MICHAEL OWEN suffered another injury blow today

SOUTHAMPTON 1, LIVERPOOL 1
Report by Ric George, Football Echo [Saturday]

MICHAEL OWEN suffered another injury blow today as he left the field with what looked like a hamstring injury.

But Liverpool, down to ten men after his withdrawal, managed a dramatic equaliser through the recalled Titi Camara who rammed home nine minutes from time.

Trond Egil Soltvedt, scorer of Southampton's Worthington Cup winner recently, had given Saints a lead in a first half where Liverpool squandered chances to have won the match.

TROND EGIL SOLTVEDT continued his one-man destruction of Liverpool with a 39th minute goal which gave Southampton an undeserved half-time lead today.

With three home games coming up in quick succession, Reds manager Gerard Houllier chose to bench Michael Owen and form a new striking partnership of Meijer and Camara, the latter making his first start since the match at Leicester on September 18.

Murphy, so effective against Chelsea last week, kept his place between midfield and attack, but last Saturday's match winner Thompson joined Owen among the substitutes.

Boosted by the win over the Londoners and hurt by their Worthington Cup exit at the Dell ten days ago, Liverpool returned to the south coast in search of another three points, aware of the need to put a positive run together.

They started brightly enough with a good spell of possession in the Saints' half, Southampton first getting forward in the fifth minute when Kachloul fired a shot wide.

Dodd became the first man to be booked following an eighth minute challenge on Camara as the weather changed dramatically from blue sky to torrential rain.

But there was a scare for Liverpool in the tenth minute after Henchoz fouled Hughes just outside the Reds area. Fortunately, Le Tissier, following Kachloul's short pass, could only fire into the wall.

In the 13th minute, Oakley broke down the right for the home side and delivered a cross shot which dipped wickedly before landing on the roof of Friedel's net.

However, Liverpool soon found their fluency and after Smicer cut inside from the right, Camara unleashed a fierce first time shot from 30 yards which skidded off the greasy turf and forced the diving Jones to parry for a corner.

Some of Liverpool's football was excellent. They passed crisply and confidently and created space for themselves, with Staunton a regular raider down the left.

It was from one of his crosses, in the 19th minute, that Meijer almost opened the scoring, the Dutchman blasting over after a ball had rebounded high into his path.

The Reds continued to dominate and in the 26th minute the lively Camara, who had moved to the right and swapped flanks with Smicer, showed some marvellous skill as he attacked the Southampton area.

The Guinea international teased Kachloul and Benali, beat them, and delivered a low centre which evaded all his team-mates and went for a goal kick.

Two minutes later Camara, now down the left, did brilliantly to force his way into the box near the by-line and pull the ball back to the waiting Murphy.

Murphy sidefooted a shot which Jones could only palm out to his left and Smicer was beaten to the loose ball.

Despite having the greatest share of possession, Liverpool needed a goal in case their opponents, who had hardly threatened, caught them cold.

Southampton took the lead against the run of play in the 39th minute. Benali lofted a deep cross from the left which Le Tissier won with a far post header and SOLTVEDT pounced to volley home from six yards.

It was the second success the Norwegian has had against the Reds recently, for it was his late goal which brought Southampton their Worthington Cup win on October 13.

Southampton pressed to increase their lead before the break and Henchoz twice had to make important interceptions close to his own goal.


Liverpool needed an equaliser early in the second half and it almost arrived in the 46th minute when a clever dummy by Meijer enabled him to centre low from the left and set up Murphy.

The midfielder looked certain to score as he was faced only by Jones from 12 yards but a defender appeared from nowhere to block his shot and a similar fate happened to Camara with the rebound.

Three minutes later Camara attacked Dodd at speed, turning him one way and then the other before delivering a right foot shot which looped up off a defender and rolled for a corner, which proved unproductive.

This was another good spell of Reds pressure but, as in the first half, it lacked an end product, making Owen's appearance increasingly likely.

Oakley was booked for a foul on Redknapp and then in the 52nd minute, Saints brought on Ripley to replace Le Tissier. Le Tissier had been virtually anonymous and Ripley's presence down the right was designed to restrict the raids of Camara as much as to create.

Le Tissier, however, clearly didn't see it that way and he showed his anger by knocking a water bottle out of the hands of one of the Southampton coaches as he made his way to the touchline.

Referee Barry showed Henchoz the yellow card in the 57th minute which was unjust since his challenge on Pahars had seemed perfectly fair.

A minute later Liverpool manager Houllier made a double substitution, bringing on Owen and Thompson for Meijer and Murphy.

Meijer had fought hard but he is more of a target man than a poacher, which was needed to get Liverpool back on terms. Murphy could consider himself unlucky to be withdrawn since Smicer was again struggling to come to terms with the English game.

Saints nearly increased their lead on the hour when, following a short free-kick, Oakley let fly with a brilliant 30-yarder which Friedel dived to his left to push for a corner in fine style.

When Thompson put a free-kick down the right side in the 68th minute, Liverpool had a chance to pressure Southampton's defence but neither Redknapp or Staunton could get the ball into the danger zone and when it eventually bounced to Smicer he blazed well over from outside the area.

This was another match where Liverpool managed to take up so many good attacking positions but where they failed to maximise them. Considering the quality of the opposition, victory was there for them, but they became more and more likely to leave the Dell with nothing.

In the 73rd minute, Liverpool manager Houllier played his final card when he brought on Heggem for Smicer.

Owen then raced on to a forward ball in the 76th minute. Faced by two defenders it was a difficult chance and he could only shoot over.

Ten minutes from time, things got worse for Liverpool when Owen left the field through injury, appearing to feel his left hamstring.

With Liverpool behind and having used all substitutes, they faced a monumental task but nine minutes from time they managed to draw level.

Heggem got forward down the right flank and after a Redknapp shot was blocked, the ball fell to CAMARA who rifled a left foot shot past the diving Jones from 15 yards before celebrating with the Liverpool fans.

The Reds were almost caught out in the 83rd minute when Kachloul was offered a free header at the far post but nodded wide.

In the 86th minute Southampton replaced goalscorer Soldvedt with striker Beattie and Kachloul came close again with a header, resulting in a war of words between Friedel and Song who believed each other had been responsible for not winning the ball.

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