FLYING CIRCUS ... David Ngog goes to ground
after Lee Carsley's challenge
Ref Peter Walton awarded a penalty for Lee Carsley's
tackle on the Kop striker. But Carsley rapped: "It was an
embarrassing case of cheating."
Brum boss Alex McLeish also labelled Ngog a "conman"
over the 71st-minute flashpoint that spared the blushes of
under-fire Rafa Benitez's side.
Furious Carsley added: "I'm sure Ngog has got a
family - well if I went home having done that I'd be embarrassed.
"You're supposed to be teaching your kids an example, and that is
just an embarrassing case of cheating. I was absolutely nowhere
near him. It's a joke.
"I knew I didn't touch him and I said to the referee to
book me or send me off. It would have made me feel better. "But the
lad's taken a chance and got his team a point so I'm sure they'll
be patting him on the back."
There was clearly no contact when Carsley challenged
Ngog in the box - and boss Benitez sheepishly admitted that his
player had told him even he did not feel it was a
penalty.
McLeish insisted the incident had cast a shadow over a
battling performance by his team. He added: "This is a shame for
the game. He conned the referee and got his team a
penalty.
"Peter Walton is a good referee but he got that one
wrong. If it hadn't been for the penalty, I thought we'd have gone
on to win it."
Ngog had earlier opened the scoring after just 13
minutes with with a spectacular volley. But Birmingham took a shock
2-1 lead through Christian Benitez and a Cameron Jerome
cracker.
It looked as if Liverpool were heading for a seventh
defeat in nine games but skipper Steven Gerrard, a 45th-minute sub,
kept his cool to convert the controversial spot-kick.
Benitez added: "Maybe it wasn't a penalty but we
deserved to score. It could be that it was not a penalty but we
have had many decisions like that go against us this
season.
"I spoke with David and he thinks maybe it wasn't a
penalty. "I am disappointed because it was a draw at home but the
performance was pretty good,"
Benitez refused to throw in the towel on his team's
title chances, even though they are 11 points adrift of leaders
Chelsea.
He added: "We showed when we won six in a row early in
the season what we can do. And we were under pressure when we beat
Manchester United. The team is not playing badly."
