Into the ground and the feeling was one of optimism and the opening encounters were of a promising nature. We were the dominant side and were attacking from both flanks. The Liverpool contingent were quiet compared with previous meetings which reflected the superiority shown by the Blues.
We created chances that saw a Cahill towering header goalbound only for Reina to tip over. We then had a passage of play that saw us rip them apart only for Distin to show some superb approach play from the left but fire just over. We were now on top and looking good for the points until that fateful 25th minute when Rodwell dispossessed Suarez and for some unknown reason the Liverpool player collapsed as if targeted from a sniper in the stand and the Referee Mr Atkinson (Remember the Name) immediately produced a red card.
Jack was off; Everton down to ten men... and the derby ruined.
From my seat, although some 100m away, it looked a strong but fair tackle but I conceded that the Ref was just yards away and maybe I had missed something. Mayhem broke out with Everton players remonstrating with the Ref but to no avail and Jack had to walk. On his way to the tunnel he variously shook his head, held it in his hands and kicked anything in his way. Hardly the actions of a player who really knew he had been rightly red carded.
The game was dead as a contest ? both sets of players and fans knew it ? and it produced an atmosphere of acceptance and malevolence toward the Ref. From the high tempo start that put us on the front foot we had to become a more deep-lying unit and hope against hope that we could at least salvage a point. Cahill was forced to operate in midfield leaving Saha stranded upfield and to be fair on occasion he did well to hold things up; we just could not get the bodies required to support him.
The game was now up as a contest and we all deep down really knew it so we got behind the team as best we could and did manage to get all sides of the ground singing with gusto "You?re not fit to referee." Jags floored the odious Suarez and gave away a penalty that we just could not argue with. What an ovation when Howard dived to his left and saved the Kuyt spot-kick. It gave us something to hang on to and taunt the Liverpool contingent with.
Half-time could not come soon enough for us and this was borne out when Adam from a standing start rattled our bar with Howard beaten...
The second half started with us looking to give it a right go and maybe get one and hang on but our chance came and went when Saha hit a beauty that beat Reina but flashed inches wide. As the half wore on it, became evident that the 11 were getting the better of the (Ref induced) 10. Saha cleared from the line. Howard had to turn a Carroll effort around the post and luckily Kuyt deflected an Adam free kick wide.
We tried to attack and Saha hit one just wide but on each counter-attack we looked more and more vulnerable. Gerrard came on and did nothing but the other sub Bellamy created the breakthrough by getting down the left and feeding Enrique to cross for Carroll to tap home after our rearguard was cruelly exposed. Ten men or not, I doubt the manager will be pleased with that passage of play.
On 80 mins, another cock-up at the back as fatigue set in saw Distin hit Kuyt with a clearance and the ball fall to the odious Suarez who pounced and slid home. The idiot Suarez decided to celebrate in front of the Gwladys Street and was pelted with missiles various. Will we get a censure and fine for throwing them and will Suarez get censure and a fine for prompting them? Don?t hold your breath.
Kuyt hit a post, the odious Suarez complained to the ref regarding something thrown but by now who the hell gave a damn when once again the Merseyside derby is ruined by a wannabee referee and once again in the favour of our neighbours. It can?t be coincidence ? can it?
Variously we threw on Drenthe, Vellios and Neville but to little avail. My view was why take Hibbert off when he was up to pace and putting in a few very good crosses? But in the end it didn?t matter...
MotM ? Take your pick: mine was Baines/Howard. I said earlier that, although I thought Rodwell?s tackle was fair, the Ref. was much better placed than me. On returning to my North Liverpool Alehouse, a lad showed me a replay on his mobile from YouTube and ? oh dear ? a bloody travesty.
I hope the authorities take note of this referee?s actions and do their utmost to stop him inflicting such misguided actions by way of further training. Failure to do so will surely inevitably begin the decline of large crowds who come to see a contest between two teams and NOT the whim of an official who, like some others before him, believe they are more important than the players.
The evidence is there for all to see. He judged the derby and it?s meaning rather than the incident. Shame on him and the authorities if they don?t take action that is seen to be fair and just and publicised.
People paid good and hard earned money to have an expectant day out ruined by one man?s ego. FA ? watch the replays and, for the sake of football, ACT!!! UP THE BLUES
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