• Date: Sat 19 April 2008
  • Venue: Craven Cottage
  • Ref: Atkinson, M
  • Attendance: 25,311
0 - 2
Liverpool

Liverpool

Pennant (17)

Crouch (70)

Fulham vs Liverpool

Team Lineups

Fulham

Kasey Keller
Brede Hangeland
Aaron Hughes
Paul Konchesky
Paul Stalteri
Jimmy Bullard
Danny Murphy (Leon Andreasen, 78)
Clint Dempsey
Simon Davies
David Healy (Erik Nevland, 76)
Brian McBride (Diomansy Kamara, 81)

Liverpool

Jose Manuel Reina
Sami Hyypia (Jamie Carragher, 46)
Steve Finnan
Martin Skrtel
John Arne Riise
Javier Mascherano (Xabi Alonso, 72)
Leiva Lucas
Jermaine Pennant
Yossi Benayoun
Peter Crouch
Andriy Voronin (Fabio Aurelio, 82)


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

The full time whistle has gone and Liverpool have put in a professional performance to see off Fulham who are now in serious trouble.

Full time
 

FT:Fulham 0-2 Liverpool: Liverpool cruised to victory as Crouch added to Pennant's strike in a second half in which Fulham rarely threatened Pepe Reina's goal.

89

The game has really become a non-event now as the result looks certain to be going the way of the visitors - as many would have expected.

86

Liverpool are enjoying their possession now and the Fulham players are being made to chase shadows.

83
Substitution
 

Andriy Voronin has been dreadfully quiet once again for Liverpool and he is replaced by Fabio Aurelio.

82
Substitution
 

Diomansy Kamara is on as a last throw of the dice for Fulham in place of Brian McBride.

80

The home crowd have that sinking feeling now having started the afternoon with so much hope but there team have not really looked like beating Reina this afternoon.

78
Substitution
 

Danny Murphy is not off for Fulham as he is replaced by Leon Andreasen.

77
Substitution
 

Erik Nevland grabbed the second for Fulham last week and he is on now in place of David Healy.

76

Danny Murphy bursts through one on one against his former side but he fails to beat Reina and they will not get a better chance than that.

73

That has completely taken the sting out of Fulham now and they look like they are going to slip further away from survival here now.

72
Substitution
 

Liverpool make a change as Mascherano is replaced by Xabi Alonso - surely as a rest before the midweek game.

70
Goal
 

GOAL:Fulham 0-2 Liverpool: (70mins) Disaster for Fulham! Peter Crouch with a superb finish as he controls it brilliantly but Keller should have saved it and that could be the end of Fulham.

65

Bullard iis dangerous at set pieces and he tries his luck from an angle here and forces a very good save from Reina - typically inventive from the midfielder.

63

The ever lively Jimmy Bullard has been a little subdued today thanks to Mascherano but he escapes hear and his cross almost finds the head of the incoming Dempsey - Liverpool escape again.

60

Suddenly things have gone end-to-end here as Dempsey bends a cross to the back post and McBride is arriving and only a matter of inches away from testing Reina.

59

And Liverpool break out straight away and Lucas feeds a clever reverse ball into Benayoun who should have finished the game off there but he only found Keller.

58

A promising move from Fulham as Healy runs the right channel and cuts it in to Dempsey who tries to turn Skrtel but the big defender stands tall and pokes the ball away.

55

Jermaine Pennant seems to be playing for his place in the side for the midweek game with Chelsea and is putting in a really lively performance that will surely be impressing Benitez.

53

Javier Mascherano took a knock at the start of the half and he seems to have run that off now as he drives forward and sees his shot deflected away for a corner.

50

But on the break Liverpool have a chance to double their advantage as Peter Crouch rises to meet Benayoun's cross at the back post but he fails to connect properly and Keller claims.

48

Fulham have made a bright start again to this second period and their fans are really getting behind them hear.

Second half
 

The second half is underway and Fulham will be hoping to reverse the trend that has seen them drop many points in the second half of games this season.

46
Substitution
 

Jamie Carragher has come on at the break in place of Sami Hyypia - and takes the armband too.

Half time
 

HT:Fulham 0-1 Liverpool: Fulham have looked lively but Jermaine Pennant's superb early goal means Liverpool have the lead as we go into the half time interval.

45

David Healy with a superb chance to level the scores but he again almost totally misses his kick and the ball dribbles through to Reina.

43

Fulham are on top as we approach the break but the defence of the Anfield side is holding firm and Reina remains relatively untested.

40

Liverpool have got a little sloppy in the last few minutes and Lucas gives it away far too easily in midfield and, but for a mistake by Davies, Fulham could have been in to level it.

37

Fulham are still battling away though and look very lively again now but the final ball is letting them down quite badly for the time being.

34

A snap shot from Andriy Voronin with his left foot but all he shows is why he has scored so few this season as it slices wildly wide and over into the Hammersmith end.

32

That chance has livened up the crowd once again and they are now trying to roar their team on to an equaliser before the break.

30

Great chance for Fulham as Liverpool fail to clear a Bullard free-kick and Hangeland is inches away from equalising as his header flashes wide.

28

However Riise almost doubles Liverpool's lead as Voronin plays Pennant in behind Konchesky and he clips it to the back post for the Norwegian who doesn't connect correctly and its over the bar.

26

Fulham are starting to look a little brighter now again and Bullard almost beats Hyypia round the outside but the big Finnish defender sticks out a boot to make a vitally important tackle.

23

Pepe Reina is tested for the first time in almost twenty minutes as Healy turns inside the box but his shot pretty much rolls into the arms of the Spaniard.

22

The visitors have done superbly to take the sting out of Fulham's attack after a difficult start and they have settled into a nice rhythm.

20

Liverpool are now dominating possession and that goal will have been greeted with cheers around Birmingham and Bolton, Fulhma have dipped a little and need to find their bite again.

17
Goal
 

GOAL:Fulham 0-1 Liverpool: (17mins) Lucas feeds it wide for Pennant who wraps his foot around the top of the ball and smashes the ball in off the near post.

15

Still goalless here but Liverpool are starting to find their feet here, with Crouch starting to see plenty of the ball.

12

The tempo has slowed a little but Liverpool do muster a pormising attack now as Pennant curls a superb cross to the back post and Crouch meets it but can only nod it just wide of the post.

9

Liverpool have started a little slowly here and Fulham are first to every loose ball at the moment, they look really up for this game.

6

Fulham have made a really bright start here and Healy pounces on a poor clearance from Skrtel and only a good block from Hyypia stop his shot testing Reina.

3

Jimmy Bullard gets the first shot of the game in as he twists on the edge of the box and hits it low towards the far corner but Reina is there to gather pretty easily.

1

Brian McBride is down already and having treatment for a head injury - that is a worry for Fulham.

Kickoff
 

Martin Atkinson is today's referee and it will be interesting to see whether Liverpool really do have an eye on midweek and if Fulham can take advantage.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Skrtel, Hyypia, Riise, Pennant, Lucas, Mascherano, Benayoun, Voronin, Crouch

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Fulham: Keller, Stalteri, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Davies, Bullard, Murphy, Dempsey, Healy, McBride

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Rafa Benitez has risked the wrath of the struggling bosses by naming a slightly weakened lineup as Fernando Torres sits on the bench and Steven Gerrard is not in the sixteen.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Roy Hodgson will be once more looking to Jimmy Bullard to use his infectious personality to drive Fulham on to three vital points in their survival push today.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Welcome to Craven Cottage where a rejuvenated Fulham side welcome Champions League semi-finalists Liverpool.