Reds Reserves clinch title

Posted by liverweb on April 8, 2008, 10:24:06 am

Blackburn Rovers 0 Liverpool 1

The Reds won the Reserve League North with yet another win last night when they saw off Blackburn and kept yet another clean sheet in the process.

The Reds travelled all the way to Morecambe for their game with Blackburn and the first thing that hit me was how decent the majority of the pitch was. That was of course apart from the tracks down one touchline as if a couple of cars had driven down before the match.

The Reds got the game underway and they started really well. They knew a win would guarantee the title and set off about it really well.

After just seven minutes Nemeth won the ball well in midfield and threaded one through for Pacheco but he blasted wide of the near post when he should have at least worked the keeper.

At the other end attacks were rare as the Reds are very sound at the back. However on ten minutes Huth missed his kick and was grateful for Martin who came out well.

The Reds were using Mikel San Jose in the holding midfield role with new first teamer Damien Plessis taking his place on the bench.

Krisztian Nemeth continued his progress at this level with a really hard working game and it was often his hard work that set up chances in the first half. On fourteen minutes he put Flynn in round the back but his shot across the keeper also went wide of the far post. The Reds really needed to take their chances if this was to be their night.

The Reds had two more chances on seventeen and nineteen minutes. Firstly Nemeth beat the offside trap but the Rovers keeper was out of his area quick sharp to clear the danger at the second attempt. Shortly after the Reds whipped a corner in from their left side which fell invitingly in the box but it just didn't seem to drop and Rovers somehow cleared the ball.

The Reds finally took the lead on twenty six minutes and it was Nemeth as ever who grabbed the goal. Dani Pacheco took the ball down in his own half and worked some space away from his marker before sweeping a great ball to the edge of the box. Nemeth in fairness had two defenders around him but he is developing a good bit of muscle these days to hold players off and that hat he did before prodding the ball past the Faroese U21 keeper.

The Reds continued to dominate the half but after the goal they never really looked quite as fluid again. In fact on forty two minutes Blackburn nearly equalised when a cross from their left was played in for Peter. He missed it and the ball continued on towards the far post where Martin was left to scramble across and make sure it went wide.

Neither side made changes at the interval although the Reds were clearly intent on Gerardo Bruna playing some part in the game. He was put through his paces at the break.

The second half was a bit more of a contest in a sense with Blackburn having more possession than they'd had in the first half. That said though they never really worked David Martin much. Martin was very vocal throughout the game with his defence which was good to see. He must find it difficult at times at this level with such a sound defence in front of him.

Ryan Flynn nearly doubled the lead eleven minutes in to the second half when he shot well to the far corner only for the keeper to push his shot out and the Blackburn defence managed to clear the ball just before Pacheco got in on the rebound.

Gerardo Bruna was finally introduced on fifty nine minutes when he replaced Pacheco as the support striker.

Goal efforts became less frequent as the game got tighter in midfield. Spearing shot wide from distance just past the hour mark whilst a few minutes later at the other end Rovers sub Howarth shot well wide.

Ronald Huth picked up the first booking of the match on sixty eight minutes for what was quite a cynical challenge on his man. The ref pointed to other fouls Huth had made in the game and duly showed the yellow card to the young Paraguayan.

Damien Plessis and Andras Simon came on for the final fourteen minutes in place of Ayala and Nemeth. Ayala seemed to limp off the pitch but generally had had a decent game. He does sometimes get caught a little too high up the pitch for my liking but that's something he can learn.

Nabir El Zhar picked up a booking in injury time for dissent after he clearly fouled his man as Rovers looked take a throw in. El Zhar was quiet on the night and he doesn't quite seem ready for the reserves again yet after his injury.

As the final whistle blew the Reds celebrated another trophy win to go alongside the Dallas Cup. This though is the bread and butter of the league and they've deservedly won it with two games to spare which is no mean feat over so few games.

The title win means they get one more game this against the Southern League champions which look likely to be Aston Villa.

MotM : Stephen Darby - defended really solidly as he always does but he also got forward really well to support the attack when he could. Krisztian Nemeth also played superbly up front and continues to develop.

Liverpool : Martin, Darby (c), Huth, Ayala(Plessis 76), Insua, Flynn, Spearing, San Jose, El Zhar, Nemeth (Simon 76), Pacheco (Bruna 59)

Unused Subs    Gulacsi, Kelly

Goal    Nemeth (26)

Blackburn Rovers : Nielsen, Nolan, Olsson, Hodge (Zenaba 88), Flynn, Winnard, Peter, O'Keefe, Marshall (Howarth 65), Clarke, Tracey

Unused Subs    Bussman, Paterson, De Vita

Referee    P Curry

Att    702

Venue    Christie Park

Copyright Liverweb 2008

View Comments | Post Comment

More