09.09.2006 \ everton 3-0 liverpool

..feza.. · Site Admin Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Posts: 304

PEPE REINA dropped one of goalkeeping's all-time great clangers as Everton thumped Liverpool in the 204th Merseyside derby at Goodison.

Reina's gaffe gifted striker Andy Johnson his second goal of the game in injury time and capped a miserable afternoon for Rafa Benitez's side.

The Spaniard palmed a swerving Lee Carsley shot up in the air and back-pedalled hurriedly as the ball careered goalwards.

But he panicked, thinking he would catch the ball and carry it into his own net, and threw it up on the line to give the former Palace striker the easiest nod-in from six inches out.

To be fair to Reina, the game was over by then anyway. Tim Cahill swept home the opener from close range on 24 minutes.

Johnson added a second 12 minutes later, profiting from blunders by Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher to beat Reina at his near-post.

Liverpool had their chances. They were denied two clear-cut penalties and Steven Gerrard twice hit the woodwork.

But defensive mistakes cost them dear and manager Rafa Benitez was fuming.

Benitez said: “We will have to improve in defence.

“We made a lot of mistakes, too many mistakes and in football you pay for them.

“In the second half we went forward and created chances but couldn’t score so in the end we paid for that.”

The Liverpool boss defended his decision to pick Carragher, who had only recently returned from injury.

He added: “I think he was okay, he was training the last two days but it was not just one player to blame in the defence.”

Liverpool had a penalty shout when Tony Hibbert appeared to handle in the penalty area.

Benitez said: “I think it was clear but can you change the final score now? No - we have to think about the mistakes we made.”

To make matters worse for the Kop side, they lost John Arne Riise with an ankle injury 10 minutes from time and he could be out for a while.

Everton boss David Moyes hailed his two-goal hero Johnson.

He said: “He’s doing okay, isn’t he? Andy has come to what I feel is one of the country’s big clubs feeling he has something to prove.

“I don’t believe he has actually, but that’s not how he looks at it. He has arrived at this club with a hunger to prove things to people.

“And after that display he can rightly call himself the king of Goodison Park.

“Johnson cost what looked like a lot of money. But Wigan and Bolton bid the same as us, maybe £8.6million is not a big fee these days. As for the big clubs who didn’t go for him, maybe they had other targets!”

He added: “Johnson believes he has something to prove. He has been let go by Birmingham, suffered relegation with Crystal Palace and lost his place in the England set-up.

“So he has come to us wanting to show that the season he scored over 20 in the Premiership wasn’t a one-off.”

Liverpool started with Peter Crouch up front despite suggestions he might be rested after his heroics for England in midweek.

Everton had full-back Hibbert in for his first game of the season after a lengthy illness.

The visitors were bossing the game when the Toffees took a 24th-minute lead out of the blue.
Mikel Arteta crossed from the right, Lee Carsley flicked on and two defenders both went for the ball, which evaded everyone and dropped for an unmarked Cahill to beat Jose Reina from six yards.

The visitors almost equalised on 30 minutes. Tim Howard palmed away a Luis Garcia drive and Gerrard turned the rebound against the post.

It got worse for the Reds six minutes later.

They failed to deal with the ball on the right and Carsley's pass caught Hyypia snoozing and found its way through to Johnson. Carragher still had the chance to clear but made a hash of the attempt and AJ ran on to drill the ball past Reina.

Dirk Kuyt replaced Crouch on 53 minutes and raced away moments later to set up Xabi Alonso, only for the Spaniard to fire wildly over.

Steve Finnan drilled a right-foot shot a foot wide on the hour after the ball fell to him on the edge of the box.

Gerrard was just as close five minutes later after a superb ball over the full-back by Xabi Alonso.

At the other end Johnson had a glorious chance to kill the game off but he closed his eyes as a wicked Osman cross came over the from the left and he failed to make any contact with his close-range diving header.

With 15 minutes left Gerrard fired another shot against the foot of the post and when Kuyt pulled the ball back it hit Hibbert on the arm as he made a sliding challenge.

Riise was carried off on a stretcher after being hurt fouling Mikel Arteta and collected a yellow card as he exited down the tunnel.

There was still time for Reina to fumble Carsley’s long-range effort and hand Johnson his second of the game.

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Yobo, Lescott, Naysmith, Osman (Beattie 83), Neville, Carsley, Arteta (Nuno Valente 90), Cahill, Johnson. Subs not used: Wright, Weir, Van der Meyde. Booked: Yobo.

Goals: Cahill 24, Johnson 36, 90.

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Aurelio, Gerrard, Alonso, Sissoko (Pennant 7

, Luis Garcia, Fowler (Riise 64), Crouch (Kuyt 53). Subs not used: Dudek, Agger. Booked: Sissoko, Riise, Hyypia.

Att: 40,004

Ref: G Poll (Hertfordshire).

the sun