Liverpool 1-1 Southampton - report

Last updated : 20 January 2002 By Clive White, Telegraph
This set-back left them with only one win in nine games - hardly the form to take into Tuesday's meeting with the resurgent champions at Old Trafford, not to mention next Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round tie at Highbury.
A goal by Michael Owen after seven minutes ought to have strengthened their resolve but from a position of strength they faded away, their faces almost as red as their shirts in the closing minutes as they came within a whisker of suffering a second defeat against Saints in 10 days.
With 10 minutes remaining and Southampton growing in confidence, Anders Svensson embarked on a run square to the Liverpool goal which seemed to be going nowhere until the Swede produced a shot which, much to the surprise of Jerzy Dudek in goal, struck the inside of one of his uprights and cannoned back into play.
Victory would have been no more than Southampton deserved for a disciplined performance which, after an opening barrage from the home team, restricted Liverpool to only a couple of chances. Twelve goals in 13 Premiership games - most of them from Owen - tells its own story.
If Liverpool were passive at St Mary's, they were initially perpetual motion here. Stung by recent criticism, they started like men possessed, forcing Southampton onto the back foot. By the time Owen had scored, Paul Jones, the Southampton goalkeeper, had rescued his side three times.
No one looked more motivated than Emile Heskey, whose lack of goals has been a cause of concern. Back in the starting line-up at the expense of Nicolas Anelka, it was his shot which produced the corner from which Liverpool scored. Before then, however, Jones had done well to keep out a free-kick from Patrik Berger before scrambling to save a downward header from Sami Hyypia.
When Heskey held off Claus Lundekvam to hammer a shot goalwards, Jones had to save with his feet. The ensuing corner was cleared only as far as Didi Hamann who drove the ball back into the goalmouth. Jones failed to hold it and Owen was in like a flash for easy pickings. It was his 20th goal in 25 matches. Where would they be without him?
If the Anfield crowd thought that would be the start of a rare runaway victory, they were holding their breath for the rest of the half as Southampton, finally extolling the virtues of hard work that have lifted them above the relegation zone, began to make a match of it in midfield, at least.
Apart from a Steven Gerrard half-volley struck with typical venom, which Jones saved, Southampton reached the sanctuary of half-time without too much trouble and might have equalised. Paul Telfer's mis-hit half-volley fortuitously reached Kevin Davies, but the finish of James Beattie's deputy was disappointing.
A minute after half-time, to a less than astonished Anfield crowd, Southampton did equalise. Vladimir Smicer, who had come on after 33 minutes when Gerrard limped off with a recurrence of his back problem, stood and stared at Jamie Carragher when he attempted to go on the overlap instead of closing down a Southampton player. It was only when the crowd roared their disapproval that he did so, but it was too late. Wayne Bridge was quick to see Chris Marsden's run from the halfway line and the full-back launched a 40-yard ball for him to chase. Stephane Henchoz got back to make a saving tackle, only for the ball to run to Davies, who could hardly miss. Nor did he.
Smicer departed after 59 minutes to be replaced by Anelka and within a minute the Frenchman had a hand in a Liverpool goalscoring chance. A surge down the left raised the Anfield volume and when he checked inside, Berger took over, unleashing a half-chance on the turn, but he never looked like hitting the target.