Stoke City 1 – Liverpool FC 1
Sotirios Kyrgiakos put Benitez's side ahead on 57 minutes, prodding the ball over the line after Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen had patted Fabio Aurelio's inswinging free-kick against the Liverpool centre-back.
It was a scruffy goal befitting of the game. And for all the talk of Liverpool's renewed fight, the quality of their football still leaves much to be desired, admittedly not helped by so many first-choice absentees, Gerrard, Torres, Glen Johnson and Yossi Benayoun were all out. Daniel Agger withdrew late on after apparently damaging his back while Albert Aquilani only made the bench, Benítez still concerned by the Italian’s lack of match fitness.
As the game was drawing to an end and just when it appeared Liverpool had done enough, Higginbotham headed Matthew Etherington's deep corner back across goal where Robert Huth prodded the ball over the line.
Even then, with Maxi Rodriguez on for his debut and Alberto Aquilani thrown into the fray, Liverpool almost snatched victory when Dirk Kuyt sent a diving header crashing against the inside of the post from Aurelio's brilliant left-wing cross amid strong penalty claims of a push on Lucas.
Lucas claimed he had been bundled over in the box as the cross came in, the second penalty the Brazilian felt he should have had in the game. In the first half, Higginbotham appeared to bring him down in the box as he chased Philipp Degen’s flick. To be fair, Lucas threw himself into the tackle but it appeared a clear penalty — to rub it in referee Lee Mason booked him for diving.
What might have happened had Lee Mason pointed to the penalty spot in the 24th minute, we can only speculate.
“We should have had two penalties,” Benítez said. “They were very clear, both. He made the wrong decision. You can watch the replays 100 times and you’ll have the same opinion as everyone in the stadium.”
True, Lucas appeared to fall into Higginbotham’s challenge but 99 referees out of 100 would have awarded a penalty in similar circumstances and only Mason will know why he failed to go the other way, when replays showed there was contact.
Mason, for some reason, has a habit of making really poor decisions every time he officiates a Liverpool game and he once again did nothing to endear himself to Benitez or anyone else from Anfield. Shocking is the most apt description of his performance.
If only the Reds had hung on at Stoke, adding an extra two points to their current total would have meant a victory over Tottenham at Anfield on Wednesday being good enough to hoist them back into the top four.
Liverpool must get used to scrapping for their lives between now and the end of the season and with Torres sidelined for the next six weeks, it is no surprise Benitez is tracking physical Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones.
Sotirios Kyrgiakos put Benitez's side ahead on 57 minutes, prodding the ball over the line after Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen had patted Fabio Aurelio's inswinging free-kick against the Liverpool centre-back.
It was a scruffy goal befitting of the game. And for all the talk of Liverpool's renewed fight, the quality of their football still leaves much to be desired, admittedly not helped by so many first-choice absentees, Gerrard, Torres, Glen Johnson and Yossi Benayoun were all out. Daniel Agger withdrew late on after apparently damaging his back while Albert Aquilani only made the bench, Benítez still concerned by the Italian’s lack of match fitness.
As the game was drawing to an end and just when it appeared Liverpool had done enough, Higginbotham headed Matthew Etherington's deep corner back across goal where Robert Huth prodded the ball over the line.
Even then, with Maxi Rodriguez on for his debut and Alberto Aquilani thrown into the fray, Liverpool almost snatched victory when Dirk Kuyt sent a diving header crashing against the inside of the post from Aurelio's brilliant left-wing cross amid strong penalty claims of a push on Lucas.
Lucas claimed he had been bundled over in the box as the cross came in, the second penalty the Brazilian felt he should have had in the game. In the first half, Higginbotham appeared to bring him down in the box as he chased Philipp Degen’s flick. To be fair, Lucas threw himself into the tackle but it appeared a clear penalty — to rub it in referee Lee Mason booked him for diving.
What might have happened had Lee Mason pointed to the penalty spot in the 24th minute, we can only speculate.
“We should have had two penalties,” Benítez said. “They were very clear, both. He made the wrong decision. You can watch the replays 100 times and you’ll have the same opinion as everyone in the stadium.”
True, Lucas appeared to fall into Higginbotham’s challenge but 99 referees out of 100 would have awarded a penalty in similar circumstances and only Mason will know why he failed to go the other way, when replays showed there was contact.
Mason, for some reason, has a habit of making really poor decisions every time he officiates a Liverpool game and he once again did nothing to endear himself to Benitez or anyone else from Anfield. Shocking is the most apt description of his performance.
If only the Reds had hung on at Stoke, adding an extra two points to their current total would have meant a victory over Tottenham at Anfield on Wednesday being good enough to hoist them back into the top four.
Liverpool must get used to scrapping for their lives between now and the end of the season and with Torres sidelined for the next six weeks, it is no surprise Benitez is tracking physical Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones.
