Fulham – Liverpool

1. With the sighting of a second Messiah reported in the north-east this week we will sadly have to concern ourselves with more earthy matters this evening as Liverpool travel to Fulham in search of a victory that would put them top of the table.

2. Roy Hodgson is being interviewed on telly at the minute and the carrier of the world's longest cold can feel somewhat confident of his team's chances today following their twatting of Manchester United here a couple of weeks back.

3. But Liverpool too were, apparently, looking pretty good (Real Madrid or someone) prior to that irksome international break which SPOILS ALL THE PREMIER LEAGUE FUN!! They too have battered United recently and today is, in some small, small way, a battle to decide who is the best of the teams that have beaten the champions recently.

4. Clint Dempsey has shaken off the jetlag caused by his midweek international trip to start but Javier Mascherano drops to the Liverpool bench following his descent from the mountainous heights, but footballing lows, involved in Argentina's trip to Bolivia. Lucas takes his place in the midfield.

5. Andrea Dossena and Emiliano Insua also start for the vistors. So if you are flush with Grand National winnings then crack open a bottle of bubbly and toast this glorious day. And if you have gambled away your house, worldly possessions and dog then hey - you now know gambling is for utter mugs and you won't do that again!

6. The game is underway and Liverpool are on the ball. Kuyt gets an early head to a cross but it comes to nothing.

7. 1'

   Paul Konchesky goes rampaging down the left and delivers a smart cross which Bobby Zamora is unable to get to.

8. 3'

   Zamora waits to feed Andrew Johnson who is caught marginally offside. Liverpool were fortunate the decision went their way because Johnson was through on goal otherwise.

9. 5'

   Zamora bounces off Skrtel and then gets Dempsey involved. He cuts inside Arbeloa but Carragher is forced to put in a firm tackle to concede a corner.

10. 6'

    Simon Davies takes it and it comes back out to him but a free-kick is awarded to Liverpool by Steve Bennett.

11. 8'

    Konchesky clears up at the back as Torres and Alonso tried a one-two through the middle of the Fulham defence.

12. 9'

    Torres traps and controls a ball majestically before feeding Dossena whose rising shot is tipped behind for Schwarzer for a corner.

13. 10'

    From the corner Dossena almost heads Liverpool in front as he crouches to deflect a Lucas shot against the crossbar. Closest we've come to a goal so far.

14. 11'

    Pantsil watches Dossena attacking up the left and puts in a meaty challenge which earns cheers all around. Dossena has began well here.

15. 12'

    Dirk Kuyt, well-positioned on the right, puts in a woeful cross from the edge of the Fulham penalty area. Cancel that contract!

16. 13'

    Johnson is once more caught offside but the margin was more like metres than inches that time.

17. 15'

    A terrible pass by Skrtel who gifts the ball to Fulham. Fortunately for him he finds Zamora in a particularly clueless mood and his shot/pass is totally harmless.

18. 17'

    Wasteful free-kick from Alonso who looks up to release Kuyt but puts it straight out for a goal-kick.

19. 18'

    Alonso once more turns provider this time with a better weighted pass but the run of Torres is tracked superbly by Hangeland who gets across to make the interception.

20. 20'

    There's some neat passing from both sides and the game is flowing along with little noise from the referee's whistle to interrupt things. All very nice but Liverpool look the more comfortable so far.

21. 22'

    Gerrard drives ahead and finds his partner-in-crime Torres who very nearly applies the finishing touch. But for the fingertips of Mark Schwarzer, who makes a great save from Torres' low shot, that would have been the opener.

22. 23'

    Kuyt delivers a much better cross fromthe right this time and Torres gets up highest for the header which he is unable to direct on target. Liverpool, you feel, ratcheting up a notch here.

23. 25'

    Howls from the Fulham fans as Zamora hits the deck but no free-kick, quite rightly, is awarded there.

24. 25'

    Torres is unable to find a way past Aaron Hughes who wins the ball from him but the Spaniard goes back to win the ball. Good to see that sort of fight from a striker.

25. 29'

    Insua plays it towards Torres who shows an uncharacteristic piece of poor control. The game has gone a bit, well, flat at the minute.

26. 30'

    Kuyt ups the pace a bit and wins a corner with a shot that deflects off Hangeland. Gerrard takes it and goes long but it comes out to Alonso who steadies himself and BANG clatters a rising long-range shot against the crossbar and behind.

27. 33'

    Torres chases a long ball which forces him out to the touchline but he heads inside and as soon as he within range strikes a shot which Schwarzer stops. Seconds later he looks as if he has finally breached the Fulham defence with a shot which seems to take an age to strike the Fulham post as Schwarzer is fooled by the angle of the shot across him.

28. 35'

    Konchesky piles into Kuyt to give away a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area. Gerrad again decides to go deep with the ball in but Fulham are able to clear the danger.

29. 36'

    Gerrard has put in a much better cross and, incredibly Liverpool have once more hit the crossbar with a diving header from Dossena. Liverpool have stroked more wood than a porn star carpenter here!

30. 39'

    Free-kick to Fulham just twenty yards out. It's touched to Dempsey but his shot would only have troubled Reina if his goal was ten yards further back.

31. 41'

    Free-kick to Liverpool this time on the edge of the penalty box. Stevie G sizes it up...

32. 41'

    Dossena rolls it to him but the Fulham wall come out to do their job. Danny Murphy then puts in a wonderful tackle on Gerrard as the ball breaks back to him.

33. 44'

    Davies almost takes advantage of some hesitant play from Insua but the Liverpool man recovers his composure to shepherd the ball away.

34. 45'

    Dossena skips inside but Pantsil's challenge partially stops him in his tracks before the head of Hughes does the rest.

35. 45'

    HALF-TIME: Four times Liverpool have stuck woodwork here and they will be wondering into their tea at half-time how they are not ahead. What price the hitherto anonymous Bobby Zamora popping up with a last-minute scuffed winner?

36. 45'

    Benitez strides across the Craven Cottage pitch and once he departs we are off once more.

37. 46'

    Alonso chips a pass towards Kuyt but he is incorrectly stopped in his tracks by a whistle signifying he is offside.

38. 47'

    Simon Davies softens Kuyt up with a tackle before Konchesky finishes off his work with a thumping challenge to put the ball out for a throw.

39. 48'

    Zamora's cross put out of play by Skrtel for a throw which Pantsil launches. Nobody is able to get a head on it though and Liverpool have a goal-kick.

40. 51'

    Reina sprints out of his goal to stop a ball going behind for a corner and that is the most exciting thing that has happened in the last two minutes. He did run pretty fast though.

41. 52'

    Some quick-thinking from Skrtel to intercept a ball with his head as Fulham looked for a way through.

42. 53'

    Insua comes inside on the attack and, looking a little unsure of what to do, spots Torres lurking in a wonderful position. He finds him with his cross but Torres can't quite find the pace or the direction to beat Schwarzer who claims it comfortably.

43. 54'

    At the other end, Reina sees Davies corner sail straight in to his grasp.

44. 56'

    Carragher's pass looked like it was intended for Torres but Lucas nipped in to take it from his feet. He can't find a way through though and has to check hs run. Meanwhile Pantsil is booked for a challenge on Dossena.

45. 58'

    Another poor tackle, this time from Skrtel who clattered in to Dempsey. No yellow card though this time.

46. 59'

    Both Chris Evans and Liam Neeson are watching the game in the crowd today for those of you interested in that sort of celebrity spotting (note to anyone who hasn't heard of Evans - you didn't miss much).

47. 60'

    Back to the game and Danny Murphy drives in to the Liverpool penalty area. Fortunately for Liverpool Arbeloa's trailing foot is pulled back before it can trip Murphy. And a good honest lad like Murphy wouldn't take a dive would he?

48. 62'

    Poor cross from Gerrad brings cheers of delight from the Fulham fans and they might be even more pleased at the imminent arrival of the enigma that is Ryan Babel who looks to be coming on.

49. 64'

    Dossena it is who comes off and he will be cursing the Fulham posts that twice denied him. This is Babel's 23rd appearance from the bench for Liverpool. That is a lot.

50. 65'

    Konchesky takes a free-kick on the right for Fulham - he beats the wall but it is too close to Reina who makes the save.

51. 66'

    Pantsil penalised for a late tackle on Babel whose pace fooled the Fulham man. Schwarzer makes a hash of Alonso's high free-kick but Lucas had piled in to him to give Fulham a free-kick

52. 68'

    Liverpool need to up the tempo here. Two points dropped would probably spell the end of their title hopes if we are being realistic.

53. 69'

    Pantsil makes no mistake this time as he goes in hard and fair on Babel to the delight of the home support.

54. 69'

    Torres tries to flick the ball over the heads of the Fulham players crowded round him but there are too many and, lacking support, the Spaniard is unable to fashion a chance.

55. 70'

    Corner to Fulham which Davies takes but Liverpool break through Gerrard - he plays it to Babel who breaks, cuts inside once, then back but Pantsil has come back to cover his low shot.

56. 71'

    Now Liverpool have a corner. Tempo duly upped! Gerrard plays it straight in to the middle where nobody is able to get a foot on it. Pantsil, again, puts in an important tackle.

57. 72'

    Schwarzer now has to make a save as he flings himself low to his right to parry Gerrard's cross. Liverpool are looking ominous here.

58. 73'

    Danny Murphy's whipped shot is sent just wide of the Liverpool goal at the other end.

59. 74'

    Benayoun on, Kuyt off for Liverpool it looks like.

60. 75'

    Schwarzer slices at a ball which goes straight out of play - it allows Liverpool to make their change and for Fulham to replace Murphy with Dacourt.

61. 76'

    Babel's pass to Insua is little over-hit and leaves the full-back with too much to do.

62. 78'

    Simon Davies comes off and Zoltan Gera, smiter of Manchester United no less, takes the field.

63. 79'

    Gera gets involved straight away with a purposeful ball upfield to Zamora but the Fulham striker is having one of those afternoon's it seems - a terrible pass cedes possession to the visitors.

64. 80'

    Konchesky goes in hard on Benayoun and Liverpool take the corner. From this Benayoun pulls off an astonishing miss from five yards when he is unable to divert Gerrard's fierce driving cross into the Fulham goal.

65. 81'

    Gerrad clatters in to Benayoun as he goes in search of the ball when the Israeli looked better-placed to take advantage. Bit over-eager there from Gerrard but time is ticking away here.

66. 83'

    Etuhu wins a tackle on Lucas and stumbles as he makes the clearance. He gets enough distance on it though and Fulham breathe once more. Actually looking at the replay it struck Etuhu's arm there - purely accidental though.

67. 84'

    Babel booked as Fulham are given a debatable free-kick in a dangerous area. Insua was penalised for what looked like a good tackle but Reina extracts some justice with a clean catch from the free-kick.

68. 86'

    Farewell Andrew Johnson, welcome Erik Nevland. You have five minutes to make your mark.

69. 87'

    Dacourt is one of three players surrounding Babel and he puts it out for a corner. Etuhu then blocks a shot from Skrtel and then Hughes clears Gerrard's cross. Backs to the wall from Fulham here!

70. 88'

    Skrtel, so poor against England last week, now earns a yellow card for a trip on Dempsey.

71. 89'

    Rafa looks rattled on the touchline. Benayoun then twists and turns after the ball came off the back of Pantsil but his shot skims the sidenetting.

72. 91'

    Liverpool have won the game at the very death with a goal from Benayoun. Babel floated inside and finds Gerrard who slips it to the Israeli - his shot is struck with venom and the conviction of a player who know exactly where the goal is as he beats Mark Schwarzer from ten yards out. Liverpool's title challenge is back on track.

73. 93'

    Gerrard has now been removed from the game but he won't have to sit for long on the bench. Reina takes Nevland's cross and that is surely the end here.

74. 94'

    FULL-TIME: What's squeaky bum time in Spanish? Ferguson will be a lot more anxious now than he was three minutes ago as Benayoun's late, late goal ensures this title race still has legs. Liverpool are now sitting top. Their fans are singing, somewhat prematurely, 'We're gonna win the league'. Over to you Manchester United...

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