Stoke City – Liverpool

1. <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/images/2010/1003/glenjohnsondejectionvblackpool20101003_275x155.jpg">

2. Glen Johnson has been criticised by manager Roy Hodgson in the build-up to Saturday's game. Check out Jon Carter's <A HREF= http://soccernet.espn.go.com/preview?id=292980&cc=5739 target=new>preview</A> for all the necessary information on the game at Stoke.

3. Live commentary will appear here from 1715 GMT.

4. Hello everyone. <a href="http://twitter.com/mjdasilva" target="_blank">Michael Da Silva</a> here again to bring you minute-by-minute updates of tonight's Saturday evening game, Stoke City vs Liverpool. Viewers in the UK can see this game live on ESPN UK

5. <b>Stoke:</b> Begovic, Huth, Shawcross, Collins, Wilkinson, Pennant, Delap, Whitehead, Etherington, Fuller, Jones. Subs: Sorensen, Higginbotham, Whelan, Gudjohnsen, Wilson, Walters, Sanli

6. <b>Liverpool:</b> Reina, Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Konchesky, Meireles, Lucas, Gerrard, Maxi, Torres, Kuyt. Subs: Jones, Jovanovic, Babel, Ngog, Poulsen, Shelvey, Kelly.

7. 1'

   We're underway at the Britannia Stadium.

8. 2'

   Liverpool in control of the early exchanges. Gerrard getting a few early touches.

9. 3'

   Stoke have won a throw inside the Liverpool half. Too early for the Delapidator? Of course not!

10. 4'

    On this occasion it comes to nothing but Liverpool struggling to get out of their own half at the moment.

11. 5'

    Decent effort by Fuller, who spins on the edge of the box and unleashes a shot that was always rising. Decent shot by Fuller.

12. 7'

    Fuller steals the ball from Lucas but Konchesky blocks Fuller's cross from the right.

13. 8'

    Early signs are that this will be a typical physical battle at Stoke for Liverpool.

14. 10'

    Great effort by Whitehead! Hard and low shot from the edge of the box that had Reina scrambling. In the end, Reina made a superb save. Stoke corner...

15. 11'

    The corner comes in and Jones comes so so close to connecting with it at the far post but he couldn't quite get his head on it. All Stoke so far.

16. 13'

    Another lashing drive by Whitehead! This time he was running on to it on the edge of the box and the ball flys narrowly wide of the angle of post and bar. That ball was travelling.

17. 14'

    Liverpool, in black tonight, aren't looking too comfortable on the ball at the moment. Stoke not giving them a second to think at the moment.

18. 15'

    This game has an incredibly high intensity at the moment.

19. 16'

    Liverpool have forced a corner on the right. Gerrard to take...

20. 17'

    A good ball in from Gerrard towards Kyrgiakos, but Shawcross flicks the ball clear.

21. 18'

    Stoke come close to forcing the ball over the line after Delap's throw-in was flicked on by Huth and Pennant almost bundled the ball over the line. The assistant referee had his flag raised though. I presume Pennant was offside after Huth's flick-on.

22. 19'

    That Rory Delap throw really is a tremendous weapon for Stoke. Teams still can't defend against it.

23. 20'

    Liverpool having to fight fire with fire here, but are failing to match Stoke for pure intensity at the moment.

24. 22'

    Pennant muscles Maxi out of the way and is eventually dragged down for a foul. Stoke showing the greater desire.

25. 23'

    Shawcross, Stoke's captain, almost lets Torres in but the Spaniard can't get the ball under control to shape a shooting position.

26. 24'

    Hefty challenge by Lucas on Etherington. Etherington is still down, holding his head. Whistles ringing around the stadium...

27. 26'

    Liverpool seeing more of the ball in the last couple of minutes. Maxi got on the end of Gerrard's ball and tried to find Torres, but Maxi's pass on the edge of the area was intercepted. Liverpool getting a taste of this now...

28. 28'

    Gerrard shoots from 25 yards, forcing Begovic to save low to his right. Good shot, good save.

29. 29'

    Meireles cuts in from the right and, rather than using Gerrard who was in space, Meireles shoots with his left foot from 20 yards, but Begovic makes a routine save low to his left this time.

30. 30'

    Encouraging signs for Liverpool in the last few minutes though.

31. 31'

    Dirk Kuyt is down holding his face after being caught by Collins's elbow. Kuyt looks to be suffering at the moment.

32. 32'

    Kuyt is patched up but runs on the pitch without permission, is told to run back off, and then invited back on to the pitch by the referee. How ridiculous.

33. 34'

    Etherington comes desperately close to scoring for Stoke! Jones used his pace and power to get a cross in from the byeline and, Etherington, sliding in to turn the ball in from close range can't quite get a touch.

34. 36'

    Cross by Konchesky to Torres is headed clear, before Kuyt whips another ball in. But that's cleared. Stoke under increasing Liverpool pressure now.

35. 37'

    Not the most thrilling of games so far, but intriguingly poised. It's a real battle out there.

36. 38'

    Speaking of which, Skrtel is down injured. Another head injury and the trainers are on.

37. 40'

    A high ball into the Liverpool box is claimed cleanly by Reina. Reina was then caught by Fuller, the Spaniard tumbled to the ground, and the two squared up to each other. Argy bargy, you could say.

38. 42'

    Gerrard is pulling the strings again for Liverpool. He plays in Meireles but the ball is half cleared as far as Gerrard again, who fires his shot 5 yards wide. (To ironic cheers from the Stoke fans, needless to say)

39. 44'

    Jones tries to jump for the ball in the box but complains that he is impeded by Skrtel as he went for the ball. He definitely has a point, you've seen penalties given for less than that before.

40. 45'

    Delap puts a trademark throw into the box again but Reina claims easily. There will be 3 additional minutes before half time.

41. 45'

    Fuller is fouled by Lucas in the Liverpool half, but nothing is given. That was one of the clearest fouls you'll ever see in my opinion, a clear trip.

42. 45'

    <b>And that's half time. It's Stoke 0-0 Liverpool. Well, no goals to report so far but it's a delicately poised half. The second period should be interesting. </b>

43. 45'

    Join me again in 15 minutes for the second half; let's hope there is more to talk about in the second period. During the break, why not follow me on Twitter right <a href="http://twitter.com/mjdasilva" target="_blank">here</a>.

44. 46'

    <b>Stoke get the second half underway...</b>

45. 47'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> <b>Torres</b> picks up a yellow card for a clumsy tackle from behind on Pennant.

46. 48'

    Stoke get an early corner, the ball takes a couple of touches in the box, before bouncing harmlessly out of play. You get the feeling Stoke will cause problems whenever they have a set-piece.

47. 49'

    Liverpool win a free-kick in a dangerous position on the left and Gerrard whips in a vicious delivery but, frustratingly, no one can get the touch it needs.

48. 50'

    Skrtel was closest but never close enough.

49. 51'

    The volume inside the Britannia Stadium has risen a few notches since the start of the second half.

50. 52'

    Rory Delap has the ball in one hand and a towel in the other. You know what means? The Delapidator! What else?

51. 53'

    But Fuller, Delap's target, fouls Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Liverpool have a free kick.

52. 54'

    Meireles has gingerly got back to his feet after spending several moments down on the ground, clutching his right ankle.

53. 55'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> Infact, <b>Collins</b> has been booked for that challenge.

54. 56'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/goal.gif"> <b>GOAL Stoke have taken the lead!</b>

55. 57'

    It's Fuller with the goal after another Delapidator caused havoc in the Liverpool box. The ball pinged around the box with Liverpool desperately trying to clear. It eventually fell to Fuller, who scrambled it home.

56. 58'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> Horrible tackle by <b>Lucas</b> from behind on Fuller. Definite yellow. Liverpool rocking.

57. 59'

    Torres is clattered into by Huth on the left wing. Liverpool have a free kick which Gerrard will put into the box...

58. 60'

    Gerrard puts in another fast delivery to the far post, Maxi headed across the face of goal, but Etherington hooks it clear.

59. 61'

    Torres is still hobbling after that challenge.

60. 62'

    Stoke have forced two corners in a row. No hint that they're even thinking about sitting on this lead.

61. 63'

    Jones loses his marker, Skrtel, and hits a low left-footed volley towards the far post but the ball whizzes past the post. Liverpool out of jail again.

62. 64'

    Great effort by Maxi! Kuyt does well to get to the right-hand byeline after Gerrard spotted his run. Kuyt pulls it back to Maxi, but he fires straight at Begovic, who does well to hang on to the ball. Good save but that was a good chance for Maxi.

63. 65'

    Now Jones is down injured.

64. 66'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> <b>Ngog on, Meireles off</b>

65. 67'

    At least Torres now has a partner up front. The Spaniard's been feeding off scraps so far.

66. 68'

    And Ngog is in the thick of it straight away. He forces a corner on the right that Gerrard will take...

67. 69'

    Stoke clear but they are under almost constant Liverpool pressure now.

68. 71'

    Carragher is taken out by Huth but, unbelievably, he doesn't get a free-kick. He was looking for it, but it was a foul nonetheless.

69. 72'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> <b>Babel on, Maxi off</b>

70. 73'

    Torres, 25 yards out with his back to goal, inexplicably boots it out of play when he had runners. The ball is in Row Z. That was like the John Smith's advert starring Peter Kay. Torres looks embarrassed, he should be.

71. 74'

    Ryan Babel runs at pace from the left wing, cuts inside, and fires a shot over the bar. It wasn't too far over but it was a Hollywood effort.

72. 75'

    Babel has looked bright since coming on but his searing run into the Stoke half is halted after the referee claims Babel had fouled Pennant to win the ball. There probably was a tug.

73. 76'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> <b>Skrtel</b> is booked for a foul on Fuller. Or was it his berating of the ref? Either way, it's yellow for Skrtel.

74. 77'

    Etherington hits the resulting free kick into the Liverpool wall, who were not 10 yards back. The referee, Mark Halsey, has been leniant there. That should have been retaken.

75. 78'

    There is a collision between Kyrgiakos and Jones, who are really going for each other! They could be in trouble here...

76. 79'

    Halsey has spoken to them both, but not booked either one of them. Is this football or UFC?

77. 80'

    .<img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/yellow_card.jpg" height="15"> Another bad foul! This time it's <b>Ricardo Fuller</b> on Gerrard. And Fuller is correctly booked.

78. 81'

    Temperatures are rising here. There's physical, then there's PHYSICAL! Stoke are being PHYSICAL.

79. 83'

    But Stoke are still hanging on here. This will be a dent to the turning of the corner Liverpool were supposed to be doing. They have just a few minutes to salvage a point.

80. 84'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/subs.gif"> <b>Walters on, Fuller off</b>

81. 85'

    Liverpool have a free-kick about 40 yards out and Gerrard will float this into the box...

82. 86'

    Infact it was Konchesky and he tried to shoot! What IS he doing? That ball is still rising, still rising... Truly terrible shot.

83. 88'

    Liverpool lose possession and Walters, the Stoke substitute, leads the counter attack. He got the ball onto his right foot on the edge of the box and tried an ambitious curler, but it goes wide.

84. 89'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/goal.gif"> <b>GOAL 2-0 Stoke! It's Jones!</b>

85. 89'

    Wilkinson finds Pennant, who slides the ball into the path of Jones, who takes a touch and places his finish into the corner and beyond Reina. Lovely finish.

86. 90'

    <img src="http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/gp10/i/red_card.jpg" height="15"> <b>Lucas</b> has been sent off for a mindless chop on Etherington. Second yellow = Red. Lucas is off. Misery for Liverpool.

87. 90'

    That really was stupid by Lucas. Etherington wasn't relly going anywhere, but the damage is done and Liverpool will see out the final few minutes with ten men.

88. 90'

    We are into the dying seconds at the Britannia stadium.

89. 90'

    Roy Hodgson is looking glum.

90. 90'

    <b>That's it! Stoke have beaten Liverpool 2-0. Horrible night for Liverpool who, once again, have proved that if Gerrard and Torres are off form, Liverpool are off form.</b>

91. 90'

    Gerrard was okay, but Torres was abject. That stunning double over Chelsea looks like a long time ago.

92. 90'

    But Stoke deserve credit. In the bottom three before kick off today, they stepped up the intensity of their game after half time and overawed a flat Liverpool side.

93. 90'

    The last time Stoke beat Liverpool, Apple released their first Macintosh computer. That was a long time ago.

94. 90'

    That's all from me. Thanks for following the action with me today - we'll be back tomorrow with Everton vs Arsenal and Chelsea vs Sunderland. For a round-up of all of today's Premier League action, click <a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=841627&sec=england&cc=5739" target="_blank">here</a> for our Premier League wrap.

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