SOCCER: Blackburn Rovers 2 Liverpool 3:ANDY CARROLL'S stoppage-time header gave Liverpool victory on a farcical night in Blackburn when, for the second time in three matches, Kenny Dalglish saw his goalkeeper receive a red card that will suspend him from Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Everton at Wembley.
First it was Jose Reina’s foolish use of the head at Newcastle. At Ewood Park it was the turn of his understudy, Doni, to see red for a professional foul on Junior Hoilett that brought Brad Jones into the Liverpool goal five months after the death of his son. Jones also flirted with red in the penalty that looked to have salvaged a point for Blackburn but, in the dying seconds, Carroll threw himself at Daniel Agger’s header to secure a first win in five matches for the Anfield club.
There was no disguising the magnitude of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Everton in Dalglish’s team selection as the Liverpool manager made six changes to the side that drew with Aston Villa. In came Carroll, Craig Bellamy, Maxi Rodriguez, Sebastian Coates, Jay Spearing and Glen Johnson, who with Daniel Agger offers hope of greater defensive solidity, while Luis Suarez, Jose Enrique, Jamie Carragher and Dirk Kuyt dropped to the bench.
Steven Gerrard and Stewart Downing were given the night off completely but the luxury must have been tinged with unease, for the latter at least, as his replacement flourished. Dalglish’s limited deployment of Maxi Rodriguez has bewildered throughout a season in which Liverpool have lacked penetration and intelligent movement in attack. It still does, after the Argentinian injected both into the left of Liverpool’s forward line and dragged the visitors into a comfort zone with only 16 minutes on the clock.
The opening goal was route one in style. Carroll cut out a Blackburn free-kick into the Liverpool area, given when Jon Flanagan began his poor night with a yellow card for a foul on Martin Olsson, and played it safe to Martin Skrtel. His 80-yard ball sent Bellamy scurrying away down the right and the cross was perfectly measured across goal for Rodriguez to tap in at the far post. Three minutes later, he scored for the sixth time in 16 appearances this season.
Jonjo Shelvey was given licence to roam through the Rovers’ midfield and, though Paul Robinson saved his low drive and his defenders blocked Carroll’s follow-up, the ball sat up invitingly for the former Atletico Madrid captain to volley home.
Liverpool were dominating with a composure and cutting edge that has escaped them frequently this season and the prospect of a damaging fourth straight defeat reignited jeers for Steve Kean’s team from the Rovers faithful.
Flanagan was fortunate to escape a second booking for a blatant foul on Martin Olsson, a point made clear by the referee Anthony Taylor to the stand-in captain Skrtel. Moments later the young Liverpool right-back underhit a back-pass towards Doni that enabled Junior Hoilett to intercept and, when he was felled by the Brazilian, a red card followed.
Liverpool’s third-choice goalkeeper Jones stripped off ahead of his first league outing for the Anfield club and his first display since losing his young son Luca to leukaemia. The Australian’s first touch was to stop a truly atrocious penalty from Yakubu Ayegbeni.
Jones was beaten by Yakubu after Bellamy had been penalised for handball. From David Dunn’s free-kick, the Nigeria international drifted behind Johnson and made amends for his penalty “attempt” with a header into the far corner.
Grant Hanley came close to converting a fine left-wing cross from Martin Olsson as Blackburn inevitably improved against the 10 men. There was less of an excuse for Carroll early in the second half when, from an almost identical position two yards from goal, he connected with a Bellamy corner but sent a diving header wide.
Liverpool continued to pose the greater threat on the break but were undone by yet another ridiculous mistake. Jones’s clearance was charged down by Yakubu, who was then pushed over by the Liverpool goalkeeper. Penalty but no red card, the referee adjudged. Yakubu rectified his previous penalty by sending Jones the wrong way from the spot.
Guardian Serrvice
BLACKBURN:Robinson, Orr, Dann, Grant Hanley, Martin Olsson, Hoilett, Dunn (Lowe 75), Nzonzi, Marcus Olsson, Formica (Rochina 73), Yakubu. Subs not used: Kean, Givet, Pedersen, Petrovic, Goodwillie. Booked: Orr, Hoilett, Formica, Grant Hanley.
LIVERPOOL:Doni, Flanagan (Jones 26), Coates, Skrtel, Johnson (Agger 53), Henderson, Shelvey, Spearing, Maxi (Jose Enrique 77), Bellamy, Carroll. Subs not used: Aurelio, Suarez, Kuyt, Carragher. Booked: Flanagan, Maxi, Jones, Bellamy, Henderson.
Referee:Anthony Taylor (Cheshire).
