Reds in Reserves too classy for Everton

Posted by liverweb on December 5, 2007, 11:20:52 am

Liverpool 3 Everton 0

The Reds easily saw off Everton reserves at the Halliwell Jones last night. In a similar way to the first team against Bolton on Sunday this was just a bit too easy. Normally Everton turn up and have a bit of fight about them (often literally) but they looked quite poor on this performance. The Reds played some decent football on a pitch that didn't always lend itself to flowing stuff.

A closely contested start to the game suggested a typical Derby encounter with the Blues. In front of a bumper crowd of over 6000 though it was the Reds who took the lead after just twelve minutes. El Zhar pulled back from the bye line and Huth turned the ball goalwards. The shot was possibly going wide but Boyle put through his own net in a panic that the ball was going in.

That goal gave the Reds the boost they needed to play some decent stuff. In fairness it was pretty much all Liverpool in terms of scoring chances throughout. Spearing went close with a shot on the edge of the box just before the half hour.

Shortly after Nemeth was played through but his low shot was easily saved by Ruddy in the Everton goal.

Jordy Brouwer earned himself a booking on thirty four minutes as he wouldn't stop complaining to the ref for what looked to me like an average fall by the Dutch striker. Brouwer was complaining that no free kick had been awarded. Just a minute later at the other end of the pitch James Vaughan did exactly the same. Vaughan continued to protest at the ref and went the same way as Brouwer - straight in to the book.

One of the plus sides of this game was another fine performance from young Hungarian Krisztian Nemeth. On thirty nine minutes he collected a ball on half way and looked to fly past Rodwell who knew only one tactic as the striker went past him. His tackle/barge earned him a yellow card but the danger was thwarted.

Two minutes from half time Everton had an opportunity with a free kick which they came within inches of scoring with. The kick was wide left but as the Reds were lining up to defend they ignored Harper outside the box and when the kick was quickly switched to him no-one could close him down and his shot thankfully hit the outside of the post as it flew past Bouzanis.

There was one more chance in first half injury time for the Reds as Nemeth flicked a ball on to send Brouwer through on goal. Brouwer held off a challenge only to tap the ball straight at Rudy as he reached the area. A poor finish.

The Reds got the second half underway and from the off were by far the better side. Inside a minute of the half Spearing had volleyed just wide of the target.

Up at the other end Vaughan was probably too greedy in a rare moment of attack from the Blues. Vaughan missed a simple pass to a free man on the counter and instead took the shot on himself only to hit it wide of the target.

Ten minutes in to the half there was a penalty shout from the Reds although it was rightly not given. El Zhar was found in acres of space down the right. His first touch was a little heavy but as he reached the ball before Ruddy. He touched the ball round the keeper but then seemed to go looking for a penalty and the ref simply gave a goal kick. Watching the way El Zhar went over I was more surprised at him not being booked than I was at not getting the penalty.

A minute later the Reds finally got the second goal when Nemeth struck a superb goal. Receiving the ball on the edge of the are with his back to goal he quickly shimmied his way around and free before striking past Ruddy.

It took just five more minutes before it was 3-0 and it was Nemeth again who scored. The move started with El Zhar striking across the keeper. The shot was spilled and just kicked out for a corner. From that corner the ball was flicked on by Huth and Nemeth forced it over the line from three yards out.

The third goal really killed the game off and Everton just looked like their heads dropped. In fact their only other real chance came in stoppage time when Kissock forced a save from Bouzanis and Agard had his follow up pushed wide. Just before that Irving had a header come back off the bar but it was all too little too late for them and the Reds rightly went off 3-0 victors at the end of the match.

MotM : Krisztian Nemeth - two goals for the second game running in his first two games can't be sniffed at but more this is for his all round play which make him look like a quality player for the future.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liverpool Bouzanis, Kelly (Darby 61), San Jose, Huth, Insua, El Zhar, Spearing (c) (Duran 75), Plessis, Leto, Nemeth, Brouwer (Pacheco 64)
Unused Subs Gulacsi, Putterill
Goal OG - Boyle (12), Nemeth 2 (56, 61)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Everton Ruddy, Densmore, Boyle, Irving, Rodwell, Harper, Kissock, Vidarrson, Jutkiewicz (Morrison 78), Vaughan (Agard 59), van der Meyde (O'Kane 68)
Unused Subs Stubhaus, McCarten
Goal 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Referee R West
Att 6243
Venue Halliwell Jones

Copyright Liverweb 2007

View Comments | Post Comment

More