Thanks, but no Shanks
The evening had reverential tones underpinning it, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the great Shankly taking over the club, his first game in charge having come against Cardiff on December 19, 1959.
Even with Torres and Alberto Aquilani back on the bench after playing in the weekend defeat against Arsenal, the home side started off strongly and appeared well capable of seeing off Wigan.
After a brief flurry of Liverpool pressure, which had included Hendry Thomas being forced to clear a Dirk Kuyt shot off the line, Fabio Aurelio floated over a right-wing cross on nine minutes which Kirkland attacked with little conviction, allowing N’gog to jump above him and head home his sixth goal of the season.
Still, there is a reason Liverpool are currently in the doldrums and it was evident within seconds as the defence allowed Charles N’Zogbia’s cross to find the unmarked Paul Scharner who steered a disappointing header into the arms of Pepe Reina.
That was a rare moment of first half anxiety for the home team, however. Kuyt might have made it 2-0 as he collected N’gog’s pull-back and saw his shot on the turn well blocked by Kirkland.
But the keeper was again at fault in the 23rd minute, first in failing to deal with an Aurelio cross which Kuyt turned back across goal for Titus Bramble to clear off the line; then in similarly flapping at a Steve Gerrard centre which almost fell for Yossi Benayoun.
Benayoun, from the six-yard line, came within inches of connecting with yet another excellent cross from Aurelio and the lively N’gog rolled a shot mere inches beyond the far post in the last serious attack of the half.
The second half seemed to increase in urgency and tempo, initially at least. Thomas and Rodallega led a Wigan charge which ended with a strong shot from N’Zogbia, spilled by Reina and smothered, at the second attempt, by the Spaniard, before N’gog foind Kuyt at the other end and the Dutchman’s brilliant, first-time shot with the outside of his boot was tipped over the cross-bar, spectacularly, by Kirkland. Javier Mascherano, also, peppered the Wigan goal with a long-range strike that rose just over the goal.
N’gog should perhaps have done better as he failed to connect with excellent crosses, first from Kuyt, then Gerrard, with what proved to be he final acts of the game before making way for Torres. Soon after, and following a shot which just missed the target from Wigan substitute Jason Scotland, Daniel Agger almost converted a Gerrard corner but the hosts were searching for some much-needed inspiration.
Instead, they almost surrendered two points as Reina, under pressure from Paul Scharner, failed to deal with N’Zogbia’s hanging free-kick and Scotland, with no defender near him, somehow managed to volley against the bar with the goal gaping.
It was amidst much relief, therefore, that Torres ensured victory in the 78th minute, a trademark burst of pace as he raced onto a long punt forward, which had skimmed off the head of Emmerson Boyce, and having rounded the keeper and seen Bramble clear once off the line, the Spanish forward rammed home the rebound.
N’Zogbia claimed an impressive solo consolation goal for the visitors in the first minute of injury-time as he gathered a Rodallega pass on the edge of the area and surged square of two defenders before beating Reina with a low shot into the bottom corner.
LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Reina 6; Carrgher 8, Skrtel 7, Agger 6, Insua 7; Mascherano 6, Gerrard 6; Aurelio 7 (Lucas 60, 6), Kuyt 6, Benayoun 7 (Aquilani 80, 6), Ngog 7 (Torres 64, 6).
Subs (not used): Cavalieri, Kyrgiakos, Darby, Dossena.
WIGAN (4-4-2): Kirkland 6; Melchiot 6, Boyce 5, Bramble 5, Figueroa 5; Thomas 6; Gomez 7 (Koumas 82), Scharner 6, Diame 6 (Scotland 58, 6), N’Zogbia 8; Rodallega 7.
Subs (not used): Amaya, Cho, Sinclair, De Ridder, Kingston.
Referee: P Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent) 8
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