Birmingham Hold Liverpool « Football Blog – Football News

Liam Ridgewell’s equaliser leaves Liverpool’s Champions’ League hanging by a thread.


The Reds’ hopes of finishing fourth suffered a hammer-blow after a 1-1 draw against Birmingham at St.Andrews on Sunday.

Steven Gerrard put the hosts ahead in the 47th minutes, but Liam Ridgewell got the equaliser 9 minutes later.

Birmingham stretched their unbeaten home record to 13 games after this draw and this point meant that whatever happens from now on till the end of the season, the Blues have guaranteed Premiership football next season.

It was a dull first 45 at St.Andrews with neither side completely dominating the other. Liverpool had the best chance after 35 minutes when Fernando Torres’ cross was met by Maxi Rodriguez, but the Argentinean’s effort was spectacularly tipped onto the bar by Joe Hart.

Birmingham played some good football but didn’t have a clear-cut opportunity before the break, except an off-target header by Roger Johnson from James McFadden’s cross.

The game appeared to be petering out as both sides went into the break deadlocked.

Two minutes into the second half though, completely against the run of play, Liverpool got their goal.

Steven Gerrard’s received Glen Johnson’s pass before switching onto his right foot and finding the far bottom corner with a beautiful finish. As it has been on so many occasions before, it was captain fantastic Gerrard who again came to his team’s rescue.

Their happiness was extinguished in the 56th minute though, when some of the most horrendous defending ever cost them the equaliser. McFadden was the architect, as he floated in a cross after some impressive skill down the left. Ridgewell stood at the back post, unmarked and almost uncared for. The left-back had all the time and space in the world and tapped-in to send the Bluenoses into raptures.

Liverpool’s morale took a tumble and they needed some piece of inspiration to lift themselves. In the 64th minute, Rafa Benitez did something really strange to try and provide that inspiration – he brought Torres off. The bemused striker went off amidst boos from both sets of fans and David N’gog came on.

N’gog had a great chance to score for Liverpool just a few minutes after he came on, but he headed Johnson’s cross wide of the goal. Torres could all but watch in despair, wondering what might have been.

Lee Bowyer was then guilty of an even worse miss, when he somehow managed to shoot wide from six yards out, after Ridgewell had picked him out from the left.

N’gog then had another chance, when he was set up by Dirk Kuyt , but the Frechman dragged his shot wide.

He had another chance right at the death, when Gerrard picked him out with a sublime pass from the halfway line, but his shot was directed straight at Hart.

So, it was two more points dropped for Rafa’s men, and a result which leaves them without an away win for seven games in a row.

For Birmingham, this draw means that they have not been defeated by any of the present top 6 this season at home, an impressive record, which boss Alex McLeish was quick to point out in his post-match interview.

After the match, it was revealed that Torres was substituted because Rafa felt he was suffering from fatigue, and wanted him to be fully fit for Thursday’s Europa League second leg against Benfica.

This spread alarm amongst the Anfield faithful, to think that Rafa is thinking more about the Europa League – the second-division of Europe’s elite than on finishing fourth this season.


Source: Birmingham Hold Liverpool « Football Blog – Football News