by Carlingnet
Michael Owen got through his comeback unscathed and Liverpool continued their march up
the FA Carling Premiership table. All's finally beginning to look well at Anfield.
Liverpool's revival continued thanks to two goals in a four-minute
second-half spell.
The first was a wicked deflection from a Danny Murphy shot, and the
second a debatable effort from Jamie Redknapp that looked offside.
But after a season of injuries and crisis, Liverpool will gratefully accept such good fortune as
they extended their unbeaten run to six league games with their fourth home win on the trot.
The sideshow was Owen, back in the fray after a hamstring injury, and proving his fitness if
not his match sharpness before joining up with England.
He lasted 80 minutes unscathed and was withdrawn when the game was won, much, no
doubt, to Kevin Keegan's relief.
Owen's comeback, just a week before the Battles of Britain get under way, had sparked a
non-stop assault by Liverpool.
The power running of Titi Camara, Dietmar Hamann's strength in midfield and a display of
tackling and running from Redknapp that had England class stamped all over it, failed to
roduce the goals Liverpool merited for their early domination.
They coped with the early loss of Czech winger Vladimir Smicer, seemingly with a hamstring
pull, after just 15 minutes.
Young Murphy took over and only enhanced Liverpool's control with some determined and
constructive play on the left.
Despite having so much of the ball, and with plenty of thoughtful movement up front,
Liverpool did not really test Russell Hoult too much.
Smicer lashed one effort into the side-netting, and Camara launched himself into a stunning
overhead kick that flashed over the bar.
Jamie Carragher saw a fine lob clear the bar by inches, while Redknapp had two long-range
efforts that sailed wide.
Derby battled well early on just to stay in the contest. Horacio Carbonari and Jacob Laursen
defended magnificently, and Hoult's only real serious action was to race out to scoop a
Hamann pass from the toes of Owen.
Derby even found the confidence to produce attacks of their own as Liverpool began to draw breath.
Deon Burton's 12-yard effort was deflected over and Esteban Fuertes almost turned in a Carbonari cross
at the far post with Sander Westerveld far from any significant attempt to hold onto the ball.
Sami Hyypia was fortunate to escape a booking for a late tackle on Stefano Eranio after 20
minutes that ended with the Italian being carried off on a stretcher.
The picture hardly changed after the break. Liverpool still had most of the ball, but they were
getting nowhere in terms of penalty area openings.
Staunton twice supplemented the attack by arriving from the left with cross-shots that
flashed wide of the far post.
Dean Sturridge and Spencer Prior then replaced Fuertes and Seth Johnson after 51 minutes
and both could have scored as Derby's breaks from defence started to worry Liverpool.
One, inspired by a Tony Dorigo cross, found Sturridge totally unmarked on the far post, but the striker
lifted his shot over the top with a first-timer when he had space and time to have done much better.
Then Veggard Heggem had to head off the line from a Prior header and Liverpool's nerves were showing. It
was not helped when Camara had to go off with a thigh injury, allowing Erik Meijer into attack.
Murphy's efforts were still looking the best bet, and he wormed his
way into the box after 60 minutes to fire a shot fractionally wide.
And it was Murphy who finally broke the deadlock on 65 minutes. Westerveld's long clearance found Staunton
on the left, and his chip was nudged on by Meijer for Murphy to storm into the box, cut inside and drill a low
shot that deflected agonisingly for Derby off Prior's body and over the diving Hoult.
Liverpool got their second four minutes later. Staunton's ball sent Redknapp racing clear
behind Derby's defence, amid mass appeals for offside.
The Anfield skipper was allowed to continue, and Hoult came rushing out but missed the ball
completely, allowing Redknapp to surge towards an empty net before firing the ball home
right-footed. Darryl Powell was booked for arguing about the lack of an offside flag.
Derby still kept going and their luck was summed up when Burton headed a cross against the bar after 78
minutes, and then nodded the rebound goalwards only for Westerveld to save to his right.
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