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Liverpool: Westerveld, Matteo, Hyypia, Henchoz, Carragher,
Berger, Hamann (Fowler 52), Redknapp, Thompson (Murphy 74), Owen
(Camara 66), Heskey.
Subs Not Used: Song, Friedel.
Booked: Berger, Henchoz, Murphy, Camara.
Leicester: Arphexad, Guppy, Sinclair, Elliott, Gilchrist,
Impey, Izzet, Lennon, Savage, Eadie (Oakes 90), Cottee (Marshall
85).
Subs Not Used: Flowers, Walsh, Zagorakis.
Booked: Cottee, Savage.
Goals: Cottee 2, Gilchrist 48.
Att: 43,456
Ref: G Poll (Tring)
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Liverpool 0 Leicester City 2
Donkeys and Rock
Peter Gilbert 3.5.00
What better way to spend a day in early May than a trip to the
coast. Well if you set off early enough you can get
to a very nice sea side resort up in the North West. So I was
in the car by 9.00am and walking round Rhyll by 11.30. It's a
typical British sea side resort except for the Welsh Dragon flags
fluttering in the breeze everywhere. There's a lot of tat in
such places but there's a certain charm and appeal to it all.
The theme tune from the Adams family wafted across the road from
the arcades and slot machines jingled wanting to be fed by money.
Was I going to witness a Horror Show?The Bingo caller tried to
seduce passers by with the sound of winning numbers. I resisted
the opportunity to gain easy pickings. Into a side street, should
I have a tattoo, how about a little fox on my bum, or 100% Leicester
City on my heart......maybe not - maybe one day. Then I spied
The Novelty Rock Emporium in I wandered you could get all sorts
of names, but what have we here - football clubs and yes we have
Leicester City, it was a good omen and I bought a stick......it
might bring me luck.
So eating a bag of chips on the beach with a stick of rock in
my hand I felt good - certainly a lot better than the two donkeys
stood rooted to the spot in the sand. Could they be Liverpool
defenders?
The sun shone, the sky cleared to a very pleasant shade of blue,
I felt relaxed and totally at peace with the world, confident
and happy with our season so far, we have nothing to prove but
a win at Anfield would be the icing on the cake, we all know
why now don't we.
I hadn't been seated long as I had dallied too long in the sun
and arrived in Scouseland a bit late, before Tony Cottee controlled
a through ball on his chest and rifled it home to put us into
an early lead.By half time we were still ahead and had survived
some dodgy refereeing and some violent shouts from the home fans.
EH seemed at odds with himself and once even waved a threatening
finger at Robbie Savage but it looked like a pathetic gesture
from an ineffective player.
Early in the second half Leicester went 2-0 up when the ball
fell kindly to Phil Gilchrist after Matteo failed to clear and
the player bought for a snip from Oxford Utd just 6 months ago
scored his first goal for City at Anfield at the Kop End. The
sound of silence was glorious.
So Houlier took Hamman off and bought Fowler on and they threw
attackers at us which gave us the great chance to hit them on
the counter attack. Berger hit the bar, Fowler and then Berger
produced good saves from Peguy Arphexad once again between the
sticks. The Leicester midfield of Lennon and Mcartney......sorry
Izzett were competing like demons and winning possession time
and again and releasing the ball forward to the diminutive strikers
of Cottee and Eadie.
Savage was booked when he reacted angrily to an ankle tap from
Redknapp who hit the deck dramatically obviously hoping for a
red card to be dished out to his fellow professional. Impey and
Guppy were looking effective and lively. The defence of Sinclair
, Elliott and Gilchrist were coping admirably with what was thrown
at them.
Owen was taken off after an hour and Kamara came on to try and
revive Liverpool hopes, it was good to see Owen go off if only
for the psychological effect it might have.
City gave Liverpool no time to settle in any area of the pitch
which looked like our key to success.
Heskey broke away and had his shot blocked the ball fell to Fowler
10 yards out but Peguy smothered the ball away for a corner,
great save Peg!
Leicester were by no means on the ropes, they kept pushing forward
and we sang our hearts out for them. I kept touching my lucky
stick of rock and I visualised the sea side donkeys dressed in
Liverpool kit.
City broke away again and Izzett was scythed down by Henchoz
on the edge of the box, it was a desperate challenge Muzzy was
in on goal but no booking for Henchoz.The free kick from Lennon
flew just wide. Murphy replaced Thompson as Liverpool began to
look rather desperate in all honesty.
Cottee had an effort to get into the box but Murphy handled the
ball away and was booked for his trouble.
We moved into the final 15 mins. and we knew Liverpool would
try and blitz their way through us and we must stand firm and
keep our concentration level very high.
Kamara from Guinea was booked for a nasty late challenge(a Guinea
Fowl?) on Savage from Wales, but Robbie recovered.
10 mins to go and Leicester's quality performance was undoing
Liverpool and frustrating them and occasionally terrorising them,
whatever word is used we were certainly good value for our lead.
Muzzy Izzett's contribution was enormous - winning tackles and
running and probing forward and nipping at the heels of Liverpool's
players who were slowly being shunted into a cul-de-sac.
It was wonderful to hear Liverpool fans moaning at EH as he powder
puffed his way into oblivion.What's happened Emile?
Time and again Muzzy Izzett stole the ball and with it the show.
Ian Marshall came on for Tony Cottee, a former Evertonian for
another.
Liverpool fans began to drift out of the ground but not us. We
were transfixed by the footballing spectacle of big spending,
big mouthed big shots being humbled on their own patch.
There appeared to be a fault with the flood lights in one area,
frankly it seemed like Liverpool's only hope, a power cut and
the initial crowd of 43,000 had dwindled to at least half that.
4 mins added on time to play, Stef Oakes came on for Eadie who
had worked like a little ratter all evening. Liverpool really
did not look like candidates for The Champions League, they were
all huff and puff no true invention and certainly no cut and
thrust. The Kop was silenced and emptying fast but the 1500 or
so City fans were singing loud and clear.
I took my stick of rock out of my pocket and waved it defiantly
in the air as the final whistle blew and we all strutted out
and away back home with our hearts brimming with pride.
You have to hand it to our boys, they have kept the season alive
and kicking and have competed
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