LIVERPOOL LATE SHOW SEES OFF VILLA

By Ryan Ghee
November 5 2005

David O'Leary was left with nothing to celebrate as his 100th game in charge of Aston Villa ended in defeat. The loss means Villa have won only once in their last eight Premiership outings; a run which has seen them slip dangerously towards the foot of the table.

Despite holding out for 85 minutes of the match, The Villans crumbled in the last five minutes as The Reds secured their first Premiership away win of the season; albeit with the help of referee Steve Bennett.

The much-criticised official awarded Liverpool a very soft penalty which was cooly converted by Gerrard before Alonso wrapped up the points with a neat finish from the edge of the box.

Before the two late goals, the match seemed destined to end as a stalemate as Liverpool continually wasted their chances while Villa failed to create any real chances at all.

It was the visitors who carried the threat in the first half as Luis Garcia came close early on and Djibril Cisse, playing on the right-wing, forced a great save from Thomas Sorensen.

Milan Baros, making his return to action against his former club, seemed to lack any prowess in the early stages as he failed to create any real chances and was comfortably handled by the ever-consistent Jamie Carragher.

Kevin Phillips almost made the breakthrough for Villa after half an hour but his glancing header flashed across the face of Reina's goal and out for a goal-kick.

After a pretty eventless first period, the hosts started the second half with a lot more intent but again they failed to test Reina in the Liverpool goal.

Villa almost fell behind on the hour as Thomas Sorensen needlessly gifted an opening to the Liverpool front line. The keeper was needlessly beaten to the ball by Cisse, who nodded it down to Morientes, only for Thomas Sorensen to make amends by brilliantly denying the Spaniard.

With the introduction of Juan Pablo Angel in the final 20 minutes, O'Leary's men were given a new lease of life. The Columbian almost found a way through the opposing defence immediately but his low shot was pushed clear by Reina before Baros was again denied by Carragher.

With the game entering the final stages, Liverpool regained control of proceedings and with 75 minutes on the clock, they should have opened the scoring. Peter Crouch, playing against his former team-mates, found himself in space only six yards out but he somehow failed to score and headed the ball straight at Sorensen.

However, Crouch was let off the hook just ten minutes later as steve Bennett adjudged that the England international was hauled to the ground by Ridgewell, even though replays showed that Crouch was all over the Villa defender.

Steven Gerrard, calm as ever, stepped up from 12 yards and slotted the ball into the right-hand corner.

As Villa desperately looked for an equaliser, they were caught off-guard and Alonso sealed the win with a swerving shot from 18-yards.