Last Match HiLight

	BLACKBURN ROVERS 1 - 3 LIVERPOOL Saturday 06 December 2008 15:00 , Barclays Premier League
REDS SEE OFF ROVERS TO STAY TOP

Liverpool have got back to winning ways with a 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers thanks to strikes from Xabi Alonso, Yossi Benayoun and Steven Gerrard.

After two successive 0-0 stalemates against Fulham and West Ham United and with Chelsea running out 2-0 winners over Bolton Wanderers, the Reds really had to make sure of the three points against a relegation-threatened Blackburn Rovers side to stay at the summit of the Barclays Premier League.

Fernando Torres might have been missing from the starting line-up, but it was the Reds midfielders who made the difference. Alonso and Benayoun coolly slotted home on 70 and 79 minutes respectively, while Steven Gerrard rounded off the win when he shot into an empty net in the dying seconds.

It was a typically frustrating first half for the Reds, however. Carrying on from the frustrations of the last two league games, there was simply no outlet up front and a string of reckless passes allowed Paul Ince's side to go on the attack. Where Liverpool put in a number of searching balls out to the wings, it was Blackburn who had the most clear-cut chances within the opening 10 minutes.

Tugay dinked one ball over the top in seach of Roque Santa Cruz, while Pepe Reina took one inswinging cross from the left flank to clear the danger. The Spanish stopper also kept the Reds in the match when he denied Morten Gamst Pedersen on 20 minutes. Steven Gerrard gave away possession in the middle of the park, which the Norwegian forward picked up and proceeded to charge down the wing. Pedersen then let fly with a fizzing shot from 20 yards, which Reina stretched to tip onto the bar to keep the scores at 0-0.

It was a fantastic shot from the Norwegian, and a surprising loss of concentration from the Reds skipper. There might not have been any clear-cut opportunities for the Reds during the first 45 minutes, but a few hopeful chips forward created the odd half chance. A glorious ball from Xabi Alonso found Ryan Babel on 10 minutes. The Dutch winger jinked his way past one defender before laying off to Steven Gerrard, but the Liverpool captain's pass was misplaced and Blackburn regained possession.

And it looked like Alvaro Arbeloa was going through on goal on 13 minues, when Jamie Carragher floated a pass up-field. The Spaniard's first touch was top class, but he coudln't bring it down in his second movement to forge any real attack. Liverpool's best chance of the half came on 19 minutes, when Dirk Kuyt played an excellent through ball to Yossi Benayoun. The Israeli international was bearing down on Rovers keeper Paul Robinson, and the former Tottenham stopper got just enough on it to put out for a corner.

Gerrard charged across the centre of the park on 24 minutes and weaved a hopeful ball through the Blackburn rearguard looking for the forward-running Emiliano Insua, but the Reds' skipper put too much on his pass and the ball went out for a goal kick. Liverpool's Argentine pair linked up well on 28 minutes. Javier Mascherano picked the ball up in the centre circle and found Insua with an excellently placed pass. The left-back really gave Andre Ooijer a torrid time and nearly found a way into the Rovers' penalty area.

With a host of players giving away possession during the first period, Liverpool found themselves under pressure far too often and could have gone a goal down on a number of occasions. But Pepe Reina put in a stand-out performance to keep the Reds in the game. Blackburn went on the attack straight from the start of the second half, with Pederen storming through the penalty area to fire a speculative shot goalwards.But Pepe Reina was again on hand to keep Blackburn at bay.

Xabi Alonso had a great chance to score on 57 minutes. A great ball into the centre from Insua found Alonso, who trapped the ball before cleanly shooting with his right foot. But the Spaniard's shot was straight at Paul Robinson and the keeper parried clear. Liverpool's midfield maestro would go on to learn from that chance, however, and struck a much sweeter shot to break the deadlock 13 minutes later.

Steven Gerrard, who had switched to the right wing a few minutes earlier, got a ball into the box for Kuyt to shepherd towards the Spaniard. Then Alonso ran onto Kuyt's ball and placed a neat shot past Paul Robinson with his right foot to put Liverpool in the lead and give the travelling Kop something to sing about. It was a fantastic ball in from the Reds skipper. He picked up the ball on the right and didn't waste time in getting a low cross over to the danger zone. Having already forged a few incisive attacks, Liverpool were worthy of their lead and did well to make the pressure count.

But Blackburn kept plugging away and Roque Santa Cruz had an excellent opportunity to level the scores five minutes later, but he placed his header wide of Reina's goal.

Liverpool scored a second on 79 minutes when Yossi Benayoun darted into the Rovers' box and struck a low shot past Paul Robinson. The Israeli utility man turned Stephen Warnock inside out before firing into the far-bottom corner to get his first of the season. A great solo effort from Benayoun.

But Santa Cruz proved how dangerous he can be when he popped up at the far post to head home with five minutes remaining. The striker steamed in from a well-worked cross to get a clear header - the Liverpool defence had gone to sleep and Reina had now chance. Despite a string of hopeful attacks from the home side, Liverpool always looked the more likely winners here, and Steven Gerrard made sure of the three points in the dying seconds when he slotted into an open goal to round off the win.

Breakdown

15:01 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Liverpool get the game underway
2 mins : First challenge for Insua down the left flank and he deals with it well
3 mins : Benayoun goes on a jinking run down the right but Blackburn win the ball back
6 mins : Pedersen delivers a cross from the left which Reina holds
7 mins : Ooijer concedes a corner and then another one as Liverpool turn up the early pressure
11 mins : Benayoun is just caught offside after breaking free down the right
12 mins : First shot of the game in anger comes from Emerton who fails to trouble Reina's goal from long range
13 mins : Good play by Santa Cruz down the left to win a corner off Carragher
17 mins : Not the best of games so far with neither side having started well
18 mins : Great chance for Benayoun in front of goal but great defending from Warnock to prevent a shot at goal
18 mins : First Booking: Ryan Babel: Booked for deliberate handball
27 mins : Good play from Insua down the left but he's unlucky to concede a goal kick
28 mins : Pedersen lets fly from range forcing Reina into a brilliant save as he palms the ball onto the bar and away. Great, great save
37 mins : Reina makes another stop to keep out another Pedersen effort as the home side start to up the pressure
42 mins : Gerrard has Liverpool's first shot of the game, but the ball goes well wide from his left footed effort
44 mins : Gerrard fires a pass towards Kuyt which Robinson reads well and collects
15:49 GMT : Half Time Reached
16:02 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Blackburn get the second half underway with the scores locked at 0-0
46 mins : Carragher makes a block to deny Pedersen whose shot was threatening the goal
48 mins : Warnock goes for goal from long range but the ball is well wide of target
52 mins : We're giving the ball away too easily again, just like in the first period
54 mins : Mascherano is fouled - free kick in a good position for us
55 mins : Almost a hint of a chance but Robinson scrambles the ball away to safety
58 mins : Alonso goes close with a fizzing drive which Robinson does well to save. Much better from Liverpool
59 mins : First Booking: Alvaro Arbeloa:
61 mins : Gerrard's free kick from the right is disappointing - much like the game so far
62 mins : We should be ahead!! Gerrard's shot is saved and Benayoun somehow fails to turn home the rebound under pressure from Robinson
64 mins : Substitution: Nabil El Zhar for Ryan Babel:
68 mins : GOAL! Xabi Alonso: Alonso slides home from just inside the area to finally break the deadlock
76 mins : Ooijer crosses from the right and Santa Cruz heads wastefully wide
79 mins : GOAL! Yossi Benayoun: Yossi drifts past Warnock and blasts a low shot into the far corner
81 mins : Substitution: Benny McCarthy for Morten Pedersen:
83 mins : Substitution: Lucas Leiva for Javier Mascherano:
85 mins : Substitution: Johann Vogel for Tugay :
85 mins : GOAL! Roque Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz stoops to head home a late lifeline for Blackburn
87 mins : Substitution: Albert Riera for Yossi Benayoun:
89 mins : Kuyt does really well along the byline to win a corner for Liverpool
90 mins : Four extra minutes to be played
90 mins : Substitution: Keith Treacy for Matt Derbyshire:
90 mins : GOAL! Steven Gerrard: Gerrard fires home into an empty net to secure all three points and keep us top of the table
16:54 GMT : Match Over