Missing the point

Hull 1-3 LiverpoolSoccer Saturday analysis Matt Le Tissier could not fault Hull for spirit but told Soccer Saturday Liverpool fully deserved to triumph at the KC Stadium.A Dirk Kuyt double helped the Reds to a 3-1 victory as the relegation-threatened Tigers worked hard for a point but came up short.The home side's cause was undermined by a controversial Xabi Alonso goal and Caleb Folan's second-half sending off, but Le Tissier never doubted Rafael Benitez's men would come through despite Deiberson Geovanni's 72nd minute strike."I would say Liverpool were in control for the majority of the game," said Le Tissier, "but they were a little bit fortunate to take the lead just before half-time because the free-kick that referee Martin Atkinson awarded was never a free-kick."Javier Mascherano tripped over his own legs, threw himself to the ground, the referee's fallen for it, up steps Alonso, and the game changes in that moment."Liverpool had good chances up to that point while Hull had probably only created a couple of half-chances and didn't really threaten too much."In fact, the only time they really threatened was after they went 2-0 down and down to 10-men. They got the goal back and then they really piled everyone forward."It was a bit like watching Stoke for 10 minutes because they were throwing everything into the box and Liverpool eventually broke away. On the whole Liverpool deserved the three points."AliveLe Tissier singled out Kuyt, who now has 13 goals in all competitions this season, and Yossi Benayoun for special praise after the final whistle."Martin Skrtel had a shot from the edge of the box; he hit it into the ground and the ball bounce up but Kuyt was alert and alive to the fact."It was going wide but he's gambled and got in there and nodded it down and then in the last minute there was a shot that rebounded back off the goalkeeper and again he was sharp in the box and kept his composure well. He did very well again."He added: "Benayoun was very influential, especially early on in the game. His feet are brilliant, he looks a lad full of confidence at the moment and he is going to be a pivotal player for Liverpool if they are going to go the rest of the season unbeaten."SwipeHull appeared to have little hope of salvaging anything from the game when Folan saw red just after the hour mark - a dismissal Le Tissier felt was justified."He could have no complaints; he might suggest that Skrtel deliberately obstructed him from chasing the ball down but once he had got in his way, Forlan pushed him to the ground and then just taken a swipe at him."The referee was left with no other option and a red card was exactly the right thing to do."I couldn't question Hull's spirit; they worked their socks off in the first-half, especially, and closed down Liverpool very quickly. There was not a great deal of quality, it has to be said, in terms of creating chances, but in terms of spirit then they will have a chance of staying up."

Source: SKY_Sports