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REDS HELD TO FRUSTRATING DRAW
Liverpool were held to a frustrating 2-2 draw at home to Birmingham City on Monday night.
David Ngog fired the Reds into an early lead before Christian Benitez and Cameron Jerome gave Birmingham a 2-1 advantage at the break.
Substitute Steven Gerrard levelled from the spot but Rafa Benitez will not be content with a point from a game his side dominated from start to finish.
Liverpool's bid to gain ground on the frontrunners was boosted by the return of injured trio Glen Johnson, Albert Riera and Martin Skrtel, while Steven Gerrard was back on the bench after a groin problem.
It wasn't all good news for Benitez though, with rookie striker Ngog having to deputise for injured top scorer Fernando Torres.
The French U21 international looked lively from the off, and was the first to test Joe Hart with a stab at goal on 10 minutes.
Seconds earlier Johnson had found Yossi Benayoun darting into the box. The Israeli's cross was just behind the onrushing Dirk Kuyt but it looked ominous for Birmingham.
It took just 13 minutes for the opener to arrive when Hart made a superb double save to thwart Ngog and Kuyt. The ball fell to Riera, who whipped it to the far post where this time Ngog wouldn't be denied with an impressive left-foot volley into the top corner.
It was almost 2-0 minutes later when Kuyt headed an Emiliano Insua cross over the Kop crossbar.
Alex McLeish moved to steady the ship by introducing Lee Carsley into his midfield, but still the Reds probed.
The return of Johnson was proving key for Liverpool, who looked like scoring every time the England man forayed down the right.
It was all the more difficult for the home crowd to swallow, then, when Birmingham levelled from a set piece on 26 minutes. The ball was directed to Roger Johnson at the far post, and when the No.14 headed back across goal Liverpool failed to deal with it, allowing Benitez to prod home from close range.
Javier Mascherano led the Red response, bringing the best out of Hart with a 20-yard blast. Next Skrtel volleyed high into the Kop.
But on the stroke of half-time the game was turned on its head. First Riera had to be replaced by Gerrard after an apparent recurrence of his hamstring injury. Anfield roared for the return of their inspirational captain, but within seconds of his introduction Birmingham were in front after Jerome held off Mascherano before launching an unstoppable effort over Pepe Reina from all of 35 yards.
Liverpool came out early for the second period, and they were equally impatient searching for an equaliser. Lucas struck too close to Hart moments after the re-start, while Kuyt skinned two defenders down the right before skewing his cross.
Gerrard was starting to make his presence felt and almost found himself through on goal after a lovely dink from Lucas. Birmingham, though, continued to defend stoutly.
They were nearly undone on 63 minutes when the brilliant Johnson left his man for dead before crossing to Gerrard, who headed against the post from six yards.
The leveler finally arrived on 71 minutes after Ngog danced past two men before buying a penalty from Carsley. Gerrard stepped up and 40,000 Liverpudlians breathed a collected sigh of relief as the ball rippled the Anfield Road net.
Benayoun almost clinched it with a right-foot volley from Kuyt's nod down but Hart was having a blinder.
The contest was now being played out entirely in Birmingham's half, but Benitez was handed another injury blow when Benayoun made way clutching his hamstring on 77 minutes.
On came Ryan Babel, and he would soon be joined by summer signing Alberto Aquilani for his league debut.
It was Gerrard, however, who now looked the man most likely, sending in a precise centre which Ngog volleyed wide. The skipper then tried to deceive Hart with a dipping effort which sailed narrowly over.
The winner never came and Birmingham remain the only side Benitez has never beaten in the Barclays Premier League.
Teams
Liverpool: Reina, Insua, Agger, Skrtel, Johnson, Riera, Mascherano, Leiva, Benayoun, Kuyt (captain), Ngog. Subs - Cavalieri, Aquilani, Babel, Gerrard, Spearing, Darby, Kyrgiakos
Birmingham City: Hart, Ridgewell, Johnson, Dann, Carr (captain), McFadden, Tainio, Bowyer, Larsson, Benitez, Jerome. Subs - Taylor, Phillips, Espinoza, McSheffrey, Queudrue, Carsley, Vignal
Referee: Peter Walton
Conditions: Misty
Attendance: 42,560
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Glen Johnson
Breakdown
20:03 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : LFC kick off attacking the Kop
3 mins : Nice run from Ngog almost carves out an opportunity for Riera. However, the visitors recover and clear their lines
5 mins : Good early pressure from the home side. No chances of note yet though
6 mins : Birmingham have the first shot of the match courtesy of Bowyer's wasteful 25 yard drive
10 mins : Alex McLeish has just raced to the edge of his technical area and issued one of his players with a serious tongue lashing, much to the amusement of the crowd
11 mins : Johnson sends Yossi racing into the area on the left...the Israeli cuts the ball back, but it's behind Kuyt and the away side hack it clear
12 mins : Snap shot on the edge of the dee from Ngog... good save Joe Hart
13 mins : GOAL! David Ngog: The French star crashes home on the volley after Joe Hart had initally denied the Reds with a stunning double save
15 mins : It's almost two... Insua crosses for Kuyt who glances his header well over
16 mins : Substitution: Lee Carsley for Teemu Tainio:
21 mins : Great link up between Ngog and Riera ends with the latter's rampaging run into the box being halted by a desperate - but fair - Brum challenge
24 mins : More magnificent play by Johnson down the right sees him leave two for dead before teasing a ball across the six yard box that Hart gathers ahead of Ngog
26 mins : GOAL! Christian Benitez: Benitez heads home from close range after the Reds failed to deal with a floated free-kick into the area
30 mins : The visiting support are in buoyant mood as their side earn a corner...The Reds clear and almost catch them on the break courtesy of Mascherano's stunning 30 yarder....great save Hart
32 mins : A comedy of errors in the Blues' defence. Ngog misses his kick with the goal gaping before Lucas' tame shot is cleared off the line
33 mins : Another chance for LFC as Ngog beats Hart to the ball and tees up Kuyt, who crosses to the far post where Ridgewell heads to safety. The attack finally ends with Skrtel blazing over.
34 mins : Johnson earns a corner as the hosts press.... Riera delivers and can only watch on as it evades everyone in the six yard box. Surely someone should have been arriving at the far post?
37 mins : Riera follows up a delightful flick with a 35 yard shot that arrows way over the top. The Kop was not impressed!
38 mins : Agger guides a near post header way over... LFC should be leading here
40 mins : Free-kick to City...Carr to load it into the area...superb punch by Reina
41 mins : It's been a very one-sided half but it's looking like the visitors may go in at the interval all-square
42 mins : It just won't fall for the home side. Birmingham have been holding on
43 mins : Almost a huge blow as Benitez races through and clips a shot just wide. Reina came rushing out to narrow the angle well. That's the danger they pose on the counter attack
44 mins : Riera is down and is holding his head in frustration. It looks like he may come off here
45 mins : Substitution: Steven Gerrard for Albert Riera:
45 mins : In added time... a free-kick to City 35 yards out
45 mins : Fired way over the bar by McFadden
45 mins : GOAL! Cameron Jerome: Stunning 35 yarder
20:52 GMT : Half Time Reached
21:09 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Birmingham restart the match. LFC need to reproduce the first-half dominance but take their chances this time. If we do that we can still take the three points
49 mins : Lucas thunders a shot straight at Hart. Ngog was ready to pounce, but the keeper made it stick
51 mins : Great feet from Dirk on the right... but he lashes a shot wide from a tight angle. He should have crossed it
53 mins : McFadden hacks down Johnson. Free-kick to LFC. Chance to put a good cross in
53 mins : It comes to nothing and Brum have a breather
56 mins : Corner ball. Neat exchange between Gerrard and Ngog almost gives the skipper a free run at goal
58 mins : Insua hammers a shot six yards off target. The composure is lacking at the moment and the crowd are beginning to get frustrated. How long before we see Aquilani?
63 mins : Masch lashes an effort goalwards... he claims handball on the edge of the area but the ref says no
63 mins : How aren't we level? Gerrard sees a thumping header bounce back off the post after some scintillating wing play by Glen
64 mins : First Booking: James McFadden:
64 mins : The pressure is mounting. The City goal has lived a charmed life so far
66 mins : You know you are well on top when Martin Skrtel is hovering on the edge of the opposition penalty area waiting to unleash efforts on goal!
68 mins : Substitution: Gregory Vignal for James McFadden: An ex-red on for ex-Blue!
70 mins : Ngog goes down in the area... penalty to LFC
71 mins : The Brum players are furious, they claim it wasn't a penalty
71 mins : First Booking: Lee Carsley:
71 mins : First Booking: David Ngog:
71 mins : Penalty Scored! Steven Gerrard:
74 mins : It's an onslaught at Anfield. The Brum defence is creaking. Yossi sees a shot saved by Hart, with Gerrard stabbing the rebound wide
77 mins : Substitution: Ryan Babel for Yossi Benayoun: Yossi goes off holding his hamstring
78 mins : Great play by Lucas to win the ball deep in City territory. He finds Gerrard whose curling cross can't quite pick out Kuyt at the back stick
81 mins : Gerrard fizzes in a cross that Ngog meets at the near post... just wide!
82 mins : Gerrard loops a shot just over
82 mins : Substitution: Alberto Aquilani for Lucas Leiva: An Anfield bow for Alberto
84 mins : Johnson and Kuyt combine to earn another LFC corner... the visitors' defence makes a hash of the clearance but still survive. On another day this could be four or five. But we need that third today
85 mins : Gerrard surges into the box... he goes down... corner this time
86 mins : Substitution: Gary McSheffrey for Christian Benitez:
88 mins : We've been knocking on the door but it looks less likely now....
89 mins : You always sense we have one last chance in us. Here's hoping
90 mins : Corner LFC....
90 mins : Poor delivery from Masch. Here goes the kitchen sink....
90 mins : Four mins of added time
21:58 GMT : Match Over
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