Originally Posted by SkySports

All even in North East derby

The Tyne-Wear spoils had to be shared as Newcastle and Sunderland fought out a 1-1 draw at St James' Park.


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Djibril Cisse's 32nd minute opener was eventually cancelled out by Shola Ameobi's penalty midway through the second half in a high-octane affair.

The draw does little to improve the fortunes of either side, although Newcastle will no doubt be relieved to inch away from the relegation spots by finding the equaliser.

The tight scoreline fails to reflect what began as an end-to-end affair, although it was Sunderland who proved the most dangerous - Kieran Richardson striking the post from a free-kick before Cisse gave The Black Cats the lead.

Newcastle continued to chase the game after the break, and were handed a controversial breakthrough from the spot as Steed Malbranque tangled with Steven Taylor in the box.

Ameobi duly obliged from 12 yards, but Michael Chopra might have still won the game for the away side late on had he not chosen to square poorly for Kenwyne Jones.
Opening exchanges

Ricky Sbragia's men would have taken the lead with 20 minutes gone had Richardson's free-kick not come back off the post and had debutant Kevin Nolan not cleared Jones' follow-up off the line.

Two minutes later, Andy Carroll looped a header on to Marton Fulop's crossbar, but as Ameobi - a surprise inclusion after five games out with a knee injury - struggled to make the most of a series of half-chances, the pressure mounted.

Ameobi passed up a glorious opportunity when he fired high over after a good link-up down the right between Taylor and Damien Duff with 27 minutes gone, and Cisse took advantage when his chance arrived six minutes later.

He just about managed to hold his run to collect Dean Whitehead's through ball, and after Harper had blocked his initial effort, the Frenchman stabbed the rebound into the empty net.

The air of doom and gloom which has engulfed St James' for much of the season returned with a vengeance, although Carroll almost lifted it four minutes before the break when he blasted a left-footed shot inches wide.

With Jones and Cisse causing all kinds of problems for the home defence, the game had developed into something of a white-knuckle ride, although the Magpies returned knowing they had to commit men to the search for an equaliser if they were to escape with their dignity and their hopes of top-flight survival intact.

The game resumed with a flurry as Nolan forced Fulop into a regulation save and George McCartney cleared an Ameobi header off his own line, before Danny Collins got in a vital challenge on the striker before he could convert Jose Enrique's 52nd-minute pass.

Duff was rightly booked for diving in the box as Anton Ferdinand withdrew his foot in the challenge, but Newcastle were finally making their presence felt as Sunderland retreated and tried to hit them on the counter.

Ameobi equaliser

The visitors briefly managed to stem the tide, but they were pegged back with 68 minutes gone after Malbranque was controversially adjudged to have felled Taylor inside the box.

Ameobi took charge of the spot-kick and blasted it high to Fulop's left to send the Tyneside contingent into raptures.

Sunderland's response was swift and concerted, Sebastien Bassong having to block Jones' 73rd-minute effort and Harper saving substitute Andy Reid's follow-up as the balance shifted once again.

Chopra squared poorly beyond Jones with the goal gaping and Reid smashed a left-foot missile inches wide with the last kick of the game, but neither side was able to find a winner and the final whistle brought warm applause from both sets of supporters.

Originally Posted by SkySports

Late Torres brace seals win

Fernando Torres scored a last-gasp brace as Liverpool beat 10-man Chelsea 2-0 at Anfield to keep up the pressure on Manchester United at the top.


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After a goalless first period, Frank Lampard was controversially sent off in the 60th minute after going in for a challenge against Xabi Alonso, but the replay showed he got the ball.

Alonso then had an effort deflected by Alex onto the crossbar before Torres scored an 89th minute header from a Fabio Aurelio cross.

He then scored with a tap-in deep into injury-time after latching onto a loose ball from an Ashley Cole error to help the Reds close the gap on leaders United to two points, having played a game more.

Liverpool made three changes from the side which drew at Wigan in midweek, with Albert Riera, Dirk Kuyt and Alonso returning in place of Yossi Benayoun, Ryan Babel and Lucas.

Striker Robbie Keane was omitted from the 18-man squad, with teenage striker David Ngog on the bench.

Keane did not attend Anfield the last time he was left out of a squad, but was all smiles going into the home dressing room this time, and sat in the directors' box later.

But suggestions that he is on his way out of the club cannot be discounted and there was plenty of interest in the other goings-on in the stands before the game, with co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks sitting well apart in the front row of the directors' box.

The pair will be re-opening talks with Rafa Benitez over his new contract and attend a board meeting together on Monday.
Game started

On the pitch, the game started in swirling snow, with Steven Gerrard surging around midfield as Liverpool took the game to Chelsea, who fielded the same side which beat Middlesbrough 2-0 in midweek, with Salomon Kalou passed fit.

Alonso forced the first save from Petr Cech after 11 minutes, seeing a 20-yarder tipped over, while Javier Mascherano then fired in a low 30-yarder that Cech parried away, with no Liverpool man nearby to take advantage.

The midfield battle started to get tasty with tackles flying in. Mascherano was booked for flattening John Obi Mikel and soon after Cole was cautioned for a foul on Dirk Kuyt.

Torres and Riera both tested Chelsea with their direct running, but it was a very tight contest.

Michael Ballack and Lampard were quick to support Nicolas Anelka, putting Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel under severe pressure.

After 41 minutes Riera fired in a fierce drive that was again pushed out by Cech, with Cole slicing the ball narrowly wide of the post as he cleared.

The second period was just a minute old when Alonso was cautioned for a foul on Kalou and Mikel was soon to be in referee Mike Riley's book for a foul on Alvaro Arbeloa.

Liverpool were attacking the Kop end now, and Gerrard, despite the bitter cold, was warming to his task. One run produced a corner, with Kuyt hooking wide while off balance. Then Torres saw a shot blocked by Terry.

Straight red

Then on the hour Lampard was shown a straight red card for a tackle on Alonso. He connected with the ball, and John Terry was booked for protesting, while Chelsea will point out that Gerrard was only warned for a similar tackle a few minutes earlier.

Alex then deflected an Alonso drive onto the bar as Liverpool sought to claim the advantage.

On 69 minutes, Chelsea sent on Deco and Didier Drogba for Florent Malouda and Anelka.

Gerrard was booked for diving as Liverpool cranked up the pressure, with Torres having a shot hooked away by Kalou.

Benayoun then replaced Riera after 74 minutes, Liverpool searching for some invention to unlock Chelsea's rearguard. It almost came when Benayoun tested Cech from 20 yards before hooking another effort inches over.

Babel replaced Mascherano after 83 minutes and Chelsea sent on Miroslav Stoch for Kalou soon after.

And in the 89th minute, Liverpool grabbed the lead with Torres' first goal in front of the Kop this season when he arrowed a near-post header past Cech from a cross from Fabio Aurelio.

In injury-time Benayoun got away in the box after Cole failed to control and Torres fired home from eight yards.

Originally Posted by Dmac
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We dominated play before the red card, just because it was the worst result for you stop trying to grab hold of something.