Chirpy Magpies rescue point

Liverpool 2 Newcastle 2

Liverpool had stormed into a two-goal lead through Dietmar Hamann and Michael Owen's penalty only for Gary Speed to pull one back and set up a rousing finale.

Liverpool put Newcastle under constant pressure in the first half at Anfield but could not find the target.

Owen came closest to breaking the deadlock, seeing his shot cleared off the line by Aaron Hughes.

Liverpool were playing some nice football early on and their high tempo was causing Newcastle problems.

Steven Gerrard was the next to go close for the home side with Titus Bramble forced to make a hasty clearance.

Then Given showed good awareness to take the ball off Owen after Smicer had set up the attack.

Newcastle hit back and Alan Shearer shrugged off Traore's challenge to set up Dyer.

He was in a good position but he showed a lack of confidence in sending a shot into Jerzy Dudek's body.

It was only a brief respite for Newcastle, who had come under severe pressure for most of the half.

Owen skipped away from Hughes, only to send his shot from inside the area over the top.

There was a scare for Liverpool and England when Gerrard went down injured, apparently after catching his studs on the turf.

However the midfielder, who missed the World Cup because of a groin injury, was able to resume after treatment.

There was a collective sigh of relief from the Liverpool supporters when Gerrard came out for the second half.

Liverpool started off the way they had ended the first period by pushing forward.

Hyypia saw a header drift wide of the post after Murphy had floated in a free-kick from the right.

Newcastle looked edgy and that was emphasised when Nikos Dabizas almost sent the ball past Given when Murphy delivered a curling cross.

The Greek defender was grateful to see his attempted clearance end up in the crowd.

Liverpool got the goal their play deserved after a moment of slackness from Nolberto Solano.

He lost possession to Hamann who surged into the area to send a shot beyond Given into the corner.

Owen came close to getting a second when his delicate, curling chip finished the wrong side the post.

Hamann's direct running continued to trouble Newcastle, who could not get going.

The Liverpool midfielder set up Owen, who elected to shoot rather than pick out Gerrard who was in a better position.

It was a tame effort by the striker, who slumped to the floor in sheer frustration.

Newcastle manager Bobby Robson knew he needed to act fast if they were to get anything from the game.

He made a triple substitution in the 62nd minute bringing on Jermaine Jenas, Craig Bellamy and Laurent Robert for Solano, Lomana LuaLua and Viana.

Newcastle suddenly came alive and Dudek did well to tip Robert's shot onto the base of the post.

Shearer fastened onto the rebound, only to see his effort cleared by Hyypia.

Owen finally got off the mark for the season in the 73rd minute when he stroked home a penalty.

The spot-kick was awarded after Dabizas' challenge on Hyypia when Gerrard swung in a corner from the right.

Heskey should have added a third, only to send a header over the top from four yards before Newcastle pulled a goal back.

Bellamy rolled the ball across the face of the area and Speed was on hand to force it in.

Newcastle pulled level two minutes from time and secured an unlikely point when Shearer headed in a corner from Robert.

Shearer almost got the winner but Dudek made a marvellous point blank save following Robert's cross.

Lokomotiv Moscow striker Ruslan Pimenov has been ruled out of Russia's European Championship group 10 qualifier at home to Ireland on Saturday because of a knee injury.

The 21-year-old suffered a recurrence of the knee injury which first hampered him at this year's World Cup finals.

The latest setback is an additional injury worry for Russia coach Gazzayev, who must do without Spartak playmaker Yegor Titov and Lokomotiv midfielder Marat Izmailov for the opening group 10 match at Moscow's Lokomotiv stadium.

Spartak striker Dmitry Sychyov, who walked out of his club two weeks ago after a contractual dispute, is also ruled out because, according to Gazzayev, "he is not mentally fit to play at such a high level".

LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Xavier, Henchoz, Hyypia, Traore, Murphy, Hamann, Gerrard, Smicer, Owen, Heskey.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Hughes, Bramble, Dabizas, Bernard, Solano, Dyer, Speed, Viana, LuaLua, Shearer.