Liverpool 2 Wigan 1: ONCE HE could swallow the disappointment of Sunday's defeat to Arsenal Ian St John labelled Liverpool's season simply as "shocking". There could be no repeat last night in front of so many of those who rebuilt the club under Bill Shankly's guidance and, for once, Rafael Benitez's team followed the script.
The tension of a moribund season and self-defeating performances was evident against Wigan Athletic and an astonishing miss from Jason Scotland, when he volleyed against the crossbar from six yards with Jose Reina beaten, granted Liverpool a merited reprieve.
This time they seized it, with Fernando Torres coming off the substitutes’ bench to take advantage of an Emmerson Boyce error and put the game beyond Roberto Martinez’s team with 11 minutes remaining. Charles N’Zogbia’s stoppage-time goal was too late to alter the result. Benitez will not herald this one victory as the point at which Liverpool’s fortunes changed, but with Portsmouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers to come, they have no excuse should they fail to capitalise this time.
There was a nostalgic mood at Anfield as Shankly’s family were joined by former players and devoted followers to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his arrival as Liverpool manager. The appointment that transformed a club and provided a legacy that can either inspire or break his successors was, unfortunately for Benitez, also cause for introspection courtesy of a season that has provided little incentive to celebrate.
An apprehensive atmosphere reflected as much, and there was also a disconcerting note to the manager’s selection. Fernando Torres was deemed not fit enough to play a second game in four days, having spent five weeks out resting a hernia, Glen Johnson was injured and Alberto Aquilani was still unworthy of starting, even with Lucas Leiva demoted to the bench.
In their absence Benitez abandoned his usual formation for a 4-4-2 that improved Liverpool’s supply from the flanks and instantly unsettled the Wigan defence. Though vulnerable throughout at the back, with the uncertainty originating from Chris Kirkland in goal, Wigan’s quality on the counter-attack ensured there was no comfortable route back towards confidence for Liverpool.
The pattern of the game was established even before David Ngog glanced the home side ahead in the ninth minute. Liverpool had threatened several times, while a fine tackle from Emiliano Insua prevented the dangerous Charles N’Zogbia from going clear on Jose Reina’s goal.
Then a combination of a quick throw-in, an immaculate delivery from Fabio Aurelio and an unnecessary rush out of goal by Kirkland, pursuing a ball he was never going to reach, allowed Ngog to head his sixth goal of the season into an unguarded net.
Wigan almost levelled immediately, and if Paul Scharner put as much power into his heading as dye into his hair they would have done but, he headed softly into the arms of Jose Reina. With the exception of a 25-yard drive from Jordi Gomez into his midriff Liverpool’s number one was not tested again in the first half.
Kirkland, however, continued to offer his former club encouragement although, for the second home game in succession, Liverpool were unable to convert their chances into a comfortable interval lead. The Wigan goalkeeper missed another cross from which Dirk Kuyt almost profited, but redeemed himself with an excellent near-post save from Ngog after Wigan were again caught out at a quick throw.
Aurelio was proving Liverpool’s most potent outlet whenever he switched from left to right and another inviting cross just failed to land on the unmarked forehead of Yossi Benayoun. A deflected pass from the Brazilian then sent Ngog sprinting clear of the Wigan defence and his low shot beat Kirkland but missed the target.
A half-time tribute to Shankly that included a rendition of Amazing Grace, his favourite hymn, brought real poignancy to the occasion but the business of collecting three points brought a touch of desperation to the Kop as chances continued to come and go without the crucial second goal.
Benayoun just failed to connect with yet another excellent Aurelio delivery, Ngog went close with several half-chances and Kuyt was denied by an outstanding Kirkland save once again, when the French forward crossed low from the right. Anxiety rose with each one before Torres, at the third attempt, finally put them out of their misery.
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Agger, Insua, Benayoun (Aquilani 81), Mascherano, Gerrard, Aurelio (Lucas 60), Kuyt, Ngog (Torres 64). Subs not used: Cavalieri, Kyrgiakos, Darby, Dossena. Booked: Mascherano.
WIGAN ATHLETIC: Kirkland, Melchiot, Boyce, Bramble, Figueroa, Scharner, Gomez (Koumas 82), Diame (Scotland 58), Thomas, N’Zogbia, Rodallega. Subs not used: Kingson, Amaya, Cho, Sinclair, De Ridder. Booked: Thomas.
Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).
