favour and we turned them over 3-0…it was almost too good to be true!
It was so good that even the chants of 'Easy' at the end of the game, normally the preserve of fans of Wigan and Bolton, didn't seem that toe-curling.
The day started off well as the good weather had brought everyone out in
high spirits and the pavements around the County Road pubs were packed.
Everyone seemed to be pretty confident that we were more than capable of
beating a Liverpool side that had looked pretty ropey so far this
season.
But that confidence is always tempered by a nagging thought that the
Blues always seem to slip up on days like this and we're always just as
likely to get a good hiding ourselves.
But that was not part of the script in this one!
Liverpool got the game underway and Fowler had the first shot at goal
just seconds into the match. But it was a tame effort and Tim Howard
easily gathered the ball.
Fowler was then at the centre of Liverpool's first penalty claim of the
day as he took a tumble just inside the area when under pressure from
Joseph Yobo.
But the referee waved away any appeals as Yobo clearly made no contact
with him.
And that was about the sum total of his involvement in this derby.
Benitez clearly thought that, due to his prolific goal ratio in derbies past, Fowler would have some sort of psychological hold over us.
But it's never been the case that we've been scared of Fowler, even when he was any good, he was always just a pain in the arse!
And it looks like we may have unearthed our own pain in the arse as far as they're concerned as Andy Johnson ran Carragher and Hyypia ragged all afternoon.
But it was Liverpool that forced the next opening as Luis Garcia hit a
shot at goal that Howard collected at the second attempt whilst under
pressure from the ineffective Peter Crouch.
The Blues' slick passing and movement was rewarded on 24 minutes though
after some good work down the right from Johnson and Mikel Arteta.
Johnson played the ball out to Arteta who clipped a neat ball into the
box. Carsley flicked the ball on and, after Finnan had gone down under
pressure from Osman, Tim Cahill was on hand to smash the ball through
Jose Reina's legs to claim his third derby goal in the last three derbies.
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1-0…mass hysteria…get in!
Liverpool again had another good opportunity as Luis Garcia completely
sold Gary Naysmith on the edge of the box and curled an effort that
looked destined for the top corner.
But Howard flung himself across the goal to palm the effort away. The
ball then fell to the onrushing Gerrard but his effort crashed off the
post and out for a goal kick.
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It was then time for the Andy Johnson show to really begin!
Lee Carsley clipped a ball down the right for Johnson to run onto and,
as Hyypia and Carragher tied themselves in knots, our number eight
calmly slotted the ball past Reina at the near post to net his first derby goal and the 100th of his career.
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2-0…even more hysteria…gerrin there!
The score remained 2-0 as Poll blew the whistle for half-time, which no
doubt sparked off conversations of Istanbul and West Ham in sections of
the Lower Bullens!
But this was to be Everton's day!
Fowler, who had stank the place out as Benitez's mind games had
backfired, was replaced by Dirk Kuyt early in the second half and, in
truth, the new Dalgleish did add a much need spark to the Liverpool
attack.
He forced a good save from Howard after a smart take down from a long
ball and was then involved in another of Liverpool's penalty claims.
And this one was probably as strong a claim as you can make!
Gerrard broke into the Everton box and had another shot cannon off the
post. This time the ball flashed across the goal and, as Kuyt tried to
play the ball back across the area, Tony Hibbert slid in to usher the
ball out with his arm.
Amazingly, Graham Poll, who was stood directly behind the incident, did
not blow for a penalty, instead giving Liverpool a corner.
They'll probably moan that this could have changed the course of the
game but, in truth, it would have given them a lifeline that they simply
didn't deserve.
I know that's not a reason not to give them a spot kick but, given Mr
Poll's recent performances, it's about time we got something out of him!
And, I know it's a cliché, but these things generally do even themselves
out over the season…it just so happens that we're 2-1 up in penalty
decisions that have gone for us already this season!
Liverpool's misery was deepened even further shortly after this as they
went down to 10 men as John Arne Riise was stretchered off, and booked,
after a wild lunge on Arteta.
Everton then really began to enjoy themsleves and played some neat passing
moves that had Liverpool chasing their tails.
As the final whistle beckoned it looked like the referee was playing
next goal the winner as he signalled five minutes injury time.
But there was only going to be one winner and the rout was completed in
the most hilarious of circumstances.
The outstanding Carsely (we really did miss him last season!) picked up the ball 25 yards out and hit a dipping shot at the Liverpool goal.
Reina inexplicably parried the ball up into the air, in a similar
fashion to Nigel Martyn at Anfield the other year, and then scrambled
back as the ball was dropping into the goal behind him.
He gathered the ball but then flung it like a hot potato as his momentum
carried him into the net.
Unfortunately for 'Pepe', the tireless Johnson had followed the shot up
and headed into the roof of the net from about three inches out.
Replays show that a relieved Reina thought that he had got the ball back in
his grasp when he had actually got hold of Andy Johnson's head!
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3-0…game over…and the Bullens Road emptied without one single rendition
of ‘walk on'…that's got to be another first!
But the blues were in fine voice and the singing carried on late into
the night in Baa Bar and beyond…in fact the singing is probably still going this morning.
All together now…"Who put the ball…"