Liverpool earn fourth home win

Liverpool 3 Bolton 1

Liverpool took the heat off manager Gerard Houllier with only their fourth home win of the Barclaycard Premiership season.

It will take more than one decent victory to turn around Liverpool’s campaign, but in the current climate anything will be gratefully accepted by the Anfield hordes.

They have witnessed so much dross and so little of the strength and passion expected from Liverpool teams, that a comfortable and effective, if not pretty display will do for now.

Defender Sami Hyypia had settled early nerves at Anfield with a powerful header past fellow Finnish international Jussi Jaaskelainen in the first half.

But it was two more headed goals in the opening minutes of the second period from Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Vladimir Smicer which gave Liverpool some much needed breathing space.

Substitute Henrik Pedersen pulled a late goal back for Bolton, but they were unable to end a record which has seen them fail to win a league match at Anfield for 50 years.

Liverpool brought back Harry Kewell after three weeks out with an ankle problem, and also restored teenager Sinama-Pongolle to the attack.

Both Emile Heskey and El-Hadji Diouf were dropped to the bench from the side that were humbled at home by Southampton a fortnight ago, Houllier opting for pace and movement up front.

Bolton, who won at Anfield earlier in the month in the Carling Cup, stuck with the side that drew at home to Arsenal last weekend.

The only shot for either side early on was a 20-yard free-kick by Steven Gerrard which flew into Jaaskelainen’s arms after a foul by Emerson Thome on Sinama-Pongolle.

Liverpool were enjoying a period of dominance and a swirling free-kick from John Arne Riise saw Vladimir Smicer send a glancing header inches wide, before Hyypia had a 12-yard drive blocked by Simon Charlton following a Gerrard corner.

And Liverpool’s greater attacking desire produced a goal for Hyypia after 30 minutes. Kevin Davies’ block stopped Kewell’s cross and from Danny Murphy’s corner, the big defender powered into the box to send a soaring header crashing past Jaaskelainen.

But Bolton started getting behind Liverpool’s midfield and an exposed defence looked anything but composed. Liverpool almost paid for failing to clear as the ball bounced around their box after 41 minutes, ending with a Ricardo Gardner cross which Ivan Campo nodded agonisingly wide of the far post.

Sinama-Pongolle should have given Liverpool some breathing space when Smicer sent him clear, but he snatched at his shot and gave Jaaskelainen the chance to block the effort.

But the youngster made up for that miss a minute after the break. Riise got away down the left and when his cross came into the six-yard box, the Frenchman evaded his markers to bullet a header past Jaaskelainen.

Bolton boss Sam Allardyce made three changes, taking off Youri Djorkaeff, Campo and Jay-Jay Okocha and bringing on Henrik Pedersen, Ibraham Ba and Stylianos.

Whatever plan had been concocted, it was destroyed after 54 minutes when Liverpool got their third goal. Per Frandsen had been booked for a nasty foul on Gerrard, and from Murphy’s free-kick, Smicer ran into the six-yard box unmarked to head home.

Liverpool then made their own changes on 65 minutes, withdrawing Kewell and Sinama-Pongolle, and bringing on Heskey and Diouf with Sunday’s trip to Manchester City in mind and the need to protect their injury-hit resources.

Nicky Hunt was booked for bringing down Riise in full flow and Liverpool replaced Smicer with Anthony Le Tallec before Murphy was able to lift the free-kick into the box. Gerrard lunged forward to send the ball over the bar.

Bolton’s earlier changes had given them more width and an extra attacker, and Liverpool had looked happy enough to contain them.

But that policy failed them with five minutes left when Pedersen scored from close range after Liverpool had failed to clear Gardner’s cross-shot.