Tranmere Rovers Vs Liverpool (Match Report)
From The Liverpool Official Site
Rafael Benitez’s men were full value for their victory in a largely one-sided contest which was decided by a moment of Yossi Benayoun brilliance just before half-time.
Liverpool will doubtless face tougher tests as their warm-up programme moves into Switzerland over the next week, but Benitez could have asked for little more from his team’s first outing of the campaign in front of a sell-out crowd on the Wirral.
To add to Rafa’s delight, Daniel Agger made a successful return to first team duty after an injury plagued year while Daniel Pacheco offered a tantalising glimpse into the future with a fine display on his debut appearance.
Liverpool dominated the early exchanges against a Tranmere side who seemed intent to sit back and soak up the pressure.
Spanish youngster Daniel Pacheco ? making his first ever start for the Reds ? was bright and lively in the opening stages and came close to breaking the deadlock with a curling shot towards the far post which missed Danny Coyne’s goal by inches.
Pacheco went even closer shortly after the half hour mark when he latched onto a brilliant forward pass from Daniel Agger and after taking one touch to control the ball, he fired in a shot which Coyne did well to turn away to safety.
The Tranmere number one was comfortably the busier of the two goalkeepers on show, although there would have been little he could have done about a fierce Jermaine Pennant shot had it been a couple of inches lower and not bounced to safety off the top of the bar.
The goal Liverpool richly deserved finally arrived just two minutes before the end of the opening period ? and it was well worth waiting for.
Israeli Yossi Benayoun found himself in space down the left and after cutting inside onto his favoured right foot, he superbly floated a shot over the outstretched arms of Coyne and into the back of the net.
Benitez made seven changes at the break, handing debuts to new signings Diego Cavalieri and Philipp Degen.
Liverpool continued to control the flow of the play with Coyne forced into a smart stop to deny Plessis while Agger sent a long range drive flying over the goal behind which the travelling Kopites were housed.
Skipper Steven Gerrard received a standing ovation from all sides of the ground when he was introduced to the action with twenty minutes left to play, but by this time Rovers were working their way back into the game and went close to levelling the scores when Chris Curran headed wide from close range.
That was as good as it got for the home side though, who were always second best against a Liverpool squad who will jet off to their training base at Interlaken tomorrow buoyed by their first victory of the season.
Minute-by-Minute Report
1 min : Liverpool kick off attacking the Kop end
14:01 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Tranmere kick off defending the Kop end
2 mins : Plessis has the first shot of the match but it flies way over Coyne’s goal and into the Kop
3 mins : A probing run from Pennant results in the winger’s strike deflecting wide for the first corner of the match
6 mins : There are a large number of LFC fans in the ground today and we have already been treated to a few renditions of the Torres bounce and the Rafa chant
9 mins : Good to see Dan Agger back on the pitch after his injury nightmare last season
10 mins : Rovers have the first real chance of the match as Moore drills a low shot against the legs of Martin from a tight angle
11 mins : The Reds respond and Yossi Benayoun does well to beat his marker before firing a shot well over the bar from just inside the area. He holds his head in his hands and knows he should have scored
16 mins : Pacheco pulls away from his marker but smashes a 20 yard strike well wide of Coyne’s goal
17 mins : The Little Spaniard looks keen to impress Rafa and goes close to a sublime goal with an uadacious curling lob that inches just wide of Coyne’s far post with the Rovers keeper well beaten
21 mins : Pacheco looks the man more likely for the Reds and just misses out on Benayoun’s return pass after some delightful interplay between the two
25 mins : Coyne denies Lucas at his feet after a magnificent flick from Pacheco sends him clean through on goal
29 mins : Insua tries a speculative effort from 25 yards that deflects well wide of Coyne’s goal for a corner, which eventually comes to nothing
30 mins : O’Callaghan wastes a great opportunity for Rovers by firing a free-kick on the edge of box well over Martin’s crossbar
34 mins : Insua’s cross from the left is nearly deflected into his own net by John Curtis
35 mins : The Reds are again the side to go closest with Pennant’s superb curler crashing back off the bar
39 mins : A great ball from Agger is controlled brilliantly by Pacheco but the youngster sees his poked effort blocked by Coyne
40 mins : Agger sees a goalbound shot blocked as Liverpool continue to turn the screw
43 mins : Rovers almost get in behind the Reds rearguard but Greenacre’s ball for Shuker has too much pace on it and Martin is out well to smother the ball
43 mins : GOAL! Yossi Benayoun: A great curling effort from Yossi finds the back of the net
14:47 GMT : Half Time Reached
46 mins : Substitution: Sami Hyypia for Jamie Carragher:
46 mins : Substitution: Diego Cavalieri for David Martin:
46 mins : Substitution: Martin Skrtel for Jack Hobbs:
46 mins : Substitution: Philipp Degen for Stephen Darby:
46 mins : Substitution: Jay Spearing for Lucas Leiva:
46 mins : Substitution: Fabio Aurelio for Yossi Benayoun:
15:06 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Substitution: Ryan Flynn for Jermaine Pennant:
55 mins : Substitution: Bas Savage for Ian Moore:
55 mins : Substitution: Craig Curran for Steve Jennings:
55 mins : Substitution: Edrissa Sonko for Chris Shuker:
58 mins : It’s been a quiet start to the second half with the flood of substitutions disrupting the pattern of play
59 mins : A great run by Degen sees the new boy lay a pass to Ryan Flynn whose low drive is straight at the Rovers stopper
65 mins : Substitution: Steven Gerrard for Damien Plessis:
65 mins : Substitution: Andriy Voronin for Daniel Pacheco:
65 mins : Substitution: Adnan Ahmed for Gareth Edds:
69 mins : Steven Gerrard’s introduction was greeted by a roar of approval from all four sections of the ground but as of yet the Reds skipper has yet to get into the game
74 mins : Substitution: Ian Goodison for Ben Chorley:
74 mins : Prior to the substitution Rovers made their first opening of the half when Curran’s cross from the right was headed wide by the unmarked Sonko
75 mins : It should be 1-1. Curran heads over a glorious chance
76 mins : Substitution: Martin Kelly for Daniel Agger:
78 mins : The Reds have so far failed to make the game safe and the hosts have begun to create openings
79 mins : Another testing ball is delivered into the LFC penalty area but new boy Diego Cavalieri shows his agility with a comfortable catch
83 mins : Substitution: Paul Henry for George O’Callaghan:
87 mins : Voronin breaks clear on the left side of the area and cuts the ball back for Flynn who sees his low strike deflected clear by a Rovers defender
89 mins : Degen and Gerrard combine down the right but the Swiss full-back’s cross does not find his skipper and the home side survive
15:50 GMT : Match Over
Tags: agger, game, Liverpool, pacecho, pre-season, tranmere
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