Liverpool 5 Oldham 1:SHUNNING THE FA Cup in protest at the eight-match ban handed to Luis Suarez was among the more ludicrous proposals put to Liverpool by indignant supporters. Mercifully it was given short shrift by the Anfield club and Kenny Dalglish's team as they ended another turbulent week by overcoming an obstinate Oldham Athletic to secure their place in the fourth round.
The match brought the spotlight on strikers who are available to Liverpool, at last, as Craig Bellamy inspired a commanding comeback and Andy Carroll got on the scoresheet with an impressive finish. It was also marred, however, by the sight of Oldham’s right-back, Tom Adeyemi, seemingly reduced to tears after an altercation with a supporter on the Kop. Team-mates, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard and the referee took several minutes to calm the 20-year-old defender, who was clearly disturbed by the exchange.
Before kick-off Liverpool paid a moving tribute to their former defender Gary Ablett who died, aged 46, on New Year’s Day after a long illness. Applause for a man respected on both sides of the Merseyside divide commenced long before the referee Neil Swarbrick blew his whistle and his name was chanted long and loud by the Kop as Ablett’s wife and children looked on from the Main Stand.
Out on the field, Gerrard took his place in a Liverpool starting line-up for the first time since October but the early exchanges did not bode well for an immediate improvement as Paul Dickov’s side took the game to Liverpool and created the clearer first-half chances against a creaking home defence.
Oldham were the more enterprising, purposeful side long before Robbie Simpson swept them ahead in the 28th minute. The Latics drove forward in numbers and should have taken the lead with their first meaningful attack when Shefki Kuqi forced his way past weak challenges from Sebastian Coates and Jamie Carragher only to shoot into the side-netting from a tight angle. Simpson, standing unmarked in front of an open goal to his left, had every right to remonstrate with the experienced striker.
Liverpool, showing that few lessons had been learned from Yaya Toure’s goal for Manchester City on Tuesday, left Adeyemi completely alone at a Simpson corner moments later and were reprieved as the right-back’s header flashed inches over Jose Reina’s top corner. Chris Taylor missed another good chance before the threatened breakthrough duly arrived. Dean Furman slipped a pass into Simpson standing 25 yards from goal. His first touch sent the ball up, no Liverpool defender came near, and the striker hammered a superb shot into the corner beyond Reina.
Liverpool’s response arrived before Oldham’s wild celebrations had ceased. It was fortunate in the extreme. Jonjo Shelvey was the architect as he cut inside from the right and shot left-footed at Alex Cisak. The Oldham goalkeeper had it covered until the ball struck Bellamy on the chest and deflected into the net.
With parity came a much-improved display from Dalglish’s team and they quickly redressed the imbalance in chances created. Cisak saved well from Maxi Rodriguez, Shelvey stumbled when looking certain to convert the rebound and Bellamy went close.
Having delivered such a disciplined performance it pained Oldham to gift Liverpool a soft second goal on the stroke of half time, as Adeyemi leapt to clear a Gerrard cross into the visitors’ area but went over the top of Rodriguez as he did so.
Rodriguez slumped and the referee pointed to the spot, from where Gerrard obliged via the underside of the bar to put Liverpool in front.
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Coates, Aurelio (Flanagan 71), Gerrard, Spearing, Maxi, Shelvey, Bellamy (Downing 74), Kuyt (Carroll 87). Subs not used: Doni, Henderson, Adam, Skrtel.
OLDHAM: Cisak, Lee, Mvoto, Diamond, Taylor, Adeyemi, Wesolowski (Morais 74), Furman, Scapuzzi (Parker 54), Robbie Simpson (Smith 74), Kuqi. Subs not used: Bouzanis, Black, Tarkowski, Mancini. Booked: Adeyemi.
Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire)
