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 Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 1:27 am Post subject: Liverpool 2 Reading 0 |
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November 04, 2006
DIRK KUYT scored twice as Liverpool eased to victory over Reading at Anfield.
The Dutch ace struck in each half as the Reds picked up their fourth home win in 11 days..
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez brought Jermaine Pennant and Bolo Zenden came into a side who have not lost a league game at home for 13 months.
Boss Rafa Benitez said: “Kuyt always works, always makes great effort and shows the right level of commitment.
“He creates space for others and the partnership with Peter Crouch is working well.
“We have won four at home now but we know this form must be translated into our away form."
Reading, who lost 4-3 at Anfield in the Carling Cup last week, were trying to end a run of three successive Premiership defeats.
They brought in Glen Little for his first Premiership start of the season,
while Stephen Hunt and Sam Sodje also came into the team.
Reading manager Steve Coppell had told his team not to be frightened of Liverpool and they started with a positive attitude.
Jose Reina clattered into Stephen Hunt inside a minute before the player responded with a low drive which bounced wide of the far post.
Glen Little got away on the right after seven minutes and found Brynjar Gunnarsson 10 yards out but his crisp shot hit Jamie Carragher and bounced just wide.
But with Steven Gerrard back into central midfield and working to pull the strings Liverpool were ahead after 14 minutes.
Gerrard chipped into the box and, with Marcus Hahnemann in two minds whether to come for the ball, it was nodded down by Peter Crouch for Dirk Kuyt to score into an open goal six yards.
Another Gerrard ball into the box was met by Kuyt’s flicked header but this time Hahnemann saved well to his left.
Pennant tested Hahnemann from 20 yards and then Jamie Carragher -on his 300th league appearance for the club - raced from the back to drive just over the angle.
Kuyt continued to threaten and Reading did well to survive until the break without further damage.
Liverpool dropped the pace in the second half as Reading sat deep to block all the avenues.
Gerrard headed wide from Pennant’s corner before Ibrahima Sonko forced the ball home from a corner only for the effort to be ruled out because of a foul on Pepe Reina.
But Liverpool’s second was not far off. Pennant’s 73rd-minute corner was met by Crouch’s head and the ball hit Hahnemann before dropping for Kuyt to force home from three yards.
Little’s corner ruffled Reina again with Hunt seeing a header blocked but Liverpool held on for a clean sheet.
Readin boss Steve Coppell said: “Liverpool are a tremendous team with great individuals and two seasons ago they were champions of Europe.
"At that stage we were in a different division. It is very hard to compete with that sort of quality.
“We had to keep it tight and see what happened. But you need a break, you need to get your noses in front and although we had a couple of chances, it didn’t happen for us."
Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Pennant, Gerrard, Alonso, Zenden (Gonzalez 66), Kuyt (Fowler 87), Crouch (Sissoko 74).
Subs Not Used: Martin, Agger.
Reading: Hahnemann, Sodje (Bikey 69), Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Gunnarsson (Ki-Hyeon 80), Sidwell, Harper (Oster 8 , Hunt, Little, Doyle.
Subs Not Used: Federici, Long.
Att: 43,741
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