by Carlingnet
Paul Ince gained his revenge over Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier by helping Middlesbrough
to their first home win of the season.
Ince's retribution was much more eloquent and effective than his parting comments at
Houllier and his assistant Phil Thompson which could land him in trouble with the Football
Association.
Ince produced an all-action display at the heart of the Boro midfield
as Liverpool sank to their second successive defeat of the season.
Ince's display will also have impressed the watching England
coach Kevin Keegan.
Brian Deane scored the only goal in front of the Riverside
Stadium's biggest ever crowd of 34,783 in the 48th minute to make
it three wins on the bounce for the Teessiders.
It is Ince, though, who will long remember his home debut and before the game he was
cheered by the Boro fans and jeered by the Liverpool supporters.
He began the game intent on proving a point to Houllier and he made a number of
crunching tackles early on.
However it was Liverpool who created the first decent opening after 10 minutes when the
precocious Titi Camara played Robbie Fowler in on the right only for the England striker to
push the ball past the advancing Mark Schwarzer and wide of the goal.
Paul Gascoigne had begun the game with high hopes following his midweek break and he
was out to impress Keegan.
Before the game Boro boss Bryan Robson claimed Gascoigne and Ince could still do a job
for England ahead of their crunch Euro 2000 qualifiers against Luxembourg and Poland.
But after 16 minutes Gascoigne injured himself challenging Jamie Redknapp. He had
treatment on the pitch, but he was forced to concede defeat and he was replaced three
minutes later by Keith O'Neill.
Steven Gerrard was certainly fired up for the game and he was fortunate to escape
punishment when he aimed a kick at Gianluca Festa after the ball had gone because he felt
the Italian had been tugging his shirt.
Gerrard did not escape a second time when his tackle on Phil Stamp sparked a major
flare-up. Gerrard kicked at Stamp as he lay on the ball and several other players rushed in,
including Fowler and Festa who pushed each other.
When referee Steve Dunn restored order he booked Gerrard and Boro skipper Andy
Townsend for his part in the melee.
After a dull first half, the second period was much livelier and Schwarzer almost let
Liverpool in after he spilled Redknapp's shot, but Carragher failed to capitalise on the loose
ball.
Boro made Liverpool pay when they took the lead three minutes
after half-time. O'Neill found Christian Ziege in space on the left and
he centred for Deane to slide home his second goal of the season.
Liverpool were rocking and goalkeeper Sander Westerveld denied
Ziege a second. Camara looked the most dangerous of Liverpool's
front men and he fired just wide from one effort before he stung
Schwarzer's hands with a 25-yard drive.
The impressive Ziege unlocked Liverpool's defence again when he
played in a delightful ball for Ricard, but the Colombian could not keep his effort down.
Boro went close again and Westerveld saved from Deane before Schwarzer plucked
another Camara drive from the air.
Common sense was not much in evidence and O'Neill stupidly got himself booked for
felling Redknapp and then squaring up to substitute David Thompson.
Liverpool desperately tried to find an equaliser and Fowler went closest when he fired wide
with a left-foot shot two minutes from the end.
There was to be no way back for the Merseysiders and an ill-tempered match ended with
Fowler and Festa squaring up to each other once again.
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