, which will
ensure a crack at next season's Champions League.

Not even a wonderful goal from Steven Gerrard could inspire a
much-changed Liverpool to victory as they now prepare for the momentous
Champions League semi-final decider with Chelsea, where even victory in
the final now seems unlikely to allow the Reds back into the competition.

They were half asleep in the first half and found themselves behind to
an early Szilard Nemeth strike, cancelled out by Gerrard's second-half
classic from 25 yards.

But no matter how much pressure the home side mounted, the second
critical goal was beyond them as Boro claimed a point in their own drive
to clinch a UEFA Cup place.

Liverpool have now won just once in their last five league games, the
demands of the Champions League taking their toll on mind and body.

Benitez made five changes from the side which drew at Chelsea in midweek
- only Igor Biscan was absent through injury, with Milan Baros and Djimi
Traore not even on the bench.

Sami Hyypia and Luis Garcia were amongst the substitutes with Harry
Kewell, Mauricio Pellegrino, Fernando Morientes, Antonio Nunez and
Stephen Warnock coming into the team as the Spanish coach attempted
another selection balancing act with Tuesday's clash against Jose
Mourinho's men obviously on his mind.

But it is pretty much accepted now that Benitez does not have the
strength in depth to rotate his squad with any degree of confidence -
and the Kop's fears at such wholesale if understandable changes were
underlined after just four minutes when Boro took the lead.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's lay off sent Nemeth driving through from
midfield, brushing aside Pellegrino to emerge into the box and coolly
drill a low shot past Jerzy Dudek.

Liverpool responded with slow, patient build-up which may work in Europe
but has allowed Premiership sides to throw up a deep, defiant defence.

John Arne Riise almost embarrassed Brad Jones with a vicious, swerving
drive from 25 yards which the goalkeeper could not hold and allowed to
bounce out off his chest - although no Liverpool man was following up.

But Liverpool were shaky at the back whenever Pellegrino was involved,
indecision or a slowness to react causing defensive team-mate Jamie
Carragher plenty of anxious moments.

Only a Nunez shot into the side-netting and a Riise header over
threatened to trouble Boro in a frustrating first half for the Anfield
faithful.

It was no surprise to see Pellegrino taken off at the break, although he
had been complaining of a leg injury in the closing minutes of the first
half. Luis Garcia came on and Riise moved to centre back.

And the Spanish forward almost equalised when he met a Steve Finnan
cross with a powerful header which Jones managed to scoop over the bar.

A minute later Liverpool were level with an absolute stunner from Gerrard.

Riise's angled ball from deep on the right was met by Gerrard 25 yards
out and his dipping volley crashed past Jones into the top corner to
send the Kop wild.

Liverpool now looked a changed team. Kewell saw a close-range header
deflected wide from Xabi Alonso's chip and Morientes nodded just wide
from Riise's cross.

Jones spilled another long range effort, this time from Kewell, who then
forced his way past Davies to test Jones at the near post.

The pressure mounted with a Luis Garcia header from Gerrard's pass going
just over, before Luis Garcia saw another effort turned away by Jones
before being booked for a foul on Boateng.

Liverpool then replaced Nunez with Djibril Cisse as the all-out assault
continued, with only a tremendous saving tackle in the box from Gareth
Southgate stopping Morientes finishing off a Luis Garcia pass.

Doriva got away with a nasty foul on Luis Garcia before Boudewijn Zenden
was booked for a late tackle on Gerrard.

Dietmar Hamann replaced Warnock, the German slotting in at centre-back
to allow Riise onto the flanks as Liverpool threw everything forward -
but they were unable to force the win they so desperately needed.

Liverpool: Dudek, Carragher, Finnan, Pellegrino (Luis Garcia 45),
Alonso, Gerrard, Kewell, Nunez (Cisse 73), Riise, Warnock (Hamann 84),
Morientes
Subs not used: Carson, Hyypia
Booked: Nunez, Luis Garcia
Goals: Gerrard 52

Middlesbrough: Jones, Davies, Ehiogu, Queudrue, Southgate, Boateng,
Doriva, Parlour (Parnaby 78), Zenden, Hasselbaink, Nemeth (Downing 62)
Subs not used: Knight, Reiziger, Morrison
Booked: Doriva, Parlour, Zenden
Goals: Nemeth 4

Att: 43,250
Referee: P Dowd

BENITEZ SPELLS OUT HARSH FACTS

Rafael Benitez was left fuming yet again by another disappointing
Liverpool display against Middlesbrough that has further damaged their
hopes of claiming fourth spot in the Premiership.

Even word from Craven Cottage that Everton were losing to Fulham could
not inspire the sort of Liverpool display against Boro that would have
cut the points gap.

And the 1-1 draw was of more use to Boro, who, claimed manager Steve
McClaren, are "in pole position for Europe now".

But Benitez's face mirrored the angry one seen last weekend when his
side lost at Crystal Palace.

He said: "I am very unhappy, very frustrated because the result is not
good. The positives are that we have one more point but one less game
and we saw a fantastic goal from Steven Gerrard.

"But we only played to our potential for 20 minutes in the second half.
The rest of the game was stop-start with bookings, free-kicks and delays.

"That is why I am unhappy. I honestly don't know why we cannot play well
after a European game. There will have to be lots of changes for next
season."

Liverpool now face Chelsea on Tuesday in the second leg of their
Champions League semi-final, the tie poised at 0-0 with a final in
Istanbul next month the prize.

Benitez added: "I promise it will be a different game on Tuesday, a
different kind of game and I hope to see far more than we showed this time.

"I made changes but we had 11 good players out there, and thankfully we
have no more injury concerns.

"But games like this are always very difficult for us. It always seems
to happen after a Champions League game and we need to change for the
future.

"This is the third time recently we have failed to take advantage of an
Everton slip-up. We knew they were losing at half-time."

McClaren's side are seventh and in the final UEFA Cup qualification
spot, and face a showdown of their own next weekend against Tottenham,
who are their closest rivals.

The Boro chief said: "For the first half our performance was
outstanding, probably the best ever at Anfield for me. We defended well,
scored a good goal and deserved to be ahead at the break.

"We expected an onslaught and that is what we got, but it took a wonder
goal to stop us and once we got a grip after that we were in control. We
had five across the middle and could have caught them on the break again.

"We are now in pole position for Europe. Everybody in our dressing room
really wants it and they are showing a great attitude and determination.
It was a fantastic display by them all."

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