After today’s big game, played in glorious May sunshine,
Will it be once more heartache or the proverbial cloud nine?
Just what will this important and intriguing battle yield?
It’s Liverpool v the Boro at the great, renowned Anfield.

There’s much at stake for Liverpool on this sunny afternoon,
As they seek to keep the pressure on our Tyneside ‘friends,’ The Toon,
For both are fighting hard to achieve the same ambition,
To finish in the Premiership, near the top, and take the fourth position.

With that would come such rich rewards and wonderful intrigue,
Whilst seeking all the glory of the Champions’ League,
But today it’s up to Boro though the test is so severe,
For we’ve never won here once in the very highest sphere.

So, the game finally commences under the truly brilliant sun,
And in the opening exchanges we were almost overrun,
Kewell got a great strike in as they caught us on the hop,
Of the two Aussie opponents the Boro man came out on top.

Greening passed to Zenden and a Boro attack began,
Sadly it all ended when he lost out to Didi Hamann,
Kewell should have scored and he left the Boro defence quite quivery,
When Carragher got a great ball in and we failed to stop delivery.

The game is utterly frantic and they’re putting us through the thresher,
They’ve started like a house on fire and we’re under constant pressure,
Once more it’s Harry Kewell like a man on a personal mission,
He might already have scored three goals: what a marvellous acquisition!

A long ball finds Maccarone, who’s in the box, marauding,
And though he wins a corner he’s sent crashing to the hoarding,
The corner was a poor one that failed to find a Boro attacker,
But the opening of this fixture has most certainly been a cracker.

Great ball from Mendieta to Joseph Job; then did he freeze?
He seemed to hit it well enough but Dudek saved it with his knees,
What a terrific opportunity and we should have seen him score,
But he fluffed it and the ‘keeper won this particular tug-of-war.

The Pool had all except their ‘keeper inside the Boro’s half,
And the wonderful Michael Owen almost wrote our epitaph,
He hit the inside of the post after tearing us to shreds,
With Schwarzer a spectator and disbelief for Liverpool’s Reds.

All that Michael did was right; one really has to say,
But, thankfully for the Boro fans, it bounced back into play,
Schwarzer could only stand and watch; he didn’t have a prayer,
And ‘poor old’ Gerard Houllier is almost going spare.

Smicer earns a free kick after a foul by Boro’s ‘Q,’
And Liverpool’s big guns all advance to try and turn the screw,
The position threatens danger and Riise never gave up the ghost,
But he blazed it wide of target and past Mark Schwarzer’s left-hand post.

A free kick now to Liverpool with the reason clear to see,
It’s dangerous: it’s inside right and just outside the ‘D,’
Murphy breached the five-man wall but the shot was rather tame,
And Schwarzer saved it on the line to keep us in the game.

Liverpool had a ‘goal’ struck off when the linesman, eagle-eyed,
Spotted that at least two men were standing just offside,
Then Macca saw an opening though it was really so minute,
And he found just the side netting from an angle too acute.

Great ball and superb vision by Pools’ captain, Steven Gerrard,
Who, with one single pass, got right behind the Boro’s rearguard,
Murphy failed narrowly to connect and didn’t make us pay,
So Boro can breathe easily; they live to fight another day.

So, that half was fast and furious but my goodness how we battled,
Though Liverpool for long periods, had us well and truly rattled,
Boro can’t be faulted for attitude and application,
But the second half will surely bring an even greater examination.

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As proof of Gerard Houllier’s burning desire for success, he
Brings into the duel Steven Finnan and the other's Emile Heskey,
Boro for the moment, choose against immediate changes,
Though I’m sure they’ll all be well aware of the newly added dangers.

To facilitate these changes as they seek to overpower,
Smicer and then Henchoz are sent to take an early shower,
Within a matter of moments and as defenders take a snooze,
Michael Owen’s left unmarked and McClaren blows a fuse.

We really were caught fast asleep and almost in a trance,
When in sped Danny Murphy, who saw a really early chance,
He lobbed the Boro defenders and the warning’s really stark,
But once again the Boro survive, thanks due to Aussie, Mark.

Liverpool look more balanced after the changes they have made,
And Schwarzer is now facing an almost non-stop fusillade,
So far he’s been right on top whenever it has mattered,
But there’s no doubt about it, we’re being well and truly battered.

Once again ‘twas Michael Owen and surely he must score,
Then Schwarzer found another block out of the uppermost drawer,
It’s imperative that the Boro must quickly steady the ship,
Breathe deeply now and clear the heads; they need to get a grip.

But things could only worsen and we realised it when,
Owen goes down inside the box and the referee gives a pen,
Up steps Danny Murphy for a chance that’s heaven-sent,
His record in the Premiership remains hundred-per-cent.

Now Boro must immediately once more regain their poise,
When Anfield is again a heaving cauldron full of noise,
But we are currently witnessing Liverpool at their very best,
When Owen picks out Heskey and he clinically does the rest.

Though his name’s not on the score-sheet he has been the architect,
And Michael Owen’s left the Boro’s hopes well and truly wrecked,
The two stunning strikes on goal have made the visitors really stagger,
At Liverpool’s exhibition now they’re playing with a swagger.

Although this game’s now won and lost and Boro’s fans are frowning,
Riggott and Maccarone give way to Nemeth and young Downing,
Then came a chance for Danny Mills that brought a rueful smile,
When he lashed it wildly, high and wide, and missed by ‘just’ a mile.

As Liverpool just play ‘keep ball’ and their fans all shout “Ole,”
The Boro’s chance has faded and their fans all stream away,
But we’ve seen this all before and there’ll always be tomorrow,
So I’ll end this prematurely to relieve you of your sorrow.