KEANE AT THE DOUBLE TO KEEP REDS TOP Robbie Keane hit a second-half double as Liverpool retained top spot in the Barclays Premier League with a stylish 3-0 win over Bolton at Anfield. The Ireland international fired two goals in six minutes to put an end to a run of three straight league draws on home turf after Albert Riera had got us off to the perfect start with a neat finish on 26 minutes.
It means we retain our one point lead at the summit of English football with a seventh straight win on the spin against the Trotters in L4, and have now gone the entire calendar year undefeated at Anfield.
The Reds went in to the clash having topped the table at Christmas for the first time since 1996, but with Chelsea beating West Brom in an earlier kick-off, the home side knew three points were essential if they were to remain there come quarter to five.
The presence of Rafael Benitez in both the dressing room and the directors' box following illness would have provided the perfect lift ahead of the match and the players would have wanted to give the boss some belated Christmas cheer with a fast start against Gary Megson's men.
However, it was the visitors who carved out the first opening of the contest on two minutes when both Sami Hyypia and Daniel Agger failed to clear, allowing Kevin Nolan to burst in to the area.
The Liverpool-born midfielder had Johan Elmander in support but his clipped effort was neither clever enough nor high enough to trouble Pepe Reina in the Reds goal.
It was the chance of the match as far as Bolton were concerned, and as they struggled to keep pace with Liverpool's attack, they were fortunate not to fall behind just seconds later when Riera's drilled volley was directed wide by Robbie Keane in the six yard box.
It inspired a roar of approval from the Kop and after Riera drilled another near post effort well wide of target, Emiliano Insua went close with a sizzling volley that brought a fine save out of Jussi Jaaskelainen.
So often this season the Reds have been made to pay for contriving to miss a number of good opportunities against stubborn opposition, and after Dirk Kuyt put a free header over the bar on 20 minutes, Kopites could have been forgiven for thinking it was going to be another one of those days.
Earlier in the week Riera had suggested the Reds needed to try more long distance shooting in order to bring an end to their Anfield frustration, and it was perhaps fitting that it was he who found the key to unlock the Trotters defence - albeit from six yards out.
The Spaniard has enjoyed a promising start to life at Anfield since his summer arrival from Espanyol and he added to his stock on 26 minutes when he arrived late at the near post to stab home Steven Gerrard's right-wing corner and claim his third goal in Liverpool colours.
The relief was visible throughout the whole of Anfield and Bolton will have been happy to have gone in at the interval just the one goal behind as the Reds pushed forward in their search to hammer home their advantage.
Yossi Benayoun, who was enjoying a productive game, flashed a volley just wide of the far post before Jamie Carragher popped up on the left to crash a 25 yard drive inches over the top.
The second-half brought with it a change of tact from Gary Megson's side, with the attacking figure of Kevin Davies brought on in place of former Aston Villa full-back Jlloyd Samuel.
Not that it had any effect on Liverpool, who swept forward and added a second within seven minutes of the restart.
Gerrard found space just inside the Bolton half before striding forward and playing a neat through ball to Keane, who made no mistake with a clinical first-time finish from just inside the area.
It was a goal that knocked the wind out of the away side and six minutes later it was all over bar the shouting.
A lightning break saw Reina feed Alonso, who in turn played in the marauding Benayoun. The Israeli raced into the penalty area and steered an instant ball into Keane who flashed home from six yards out.
It was the 28-year-old's seventh goal of the season and follows on from his superb strike in last week's 1-1 draw at Arsenal.
With the three points in the bag, Liverpool eased through the remainder of the encounter and although there was to be no hat-trick for Keane, it was the perfect pick-me-up for Rafael Benitez who watched his side claim their highest points total in a calendar year since 1990. Teams Liverpool: Reina, Insua, Hyypia, Agger, Carragher, Riera, Gerrard (captain), Alonso, Benayoun, Kuyt, Keane. Subs - Darby, Mascherano, El Zhar, Ngog, Babel, Leiva, Cavalieri
Bolton Wanderers: Jaaskelainen, Samuel, O'Brien, Cahill, Steinsson, Taylor, McCann, Muamba, Gardner, Nolan (captain), Elmander. Subs - Davies, Smolarek, Obadeyi, Riga, Shittu, Basham, Habsi
Referee: Alan Wiley
Conditions: Cold
Attendance: 43548
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Robbie Keane
Breakdown 15:02 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Keane and Kuyt get the Boxing Day game underway
1 min : Good start from Liverpool...Carra's flying down the wing but he's just beaten to it. Arbeloa has a hamstring problem and is sat in the directors' box with Fernando
2 mins : Bolton break but Pepe catches the cross and the danger is averted. Lively opening
3 mins : Yossi threads it through to Dirk, who wins a corner...
4 mins : Stevie's corner finds it's way to Albert, whose shot is deflected wide by Keane
5 mins : Liverpool probing from the off...
7 mins : Brilliant 50-yard crossfield ball from Gerrard to Riera...he passes to Insua...but the cross is too hard work for Keane...goalkick
10 mins : Bolton were banging out a bit of Oasis 'Don't Believe the Truth' in the dressing room before kick off
10 mins : Rafa is in the directors' box - though he was in the dressing room beforehand
11 mins : Riera beats one...and two...but his cross is headed clear
11 mins : Another Gerrard corner is headed clear...eventually comes to Riera, whose shot goes askew
17 mins : Spiderman, Danger Mouse and Superman are among the Boxing Day crowd
18 mins : Hyypia threads Yossi through...he crosses...great clearance from Cahill
19 mins : Corner....headed clear to Insua...he shoots first time but it's saved by Jaaskelainen. Good effort from the youngster
19 mins : Alonso crosses...Dirk's going to get his head on this...it's over
22 mins : Mis-placed pass from Insua sets Bolton on the break but the threat is dealt with
23 mins : Sami up to Dirk...he nods on to Yossi but that's a great tackle by Muamba
24 mins : Yossi crosses towards Agger but it's headed out for a corner
25 mins : Fantastic tackle by Yossi to regain possession - he's having a good game
25 mins : Another corner...this time Xabi will take it....flies across goal and out for another corner
26 mins : GOAL! Albert Riera: Gerrard corner is tucked home by the left foot of Riera at the near post.
34 mins : Lovely flick from Riera...it eventually comes to Insua down to left flank but he over-eggs his cross
36 mins : Gerrard floats a free-kick to Hyypia...his nod down finds Yossi who take a touch before shooting wide
38 mins : Agger surges forward but his left-foot shot is wide
41 mins : Kuyt lays it off to Carra who tries one from 30-yards...not this Christmas, Jamie
43 mins : It's all Liverpool here
44 mins : Riera dinks it over his man and the Reds are away...it comes to Yossi...he's taking it round all of them...gets a cross in...cleared for a corner
15:48 GMT : Half Time Reached
16:03 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Substitution: Kevin Davies for JLloyd Samuel:
46 mins : Bolton get the second period up and running
46 mins : First Booking: Gretar Rafn Steinsson:
48 mins : It's absolutely freezing here at Anfield �fingerless mittens are order of the day among the journos in the press box
48 mins : Riera is felled by Steinsson, who's taking a risk after just being booked
49 mins : Keane twists and turns near the corner flag and eventually gets his cross in despite the presence of two men
50 mins : Bolton corner...caught by Reina
53 mins : Nice little header back to Reina from Insua
53 mins : GOAL! Robbie Keane: Keane latches onto a Gerrard throughball to make it 2-0
57 mins : First Booking: Daniel Agger:
58 mins : GOAL! Robbie Keane: Brilliant team move which started with Reina is finished by Keane after great work from Yossi and Xabi
63 mins : 43,548 is the Boxing Day turnout
67 mins : Substitution: Mustapha Riga for Matthew Taylor:
67 mins : Substitution: Ebi Smolarek for Johan Elmander:
69 mins : Substitution: Nabil El Zhar for Albert Riera:
73 mins : Substitution: Lucas Leiva for Steven Gerrard:
75 mins : El Zhar goes one way, then the other but he drags his shot wide
77 mins : Substitution: David Ngog for Dirk Kuyt:
82 mins : First Booking: Gavin McCann:
87 mins : Sasmi just can't get his head to a well taken corner
87 mins : The Kop is singing the name of just about every member of Rafa's squad
88 mins : Keane could be on for a hat-trick here...he's away...oh, that's a class last-gasp tackle from O'Brien...credit where credit's due
90 mins : YNWA echoes round Anfield...there's going to be four minutes of injury time |
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