Liverpool make a point but drop two

Wigan A 0 Liverpool 0:LIVERPOOL INTENSIFIED their fight with the English Football Association at the DW Stadium but the more immediate target escaped unharmed. While Kenny Dalglish and his players rallied around Luis Suarez in the wake of his eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra, potentially landing themselves in further trouble with the authorities in the process, they missed the chance to draw level with Chelsea as Wigan became the latest beneficiaries of their profligacy.

With or without Suarez, Liverpool’s prospects of securing Champions League qualification this season appear increasingly dependent on finding a cutting edge within themselves or in the January transfer window. Charlie Adam failed to convert a second-half penalty as Wigan secured a second successive creditable home draw that will enhance their hopes of securing survival.

Liverpool players showed their solidarity with Suarez and defiance of the guilty verdict reached by an independent commission, the only body to conduct a thorough review of the case, in word and deed before the kick-off.

Having issued a statement denying their team-mate is a racist, the Liverpool squad took to the field dressed in ‘Suarez 7’ T-shirts for the warm-up while Dalglish wore one for his pre-match television interview. But this was not Robbie Fowler demonstrating welcome support for sacked Liverpool dockers. This was a high-profile international found guilty of racist abuse 24 hours earlier and, raging with a sense of injustice or not, as Liverpool clearly are, they were inappropriate gestures.

The professional response from Liverpool was to channel the siege mentality that Dalglish has fostered into the excellent form that had brought four wins in their last five away games. To their credit, they did so, taking the contest to Wigan from the start, with Suarez displaying no sign of being weighed down by the controversy that surrounds him.

Inevitably jeered throughout by the home fans and lauded from the away end, Suarez took an immediate blow to the back of the head from Gary Caldwell but recovered to lead a dominant Liverpool opening. Adam struck an inviting free-kick straight into the Wigan wall when he should have tested goalkeeper Ali al-Habsi, who then saved well from the improving Jordan Henderson and Dirk Kuyt when they met crosses from the right and left respectively from Stewart Downing.

Wigan’s defence was hanging on at that stage but Martinez’s side then began to pick gaps in their opponents’ rearguard. Victor Moses went down under a nothing challenge from Martin Skrtel inside the area but referee Michael Oliver rightly adjudged the winger to have slipped. Jordi Gomez missed a great opportunity when he shot straight at Jose Reina from close range and Mohamed Diame’s shot from distance flashed inches wide.

The clearest chance of an end-to-end first half, however, fell Liverpool’s way when Johnson exchanged passes with Maxi Rodriguez on the edge of the area. The England right-back had plenty of the Wigan goal to aim for but shot straight at Habsi.

The Oman international keeper continued to frustrate Liverpool after the interval. Suarez sent a 20 yard free-kick arching towards the top corner only for Habsi to tip over and was then inevitably the source of what should have been the breakthrough for the visitors.

From Henderson’s touch back across the penalty area, Suarez threw himself into an overhead kick that clearly struck the outstretched arm of Gary Caldwell. Referee Oliver had no hesitation in penalising the Wigan captain, Adam drove a powerful spot-kick to the keeper’s left but Habsi pushed the penalty away.

A familiar tale was unfolding before an increasingly annoyed Dalglish, who was again left with head in hands when Kuyt scuffed his volley over the Wigan crossbar.

WIGAN: Al Habsi, Caldwell, Alcaraz, Figueroa, Stam, Jones (Watson 74), Diame, McCarthy, Moses, Gomez (Rodallega 74), Sammon (Di Santo 61). Subs not used: Pollitt, Crusat, McArthur, Lopez. Booked: Caldwell.

LIVERPOOL: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Jose Enrique, Henderson, Adam, Downing, Kuyt (Shelvey 72), Maxi (Bellamy 72), Suarez (Carroll 87). Subs not used: Doni, Coates, Carragher, Kelly. Booked: Johnson, Bellamy. Referee: M Oliver (Northumberland).