[lfc-news] Villa report - PA

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PA Sport, 15 May 2005
Liverpool 2 Aston Villa 1

Liverpool found themselves hanging for a victory that had looked a
foregone conclusion after an hour.

Djibril Cisse, with a penalty and a classy finish in a nine-minute
first-half spell had put Liverpool on cruise control against a Villa
side who looked feeble and disinterested.

But after Gareth Barry had pulled one back, the midlanders found their
spirit and heart and could easily have ruined Liverpool's party
atmosphere as they head next for the European Cup Final.

Benitez rested a host of stars with the Champions League final just 10
days away.

Steven Gerrard and Luis Garcia are nursing minor muscle strains while
Jerzy Dudek, Sami Hyypia, Steve Finnan, Milan Baros and Dietmar Hamann
were all on the bench with Djimi Traore also rested.

It meant that new England call-up Scott Carson played in goal and Josemi
had his first match since December after knee problems.

Stephen Warnock played in defence and Cisse also started his first game
since October with a chance to win a place in the starting line-up in
Istanbul.

Villa recalled Nolberto Solano for Thomas Hitzlsperger, who is joining
Stuttgart in the summer, while Eric Djemba-Djemba was also back in the
starting line-up.

Liverpool gave Jamie Carragher the rare chance of captaining the side,
an honour fully appreciated by his fans on the Kop. But he was the only
regular left in the back line.

A level of uncertainty filled the Liverpool ranks and Villa came forward
with spirit and pace, particularly down the right where Solano and
Steven Davis were effective.

In the second minute Davis had a hand in creating a decent chance for
Lee Hendrie. A clever back heel in the corner allowed Hendrie to get
into the box, and his cross-shot was turned away by Carson at full stretch.

Liverpool had been patchy in their build-up, which no doubt prompted
Carragher to surge forward from inside his own half, going past three
players and then cruising into the box to slam a shot into the side netting.

That inspired Liverpool and with their next attack they were ahead.
Harry Kewell's 25-yard shot was palmed out by Thomas Sorensen, resulting
in Cisse chasing after it towards the corner flag where Mark Delaney's
rash challenge brought him down.

Referee Barrie Knight pointed to the spot and Cisse took responsibility
by firing low into the bottom corner, his fourth goal of the season and
first since September at home to Norwich.

Antonio Nunez then fired across goal and a couple of minutes later
following a corner, Mauricio Pellegrino's clever back heel was superbly
saved at close range by Sorensen.

Villa were showing the brittleness that has been too evident recently,
and were two down on 27 minutes.

This time the Spanish contingent conjured a fine chance that Cisse
clinically cracked home from 12 yards. Xabi Alonso found Nunez on the
right, the winger's flick sent Josemi tearing down the line where he
left Gareth Barry for dead with a dummy before laying the ball back for
Cisse to slam past Sorensen.

Villa were looking as poor in defence as they were at Spurs, not
clearing properly and not concentrating. When Cisse took a free-kick on
the edge of his own box on 40 minutes he looked up to see Kewell in
yards of space 50 yards away and dropped the ball into the Aussie's
path. Kewell surged away but managed to fire over the bar from 15 yards.

Villa replaced Darius Vassell, one of their many indifferent performers,
at the break with Luke Moore taking over. Two minutes into the second
half, a limping Hendrie went off with Jlloyd Samuel coming on.

Sorensen was soon into action again, parrying a fierce Nunez drive on 50
minutes, and Pellegrino headed wide from a John Arne Riise cross.

Moore looked more than interested. Pellegrino was slow to clear on 52
minutes and the young striker cracked in a low shot that Carson saved
instinctively with his left leg.

On the hour Baros came on for Kewell, while Villa took off the
non-existent Juan Pablo Angel four minutes later, sending on Carlton Cole.

Villa were now looking far more involved. As Liverpool tried to hold
what they had rather than exerting themselves further, it gave the
Midlanders the incentive to attack.

And they pulled one back on 67 minutes when Barry cracked home from six
yards after Samuel's cross was headed on by Solano.

Hamann came on for Igor Biscan on 70 minutes.

Villa were dangerous every time they came forward, but Riise almost got
Liverpool a third on 78 minutes with a fierce 20-yard shot that rattled
the bar.

Finnan took over from Nunez on 79 minutes, taking up a right-sided
midfield role, Liverpool now looking to hang onto points they had looked
certain to claim for the first hour.

And when Moore's header from 12 yards on 84 minutes hit the bar, Villa
were almost level.

Riise and Cisse both had half-chances as Liverpool broke from defence,
but they were totally occupied with halting the waves of Villa attacks.

Liverpool were by now a bag of nerves at the back and Davies was
presented with the ball 18 yards out to send in a shot that flashed wide
of a post.

Liverpool: Carson, Pellegrino, Josemi, Carragher, Nunez (Finnan 79),
Riise, Biscan (Hamann 70), Alonso, Kewell (Baros 60), Warnock, Cisse
Subs not used: Dudek, Hyypia
Booked: none
Goals: Cisse 20 pen, 27

Aston Villa: Sorensen, Laursen, Delaney, Barry, de la Cruz, Solano,
Djemba-Djemba, Davis, Hendrie (Samuel 47, Vassell (Moore 45), Angel
(Cole 63)
Subs not used: McCann, Henderson
Booked: none
Goals: Barry 67

Att: 43,406
Referee: B Knight

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