Liverpool in first defeat of season

Press, 23 October 1989, Page 18

Liverpool in first defeat of season

NZPA-Reuter London Southampton’s manager, Chris Nicholl, fulfilled an unlikely promise on Saturday — routing the pride of English football with a young side packed with firepower. Nicholl, hardly a manager renowned for his tactical acumen, predicted that his team brandishing four strikers would overrun league leaders Liverpool. And so it proved. Liverpool’s 4-1 defeat, which cost them the first division leadership, not only represented their first defeat in the league this season. It was also their heaviest league defeat since they conceded four goals at Luton three years ago.

Two goals from lively little winger Rodney Wallace and other strikes from Paul Rideout and Matthew Le Tissier earned Southampton some revenge for the two defeats they suffered against Liverpool last season.

“We got some terrific goals and played some quality football,” said Nicholl after the victory. But the result was clearly no surprise to the former Aston Villa and Southampton centre back who had said before the game: "The way we’re playing at the moment we have no need to fear anyone.

“We’re playing 4-2-4 because it’s a way I believe in and I believe we can beat Liverpool playing that way. I’m convinced they will do what I ask on Saturday.”

Fielding a side with only four players over 22, Southampton adapted to the blustery conditions better than their visitors and ripped through Liverpool’s defences at will. They could have scored twice as many in the clash between the two highest-scoring teams in the first division. Rideout struck first after 25min with a nearpost header before Wal-

lace scored either side of halftime.

Liverpool’s England striker Peter Beardsley reduced the deficit from the penalty spot on the hour but the brilliant winger Le Tissier completed the tally six minutes from time as Southampton hauled themselves from sixth to tiiird in the table, level on points with Liverpool and one adrift of new leaders Everton. The result stretched Southampton’s unbeaten run to nine games but Liverpool threatened and the manager, Kenny Dalglish, slammed his team’s performance as “unacceptable.” “We started badly and got progressively worse. We hardly made a contribution and we have to try to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” he said. “We can’t afford to let it happen again.”

Everton had the twogoal hero Pat Nevin to thank for their, 3-0, win over the champions Arsenal which took them back to the top. The Scottish international winger scored 6min before halftime and Bmin from the end to secure the points for his side in a thrilling match. Neil McDonald snatched the third as Arsenal slumped to their second league defeat in four days. But the Everton manager, Colin Harvey, refused to get carried away. “There, are seven months of the season to go,” he said. “But it’s better to be top than bottom.”

The Welsh international Mark Hughes scored twice as Manchester United eased their problems with a 4-1 win at Coventry and the England striker Gary Lineker notched a pair as Tottenham recorded their fourth successive win by crushing bottom club Sheffield Wednesday 3-0.

who ■ defeated Arsenal 2-1 on

Wednesday, are likely to be without the England midfielder Paul Gascoigne for their League Cup tie at United on Wednesday after he limped off with a twisted ankle.

In Scotland, a last minute goal by the substitute Tommy Coyne earned Celtic a 2-1 win over Hearts which kept them two points clear at the top of the Premier League. Motherwell jumped into second place with a remarkable, 3-2, victory over Dundee United while Dunfermline beat Dundee 2-1 in the only other match played. Results of British soccer matches on Saturday: ENGLISH LEAGUE Division one: Coventry 1, Manchester United 4; Crystal Palace 4, Millwall 3; Derby 0, Chelsea 1; Everton 3, Arsenal 0; Luton 4, Norwich I; Queens Park Rangers 0, Charlton 1; Southampton 4, Liverpool 1; Tottenham 3, Sheffield Wednesday 0; Wimbledon 1, Nottingham Forest 3. Playing Sunday: Manchester City v Aston Villa.

Division two: Blackburn 2, Watford 2; Bournemouth 0, Portsmouth 1; Brighton 0, Newcastle 3; Ipswich 3, Plymouth 0; Leeds 1, Wolverhampton 0; Leicester 2, Swindon 0; Oldham 2, Middlesbrough 0; Oxford 2, Barnsley 3; Port Vale 2, West Ham 2; Sheffield United 2, Stoke 1; Sunderland 1, Bradford 0; West Bromwich 1, Hull 1.

Division three: Birmingham 0, Huddersfield 1; Blackpool 1, Cardiff 0; Bolton 1, Chester 0; Bristol Rovers 4, Northampton 2; Crewe 0, Rotherham 0; Fulham 2, Bury 2; Leyton Orient 4, Reading 1; Mansfield 1, Bristol City 0; Notts County 2, Preston 1; Shrewsbury 1, Brentford 0; Wigan 3, Walsall 0. Played Friday: Swansea I, Tranmere 0.

Division four: Aidershot 1, Torquay 2; Doncaster 2, Burnley 3; Exeter 2, Hereford 0; Gillingham 3, Chesterfield 0; Halifax 1, Rochdale 0; Hartlepool 1, York 2; Lincoln 1, Grimsby 1; Peterborough 2, Stockport 0; Scarborough 2, Carlisle 1; Scunthorpe 4, Colchester 0; Southend 0, Maidstone 1; Wrexham *, Cambridge 3.