Sports FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2014 on title trail West Ham ease relegation fears hand on the teams above them. Liverpool Gerrard stepped up from just outside manager Brendan Rodgers named an the 18-yard box and fiercely bent the ball Sunderland 1 unchanged starting line-up from his side’s into the top-right corner of the net, past West Ham 2 6-3 victory at Cardiff City, while the despairing dive of goalkeeper Vito Sunderland counterpart Gus Poyet made Mannone. Sunderland registered their Liverpool 2 five changes to the team beaten 2-0 at first meaningful effort on goal just before Norwich City. half-time when a deflected Connor Hull 1 With three centre-backs in a 5-3-2 sys- Wickham shot forced Liverpool goalkeep- tem, the visitors’ intentions were clear as er Simon Mignolet to scramble across they packed men into the middle of the goal and push the ball past the post. : West Ham United eased their relegation LIVERPOOL: Daniel Sturridge scored his pitch, restricting Liverpool to efforts from But the momentum was all Liverpool’s fears by snapping a run of three consecutive defeats with a 2-1 victory 20th goal of the campaign as Liverpool distance in the opening stages. Striker and they doubled their lead three min- at home to Hull City on Wednesday. Hull were reduced to 10 men kept the pressure on their Premier League Luis Suarez curled an early free-kick from utes into the second half with a goal from mid-way through the first half when goalkeeper Allan McGregor was title rivals with a 2-1 home win over a dangerous position over the crossbar, Sturridge, who curled the ball into the top sent off for a foul on Mohamed Diame, with Mark Noble putting West Sunderland on Wednesday. The England but the Black Cats kept their shape and left corner from the edge of the area, via a Ham ahead from the resulting penalty. Nikica Jelavic equalized early striker netted Liverpool’s second goal of organization to reach the half-hour mark deflection off ’s knee. in the second half, only for an unfortunate own goal by Hull defender the game at three minutes into without their ranks being breached. Sunderland, fighting for their lives at James Chester in the 54th minute to gift West Ham all three points. the second half after captain Steven Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole, the bottom of the table, showed plenty of Victory saw West Ham leapfrog their opponents in the table, leav- Gerrard had given the hosts a 39th- snapping at the heels of anything in a red heart and the impressive Cattermole rat- ing the east London club nine points clear of the relegation zone in minute lead with a fine free-kick. shirt, was particularly impressive, shield- tled the crossbar with a swerving shot in 11th place. West Ham manager kept faith with the Sturridge’s goal meant that he and ing the defense as the visitors held the 70th minute. Moments later Sturridge team that had started Saturday’s 2-0 loss at home to Manchester Luis Suarez have now both scored 20 Liverpool at bay. Gerrard makes break- did the same for the hosts at the other United and he saw his side make a positive start at Upton Park. The league goals this season-the first time two through end, but it was Sunderland who pulled a hosts lost James Collins to an apparent muscular injury in the ninth Liverpool strikers have achieved that feat Having equaled Robbie Fowler’s goal back with 14 minutes left to leave minute, Roger Johnson coming on, but it did not disturb their since and in the Premier League record of 28 goals in a Anfield sweating. momentum and in the 26th minute they took the lead in contentious 1963-64 campaign. season for the club against Cardiff on Adam Johnson’s corner was allowed circumstances. Diame appeared to use his hand to control Noble’s Sunderland pulled a goal back Saturday, Suarez looked a likely source for to bounce inside the box and fellow sub- pass as he bore down on goal, but after he was brought down by through South Korean midfielder Ki Sung- the breakthrough. And after threatening stitute Ki bundled the ball into the net McGregor, referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot and showed the yueng to ensure a tense finale, but with a shot after a jinking run, the striker with a stooping header. The nervous ten- Hull goalkeeper a straight red card. Hull defender Alex Bruce made Liverpool held their nerve to record a sev- won the free kick that yielded Liverpool’s sion that had Anfield on edge in the way for Steve Harper and the substitute goalkeeper was promptly enth successive league win. The victory opening goal. The Uruguay international opening half hour returned, and the sent the wrong way by Noble from 12 yards. The visitors initially enabled the Reds to regain second spot in was brought down by Santiago Vergini as ground held its collective breath when seemed shellshocked, but they roused themselves in first-half injury the table, a point behind leaders Chelsea, he headed towards goal, with the Sunderland captain John O’Shea got on time, with Chester heading over and West Ham goalkeeper Adrian although Manchester City-two points Sunderland centre-back fortunate to the end of a late corner, only to flick the obliged to parry a long-range Maynor Figueroa effort. —AFP back in third place-have two games in escape with just a yellow card. ball wide. —AFP