Liverpool lead - then surrender initiative

Liverpool secured their first away point of the season at Scunthorpe last night, but that first elusive away win continues to elude them. Taking the game as a whole there can be no doubt that a draw was all Liverpool were entitled to, for after a first half in which they did almost everything they pleased except add to Melia's opening goal, Scunthorpe gained the ascendancy and it was rare indeed that Liverpool threatened danger.

It is curious how some of these games go, for Scunthorpe were every bit as convincing after the interval as Liverpool had been before it. The trouble, I think, was that the power of the home team's resurgence caused Liverpool to adopt the dangerous theory that one goal would be enough.

It wasn't, and when Liverpool found that victory was likely to be denied them they also realised that Scunthorpe had been revitalised.

Their early hesitancy and uncertainty had disappeared, and as a defence which had been weak to the point of panic early in the match now took the early Liverpool thrusts in their stride.

During their monopoly of the exchanges Bimpson was three times presented with scoring opportunities, and although he failed but narrowly with two of his attempts it was a failure none the less. A'Court was similarly off target and Hunt, the boy I would like to have seen in a shooting role above all others, was denied the chance.

White's one error

Mind you this boy Hunt promised great things, even more so as an inside forward than he did as a centre forward on his debut.

Bimpson too, for all his failure to put his name among the scorers, was a real threat when Liverpool pinned their faith to the attacking game.

White dealt with the big, mobile and dangerous Scunthorpe centre forward Donnelly in magnificent style. He never made the slightest semblance of an error until for one fleeting moment he left Donnelly uncovered when Marriott's centre came over for the Scunthorpe equaliser 14 minutes from the end.

Both Molyneux and Moran, who was faced with Scunthorpe's most impressive forward Marriott, were full of confidence and at all times Rudham was as safe as a goalkeeper can be.

Liverpool should have retired at half time with the knowledge that they had the game in safe keeping, but purely because of missed opportunities this contentment of mind was denied them. They had been vastly superior and all that was needed to have turned this display into a real celebration was the roar of the Kop. How they would have loved the football Liverpool were able to serve up against an uncertain defence.

Not only was Bimpson in lively mood but Hunt was foraging like a Trojan and laying on beautiful passes that stamped him as a most promising discovery. For most of the time he and Melia switched positions, and though it was so unsatisfactory to see Liverpool only one goal ahead, it was sometimes hard to suppress the feeling that this Liverpool line was at least as good and probably better than anything we have seen from them this season.

Critics answered

Melia, so often criticised for lack of power in his shooting, gave a magnificent reply to his critics on 21 minutes when he made Neale and Scunthorpe pay for slowness in getting the ball away. He took the ball off the half back's toe and, finding himself in the clear, even though 25 to 30 yards from goal, he hit the ball with all the force at his command. It was a magnificent shot, going away from Hardwick all the time and a goal from the moment it left Melia's foot.

A'Court, who was doing almost as he pleased with Brownsword, issued tempting invitations to Bimpson to add to the score without response. His best effort was a great drive which hit the top of the bar and sailed into the crowd.

Liverpool's narrowest escape during this period came when Donnelly almost charged Rudham into the net from Marriott's corner kick.

An early warning to Liverpool that all their superiority, in the absence of a convincing margin of goals, counted for nothing was delivered by a much livelier Scunthorpe after half time, when Donnelly, after shooting just outside, forced Rudham to make a spectacular save at full length with the aid of the posts.

Scunthorpe, for whom only one forward, Haigh, had scored this season, assaulted the Liverpool goal with a vigour and persistence they had not shown earlier. They were fully extending the defence and Donnelly, certainly not lacking dash, again charged at Rudham, only to find the goalkeeper profiting by experience and fisting the ball clear.

Initiative lost

So much had the initiative swung from Liverpool that we found full back Brownsward coming up to within 30 yards of goal to take a pot shot. It was exceptional indeed to find Liverpool forwards reaching the Scunthorpe half and it was noticeable that Sharpe and Haigh had switched positions.

One felt at this point that a single slip might have opened the floodgates but, shaken though they often were, Liverpool continued to hold onto their advantage. It was when they had seemed to have weathered the worst of the storm that Scunthorpe struck to gain the equaliser.

Brownsward appeared to have sent the ball dead but Sharpe chased it, caught it by the corner flag and swung it across as the most perfect centre. Donnelly met it squarely with his head and Rudham was helpless so, that with fourteen minutes to go, the teams were level again.

That goal at least made Liverpool aware of the need for attack, but they had left it too late and now could not find an opening.

Copyright - The Liverpool Daily Post