It all goes wrong for Carroll and Liverpool
They are now 11 points behind Newcastle, who can continue to contemplate Champions League football next season as they lie in sixth place — level on points with Chelsea — and are the team in form.
It was a day when nothing went right for Dalglish, who knows their latest setback will only increase the volume of criticism heading in his direction at the moment.
They had a valid penalty appeal turned down, could justifiably claim that Newcastle’s second goal was offside — and finished with 10 men after Pepe Reina picked up a red card that will rule him out of the FA Cup semi-final against Everton.
Apart from Reina, nobody suffered more than the former Newcastle players in the Liverpool ranks as Andy Carroll and Craig Bellamy were both substituted and Jose Enrique ended the game in goal for Liverpool after the dismissal of Reina.
The goalkeeper was shown the red card after putting his head into the face of James Perch, whose readiness to go down did not help his fellow-professional, whose five-year run in the team will be ended by the ban that now looms.
In contrast, Newcastle are a team on the rise, with Cisse scoring two goals while wearing the number nine shirt that belonged to Carroll before his controversial departure to Anfield last season.
It was never likely to be a normal day at the office for Carroll on his return to Newcastle, a fact confirmed after only 13 seconds when his first touch of the ball was met by boos from all corners of the ground.
It was a reception that may have disappointed the Gateshead-born striker, who has always supported the club, but he didn’t let it affect his performance in the opening stages.
Indeed, the first 15 minutes undeniably belonged to Liverpool, with Carroll proving an influential figure as Dalglish’s team went close to taking the lead on several occasions.
Most of Carroll’s work was impressive as he moved into good positions, used the ball intelligently and almost got on the end of two crosses; less impressive was the way he tried to claim a ninth-minute penalty.
The crowd saw the best of Carroll as he beat Mike Williamson in the air and eased past James Perch, then the worst as he tried to go round Tim Krul.
Carroll went down, despite the fact that the Dutch goalkeeper did not touch him, earning a booking from referee Martin Atkinson, who did well to spot the dive.
Krul was involved on several other occasions in the lively and entertaining opening minutes as he tipped over a deflected shot by Jonjo Shelvey and touched a Bellamy effort onto the bar.
When Krul was beaten at a corner and the ball rebounded off Williamson, Danny Simpson cleared off the line as Liverpool claimed, with ample justification, that the full-back used his arm.
It is not the first time in recent weeks that Liverpool have failed to accept such opportunities — and Newcastle showed them how it should be done when their first attack produced a goal.
With 19 minutes gone, Hatem Ben Arfa created it by making space with some neat footwork down the right flank before crossing for Cisse, whose angled header went in off the far post.
Newcastle now had a foothold in the game after those initial difficulties and Liverpool were not able to regain their earlier superiority in the rest of the half.
They still created a chance when Carroll beat Krul to a bouncing ball and headed inches over the bar in the 28th minute, but Newcastle went closest to another goal before the break.
Demba Ba’s optimistic long-range shot in the 34th minute took a deflection and almost edged inside the post with Reina left flat-footed.
Then Cisse beat the ground in frustration after he misdirected a close-range header in the 41st minute following an excellent cross from Danny Guthrie.
The pace did not slacken in the second half, with Newcastle posing the greater threat as Williamson headed against the post in the 48th minute to extend the wait for his first goal for the club.
Cisse’s seventh in seven games was not delayed very long, though. With 59 minutes gone, Ba’s cross eluded Ben Arfa, but found Cisse, who cut inside Reina before calmly stroking in a goal which left Liverpool in deep trouble.
Liverpool had every right to claim Cisse was offside, while Dalglish must have sensed this was not going to be their day in the 62nd minute when Luis Suarez found a way past Krul and looked a certain scorer until Perch stuck out a leg and diverted away his goalbound shot.
It was to be the last hint of a goal until the 82nd minute when Williamson directed a header straight at Reina, who was unhappy with the challenge of Perch as he gathered the ball.
It was the moment which sparked the clash between the two players and meant Liverpool’s miserable day ended with 10 men on the pitch and Enrique in goal for a team who had already used all three substitutes.
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