Liverpool 2, Middlesbrough 1

Aug 25 2008 by Jack Pickering, The Journal

MIDFIELD dynamo Gary O’Neil is at a loss to explain how Middlesbrough came away empty-handed from Anfield.

The industrious former Portsmouth man has a more central role this term after playing most of last season on the right and he excelled in a battling Boro display that earned plaudits but no points at Liverpool.

O’Neil put in an energetic display as Boro closed down, hassled, harried and scrapped in a spirited performance that saw them neutralise the Liverpool threat then deservedly go into the lead only to be caught cold at the death.

“It’s hard to sum up,” said disappointed O’Neil. “I don’t even know what we you can do about the end because we had defended very well.

“They got a fluke equaliser and that raised them all then deep in injury-time the ball fell to the one player you don’t want it to fall to. The lads were all devastated. We deserved all three points , never mind one. They did not carve us open. They didn’t have any shots on target. They had to revert to playing long balls into our box and that was easy for Manny (Pogatetz) and Robert (Huth), they could just pick up the headers. There’s not much more we could have done.

“We had a belief that we could win and for 85 minutes we thought we would. Even when it went to 1-1 we didn’t think we would lose and Jeremie got round Pepe Reina and we almost went ahead again. It is hard to explain.”

But O’Neil insists Boro can take heart from their opening two games and put things right – staring with tomorrow night’s Carling Cup clash at home to Yeovil.

He said: “The team is looking good and we have to make sure this doesn’t turn out to be a major set-back.

“Our first two performances merited six to four points but we need to pick ourselves up for the cup game. Whatever team is picked we want a cup run. I’m desperate to have good cup run whether in the Carling Cup or FA Cup because I think we can get into Europe.”

Boss Gareth Southgate, meanwhile, says his side can take heart from a show that bodes well for the future.

Mido had come off the bench to score for the second week running and Boro were five minutes from their first league victory at Anfield since 1976. But they were left empty handed as Jamie Carragher grabbed an equaliser with a freak deflection in the box. Then Gerrard drilled home a sizzling winner four minutes into injury time.

Southgate said: “The players were heartbroken. We deserved more, we certainly deserved a point.

“Their equaliser was a freak but even so we should have been able to see out the game and maybe subconsciously we sat back. Even so I have told them that they can leave Anfield with their heads high.

“It was disappointing not to come away with something because we were organised and committed. We know how close we have come. But it is not about one match, it is about how we perform over the season and we’ve performed very well over the first two games. We need to make sure we can turn those performances into points.

“We feel that with the strength of the boys we’ve got we can go away and play the way we want and improve.’’

MATCH FACTS

LIVERPOOL: Reina, Arbeloa (El Zhar 83), Carragher, Skrtel, Dossena (Aurelio 75), Kuyt, Gerrard, Alonso, Benayoun (Babel 65), Keane, Torres. Subs (not used): Cavalieri, Agger, Ngog, Plessis. Booked: Arbeloa, Keane.

Goals: Pogatetz 86 og, Gerrard 90.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Turnbull, Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz, Taylor (Hoyte 75), Aliadiere, O’Neil, Shawky, Downing, Alves (Mido 60), Sanli (Digard 87). Subs (not used): Emnes, Adam Johnson, Williams.

Booked: Mido.

Goal: Mido 70.

Attendance: 43,168.

Referee: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).