Date: 18 December 2011 Echo Bham Post Telegraph December 18 2011 Opposition: Aston Villa Independent Mirror Daily Mail Competition: League Times Guardian Dalglish keen on raising the bar Suarez thwarted but Liverpool raise bar against listless Villa Aston Villa 0 The woodwork continues to frustrate Liverpool and Luis Suarez in particular but Liverpool 2 this was never going to be one of those days when Kenny Dalglish was left cursing Bellamy 11, Skrtel 15 the dropped points that the upright and crossbar have cost his team this Referee: P Walton Attendance: 37,460 season. Liverpool were already two goals to the good by the time that Suarez was ALYSON RUDD shaking his head after twice striking the goal frame' something Dalglish's side For the home side, the hate figure was always going to be Stewart Downing, over have done on 17 occasions this season' and the brutal truth is that a listless Aston whom there had been a tug of war in the summer, with Liverpool finally signing Villa side never looked like recovering. him for [pounds sterling]18 million. But Liverpool have a hate figure of their own; Liverpool were in control from the early stages and cruised to a fifth Premier the woodwork. League away win on a day when they could afford to play with something in Twice it denied them goals of outstanding quality, bringing to 17 the number of reserve. Craig Bellamy and Martin Skrtel struck early following corners to expose times it has intervened against them this season. Villa's frailties at set pieces and but for Suarez's misfortune and a couple of fine Richard Dunne was sometimes solid in the face of the jinks of Luis Suarez, and saves from Brad Guzan, the scoreline would have been much more convincing. sometimes bedazzled, but he was never going to be able to compete with the With Gabriel Agbonlahor suspended and Darren Bent injured, Villa could have frame of Brad Guzan's goal, which denied the Uruguayan what would have been been forgiven for lacking a cutting edge but excuses were not so readily available one of the goals of the season. In the end, two set-pieces early in the game were for shortcomings in other departments. There was little pattern to their play and all it took to undo an Aston Villa side who should have taken heart from their first- the ball was given away too easily on too many occasions, half efforts but instead wilted as the visiting side improved. gifting Liverpool several chances to add to their lead. Christmas came early for Kenny Dalglish praised his team's workrate but added that "we don't practise a Liverpool side who are up to sixth, level on points with Arsenal. hitting the bar". They did not, he said, keep statistics on strikes against the "I think we got most things right: we've had a shutout, we scored two goals, we woodwork when he played, but "if we could shave a couple of inches off [the increased our goal tally, we increased our points tally . and we've increased the woodwork] we'd be OK". number of times we've hit the woodwork," Dalglish said. "Luis's chip for the This was Liverpool's sixth clean sheet of the season but their margin of victory second shot [that hit the bar] was fantastic. But we'll keep trying because the should have been far greater. And as the fight for fourth place seems certain to be harder you try the luckier you become; maybe one day they'll go in. You can only tight, goal difference could be crucial and Dalglish's side are simply not translating practise what you do in training every day - and they don't practise hitting the their dominance into goals. bar." "The harder we try, the luckier we become and maybe one will go in off the bar," Dalglish singled out Suarez for praise because of the way the forward performed Dalglish said. after a week when he was required to attend the disciplinary hearing into While Liverpool were somewhat fortunate to take a 2-0 lead into the interval, allegations that he racially abused Patrice Evra. "Suarez has been sat in a hotel they dominated the second half and the woodwork rather than astute defending room for three days. He's only trained Tuesday and Friday and he puts in a maintained a modest scoreline. performance like that. I think it speaks volumes for the man," he said. Loud -- and surprisingly aggressive -- jeers greeted Downing whenever he was on This was an awkward game for Stewart Downing for other reasons. The England the ball. "They'd have been better off giving support to their own players," international left Villa under a cloud in the summer after submitting a transfer Dalglish said -- and Downing got his last laugh in early when his corner led to the request, despite saying he wanted to stay. That Downing could have handled his opening goal. departure better is indisputable, yet it can also be said that, on the evidence so Two back-heels greeted his corner; the first was from Jonjo Shelvey and the far, the winger is entitled to feel vindicated that he made the right decision. second, from Suarez, left Guzan prostrate, enabling Craig Bellamy to force the ball He left Villa Park still searching for his first Liverpool goal but momentarily over the line. silenced the boos that greeted his every touch when he provided the corner-kick Five minutes later another corner, this time from Bellamy, was met by Martin that led to the first goal, which Bellamy tapped in after Guzan had saved from Skrtel, who flicked the ball into the far corner of Guzan's net. Suarez. "I think it's sad," Dalglish said of the criticism Downing received. "They'd Villa responded by applying pressure that culminated in a strike by Charles have been better giving the support to their own players because it wasn't going N'Zogbia that was a tad too high, then a second effort by the France midfield to upset Stewart. He was excellent." player that struck the side netting. Bellamy created the second with a corner that Skrtel headed beyond Guzan, after Without the suspended Gabriel Agbonlahor and the injured Darren Bent, Villa outjumping Alan Hutton at the near post. It was the eighth time Villa have were always going to find it tricky to dominate. "We obviously lacked that cutting conceded from a corner this season. "I am very disappointed we allowed the edge, losing two of our top players," Alex McLeish, the Villa manager, said. "I'm players free runs. It causes havoc and it's something we have to address," said sure Liverpool would be the same if they lost Suarez. Sometimes determination Alex McLeish, who believes Bent has a decent chance of being fit to face Arsenal and will can overcome the skill which Liverpool had in abundance and in the end on Wednesday, after being ruled out of this game with a thigh strain picked up in they had too much nous and experience for us." training. Liverpool will indeed be without Suarez should the FA's independent regulatory The Villa manager, who admitted Liverpool had "too much nous and experience commission find against him in the racism case brought against the striker by for us", felt his side were "sloppy" in the second half, when Guzan made flying Patrice Evra, the Manchester United defender. saves to repel efforts from Glen Johnson and Jonjo Shelvey and Suarez hit the Dalglish said that he could not comment on the case but one small hint of support woodwork twice. His first cannoned off the crossbar, after he got away from came when he substituted Suarez in the 74th minute. There would be no need to Richard Dunne and James Collins, and the second was a sublime chip that came rest a player likely to be suspended for several matches and Suarez had been back off the post with Guzan stranded. "If we can shave a couple of inches off the integral to the air of menace that Liverpool produced in the second period. [goal frame], we'll be OK," Dalglish said. Bellamy tried to set up Daniel Agger and the visiting side went closer still when Man of the match Craig Bellamy (Liverpool) Suarez outwitted Dunne but saw his shot hit the underside of the crossbar. In the 53rd minute the booing from the home fans began as Liverpool behaved like the side two goals behind and possessed the vitality Villa so badly needed. From the edge of the area, Suarez chipped the keeper beautifully, only to see the woodwork intervene once again. A trademark powerful run from Charlie Adam resulted in a shot that was deflected to safety by James Collins. By the end Villa had shifted from being unlucky to be 2-0 down to be fortunate to be only two goals behind. Compiled by Graeme Riley Date: 18 December 2011 Echo Bham Post Telegraph December 18 2011 Opposition: Aston Villa Independent Mirror Daily Mail Competition: League Times Guardian KENNY'S WALK IN THE PARK Bellamy inflicts more misery on unloved McLeish Aston Villa 0 Liverpool 2 DON'T be fooled by the scoreline. This wasn't a truly Aston Villa 0 vintage Liverpool performance. Liverpool 2 Proficient? Yes. Bellamy 11, Skrtel 15 Att: 37,460 Professional? Yes. Deserved? Without a doubt. It is the season of ill-will at Villa Park. Worryingly for the club's owner, Randy If Kenny Dalglish was hoping for a morale-boosting pre-Christmas work-out, then Lerner, it appears to last 10 months, between August and May.