Liverpool's away woes continue
Liverpool's wait for an away win in the Premiership this season
goes on despite mounting a siege in a goalless draw at
Middlesbrough.
The Reds at least left Teesside with a first away point since the
opening day of the season, but they will feel they should have
ended their miserable run of results on their travels.
Dirk Kuyt blasted wide before the break and Craig Bellamy saw a
goal-bound header blocked by substitute Robert Huth, before Daniel
Agger forced a superb save from Mark Schwarzer with a 59th-minute
piledriver.
And it took a magnificent goal-line clearance by Jonathan Woodgate
to deny substitute Peter Crouch a late winner with an 83rd-minute
header.
However, while Rafael Benitez's men were left to rue missed
opportunities, they could have headed back across the Pennines
empty-handed but for a remarkable escape.
Jose Reina did well to block Jason Euell's close-range header but
when the ball fell to Aiyegbeni Yakubu in front of goal, he
completely missed his kick.
The omens were not particularly promising for the visitors as they
arrived on Teesside without a league win away from Anfield all
season to meet a team who had already disposed of Chelsea and
Everton.
Indeed, the Reds had won only twice in the Premiership at the
Riverside Stadium in 10 attempts.
However, after an ordinary start it was they who took the game to
their hosts and created the vast majority of the meaningful
openings in front of a much-improved crowd of 31,424.
Spanish midfielder Mark Gonzalez set the tone, cutting in from the
left to fire a right-footed shot straight at Schwarzer with just
three minutes gone and then curling a 20th-minute cross on to the
roof of the net.
However, Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt should have put them in front a
minute later when partner Craig Bellamy chested down Steven
Gerrard's long ball, but he fired wide of the the target.
Gerrard, lining up in his preferred central role, had taken time to
get to grips with opposite number George Boateng but, as his
influence increased, so did the threat posed by his team.
Xabi Alonso fired wildly over on 32 minutes after Jermaine Pennant
had laid off Bellamy's cross, but the former Arsenal midfielder
forced a good save from Schwarzer six minutes later with a
well-struck shot on the turn.
John Arne Riise then warmed the Australian goalkeeper's hands with
a long-range piledriver, but still the Reds could not break the
deadlock.
For their part, Boro enjoyed some success down the right, where
James Morrison and Andrew Davies gave Riise a tough time, but with
Yakubu again playing as a lone striker, Reina had to deal with a
handful of dangerous crosses, but little else.
Boro boss Gareth Southgate was forced to make a change at the break
when he replaced the injured Davies with Robert Huth. The #6million
central defender slotted in at right-back and was to play his part
within minutes.
Kuyt's appeals for a penalty after he went down under Boateng's
challenge were waved away, but it was his side which enjoyed a
remarkable escape on 53 minutes.
Yakubu found Morrison wide on the right and then made his way into
the penalty area as Euell headed the winger's cross towards
goal.
Reina got down superbly to block Euell's effort, but could only
serve the ball up to Yakubu, who inexplicably failed to make
contact with the goal at his mercy.
However, the visitors would have been in front on 55 minutes had
Huth not thrown himself into the path of Bellamy's goal-bound
header, and it took a fine save from Schwarzer to prevent Agger's
long-range missile from screaming into the top corner four minutes
later.
The Australian was the hero again after 68 minutes when he got down
smartly to keep out Gonzalez's volley and he was relieved to see
Emanuel Pogatetz deflect Kuyt's cross wide of the post rather than
inside it three minutes later.
Southgate rang the changes as he introduced Lee Cattermole for the
injured Boateng and last weekend's match-winner Massimo Maccarone
for Morrison, but they could do little to stem the tide.
However, Woodgate had to head off his own line after Crouch, on for
Kuyt, got his head to a deep Gonzalez cross and looped the ball
over Schwarzer.
The visitors hammered away as the clock ran down and Crouch saw
another header saved in injury-time, but they could not find a way
past the Boro defence.
# Benitez: 'We deserved to win'
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez dismissed suggestions his side
lack confidence away from home after the goalless draw at
Middlesbrough made it seven matches on the road without a
win.
'We created a lot of chances. We deserved to win, we had a clean
sheet and we were going forward all the time,' said the
Spaniard.
'We have created enough for scoring goals and we must do the same,
keep going.
'Today the team was controlling the game and creating a lot of
chances. If they had scored the first goal it could have been
totally different.
'If we play as today for 100 games we would win 99.'
Man of the match Jonathan Woodgate produced a saving headed
clearance from under the crossbar late on from substitute Peter
Crouch.
He accepted the visitors had done more in the game but was not
satisfied with a point.
'They dominated throughout in the second half and we were lucky to
hang on at the end,' he said.
'I think we need to improve on our second-half performance.
'We need three points when we are playing at home.'
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate admitted his side were
out-played and was happy to take a point.
Southgate said: 'We didn't do enough to win. We know we need to
play better and we want to.
'The resilience and character to stay in it was admirable. I am
pleased with the character and attitude and we must not
underestimate the value of a point.
'They are games you can lose and but for some magnificent defending
and goalkeeping we would have lost it.
'We were under the cosh there and answered questions that were
posed.'
Southgate faces a difficult week as the Premier League meet to
discuss whether he should be permitted to continue in his current
role.
The former England defender does not have the requisite UEFA Pro
Licence to manage in the Premiership and the period of grace
allowed to run a side without one is due to expire.
Southgate added: 'I have said all along I have got the support of
the chairman. There is a big job to do and I do not think about
anything I can't affect.
'It is for other people to decide whether I can or can't do it, but
I want to do it.'
