Middlesbrough 0 Liverpool 0

Guest · Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 8:17 am Post subject: Middlesbrough 0 Liverpool 0

November 20, 2006

IT has dragged on for more than nine hours and has already cost Liverpool a shot at the title.

But striker Dirk Kuyt believes there are signs that the Kop’s awayday goal drought may finally be coming to an end.

Another blank on Teesside means it is 576 minutes since Robbie Fowler’s opening-day penalty at Sheffield United.

That was the only goal Rafa Benitez’s side have mustered in seven league matches on their travels this term.

Even Macclesfield, the team propping up the Football League in 92nd place, have managed three more than that.

Perhaps Liverpool should take a leaf out Sven Goran Eriksson’s book — the former England boss seemed to love scoring away from home.

But after five straight defeats, this second away point of the season — and the promise of better things to come — will at least have made the Reds’ faithful more upbeat.

Kuyt had the best chance to put an end to their unwanted record when he volleyed Craig Bellamy’s knockdown wide in the first half.

But the £9million summer signing is confident they are close to finding a cure for their travel sickness.

He said: “It’s hard to understand because we’ve played really well at home this season.

"But I’m sure it won’t be long now before we get our first away win. I know it’s taking too long to come though.

"I don’t know why we can’t score but this match was very different from the other away ones we’ve had recently.

“There was a lot of quality from us and we deserved to win but it’s all about putting the ball in the net.

“I believe we’ll soon start doing that but it’s a big disappointment that we’re not doing it at the moment.

“It’s been lots of games away from home now without a goal but we have to back ourselves because we have top-quality players.

“Mentally, we are very strong. We just have to keep making the chances and we’ll soon start scoring.

“We can go on from this because a clean sheet is not so bad. We only had one moment when we had any problems.”

Manchester United and Chelsea may be out of sight but the good news for Benitez is his team are just five points from third place.

Kuyt added: “A draw here is two points dropped for us but we have to believe in ourselves and that we can catch the others.

“If we keep winning our home games we will keep moving up the league. Firstly, we have to make sure we get in the top four.

“Then with the players we have got, we can try to develop it from there.”

Benitez was also confident his team will get their act together and reverse their pitiful form on the road if they carry on playing like they did here.

The Spaniard said: “When you are a manager and your team doesn’t create many chances you are massively worried.

“But when you create chances and your players get forward so much, like we did here, you will win 99 times out of 100 when you play like this.

“In the second half, it was almost like we were playing back at Anfield. The players more than anyone don’t want this record.”

Kuyt’s volley was the highlight of a dire first half. Thankfully, the second period was much more watchable.

Jose Reina was called into action to push away Jason Euell’s header and Yakubu inexplicably failed to tap in the rebound from close range.

At the other end, Daniel Agger forced a flying stop from Mark Schwarzer with a thumping 25-yarder.

And the Aussie keeper was forced to save again when Mark Gonzalez blasted Steven Gerrard’s delicious pass towards the bottom corner.

:When Schwarzer was beaten by sub Peter Crouch’s looping header in the dying minutes he was grateful to see Jonathan Woodgate get back to head off the line.

It was another classy display from the born-again centre-back and, at this rate, it will not be just Boro who want to sign him on a permanent basis.

His manager Gareth Southgate said: “He’s reaping the rewards with a run of games and I think he’s still some way from full fitness. But if he can perform like that below full fitness it shows what he’s capable of.

“A centre-back of Jonathan’s class relishes games against Liverpool. He reads the game so well and he has the pace to deal with the likes of Bellamy.”

Southgate was happy to follow up last week’s win over West Ham with another solid point and clean sheet and he hopes for more good news this week.

Boro put their case in front of the Premier League to allow the former England defender to continue as boss while studying for the required qualifications.

He is expected to get the nod to carry on and Southgate said: “We’ve had two positive results and getting the nod on Wednesday would feel like a hat-trick.

“But, really, I would much prefer a win against Villa on Saturday.

“Obviously, I have lots of hours of studying ahead of me on top of everything else. But we have lots of big candles at home so we should be all right!”