Liverpool Res 4 Blackburn Res 1 (Mar 22 2007)

[TLW]

LIVERPOOL RES 4 Blackburn Res 1

Report by Dave Usher at the Racecourse Ground

Scorer(s) Craig Lindfield, Robbie Fowler, Jermaine Pennant, Bolo Zenden Half Time – 3-0 Venue – Racecourse Ground, Wrexham Date - Thu 22 Mar 2007 Star Man – Jermaine Pennant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jermaine Pennant was the star of the show as a strong Liverpool reserve side cruised to a 4-1 win over Blackburn Rovers at the Racecourse Ground. Pennant scored one, created two and had a hand in a third as he put a young Rovers’ defence to the sword. Craig Lindfield, Bolo Zenden and Robbie Fowler also got on the scoresheet before Blackburn managed a consolation goal midway through the second half.

With a shortage of first games in recent weeks, and several players away on international duty, Rafa Benitez decided to give all his available senior players some match practice in this fixture. It’s unusual for Rafa to use his senior players in these fixtures, but it was the logical thing to do, especially since half the normal reserve side are now out on loan at other clubs.

Dudek started in goal, with Arbeloa and Insua the full backs. Hobbs and Paletta were at centre half, with Mascherano sitting just in front of them. Pennant, Zenden and Aurelio completed the midfield four, with Fowler and Lindfield up front.

Those two had partnered eachother up front against Crewe in pre-season, with Fowler creating a goal for the youngster. He’d do the same in this game, and Lindfield must really enjoy having Robbie alongside him. That goal came after 18 minutes, when Pennant played a pass into the feet of Fowler in the box, and he instantly cushioned the ball into the path of Lindfield who finished neatly under the keeper for his third goal of the week, having hit two in the youth cup semi on Monday night.

A minute later Pennant delivered a wicked cross into the box and Aurelio nipped in front of the full back to take it in his stride, but the keeper was out quickly to smother his shot. Liverpool were starting to run riot now after a sluggish start, and two minutes later Zenden sent a looping header onto the roof of the net following a swift counter attack.

Rovers finally managed to create an opening for themselves after 24 minutes, when a scramble in the box ended with De Vita dragging a shot wide when he should have scored.

The miss would prove costly, as less than 60 seconds later Liverpool went two up. Former Liverpool Academy full back Mark King was caught in possession by Pennant, who drove forward to the edge of the box before picking out Fowler in the box. Fowler seemed to have taken too much time getting his shot away, and a defender blocked his path to goal. It mattered not however, as one nonchalant flick with the outside of his left boot sent the ball gliding past the defender and into the top corner. Vintage Robbie.

Liverpool were pouring forward from all angles now, and ten minutes before half time Arbeloa went on an overlapping run to collect a pass from Pennant before backheeling the ball back to the winger. Pennant skipped away from one challenge and blasted a shot goalwards, but it was beaten away by the keeper.

Two minutes later the pair combined again, good play from Arbeloa saw him find Pennant in space, and he carried the ball through the centre until he reached the edge of the box and drove a low shot just wide from 18 yards.

Zenden was the next to threaten, running onto a pass from Fowler through the centre and firing a shot into the side netting two minutes before half time. Rovers were hanging on, but the third goal arrived a minute before half time when Pennant drilled in a shot from 25 yards. It was no more than he had deserved, and you had to feel sorry for the poor Blackburn defenders who had the thankless task of trying to stop him.

Rovers had been so much under the cosh that their players didn’t seem to want the ball. They were panicking when they had possession, and it was all too easy for a Liverpool defence in which Hobbs again shone. The visitors did come close to a goal in first half stoppage time though, when centre half Winnard got on the end of a set piece and sent a header against the crossbar.

Liverpool then went straight up the other end and put together a wonderful move that ended with Lindfield picking out Pennant on the far post. He cushioned a volley back into the path of Zenden, who was challenged just as he was about to pull the trigger.

Had the reds sustained this level of performance after the interval, they could have reached double figures, as Blackburn were floundering badly. Perhaps inevitably though, they took their foot off the gas a bit in the 2nd half, and the goalmouth action wasn’t as frequent.

The 2nd half began with a comical moment right in front of where we were sat. Arbeloa tried to take a ball on his chest, but couldn’t prevent it going out for a throw in, prompting him to yell out ‘El puta de madre’ or words to that effect (‘puta’ and ‘madre’ were distinctly audible, but I’m not sure of the smaller words that accompanied them). It made me laugh anyway.

Liverpool continued to dominate, but didn’t show the same cutting edge they had before the break. Nine minutes after the restart though Fowler should have had a second, when he blasted over from eight yards after a good run and cross from Insua.

Three minutes later Zenden succeeded where Robbie had failed. Rovers had actually been on the attack themselves, but the reds cleared a corner and Pennant collected the ball on the edge of his own box. He carried it to halfway, and suddenly Liverpool had a three against one situation with Lindfield through the middle and Zenden charging up on the left.

Pennant produced a wonderful crossfield ball into the path of the Dutchman, who juggled the ball a few times on the run before sliding the ball past the keeper to make it 4-0. Rovers made an immediate change, withdrawing the shellshocked Mark King and bringing on a different full back to try and cope with Pennant.

It worked up to a point, but that was more to do with Liverpool just going into cruise control than anything else.

On 63 minutes Hobbs had a header saved from a Pennant free kick, but that was a rare moment of excitement in what proved to be a pretty dull final half an hour.

Ablett had replaced Dudek with Padelli on the hour mark, and the Italian’s first action saw him make a stunning save only to be beaten by the rebound from O’Keefe on 64 minutes.

Ablett made further changes, introducing Huth for Aurelio and Anderson for Lindfield. Huth’s arrival saw Hobbs move into midfield alongside Mascherano, whilst Anderson went up front alongside Fowler.

The only other chance of note came seven minutes from time when Fowler played a one two with Zenden but his shot was well saved.

Overall it was a decent workout for the lads. Pennant’s confidence will have been done no harm by this display, even taking into account the poor quality of the opposition. Mascherano got another 90 minutes under his belt, and played well in that efficient, unspectacular way of his. He took a bit of a kicking too from Rovers, but he played in the Argentinian and Brazilian leagues so he’ll be used to that.

Arbeloa looked good too, both in defence and also going forward, whilst Bolo was as impressive as he always is in these games. He’s a really great pro is Zenden.


Team: Dudek (Padelli); Arbeloa, Hobbs, Paletta, Insua; Pennant, Mascherano, Zenden, Aurelio (Huth 60); Fowler, Lindfield (Anderson 76):