Liverpool 2 Sheffield Wednesday 0

by Paul Walker for the "Press Association"

The insults and abuse that have been heaped on Liverpool finally sparked a reaction from the players
responsible for the club's worst run in 44 years. 

One home league win in almost two months, and eight defeats in their previous 11 games, were statistics
they have been constantly reminded of. So much so that boss Gerard Houllier spent much of the previous
week running the rule over a trio of European possibles, looking to strengthen his squad. 

But from a side stripped of confidence emerged men who were prepared to battle for the cause. 

Wednesday, after five games unbeaten, clearly fancied themselves to inflict more humiliation on the
Anfield giants. They opened impressively, competing ferociously all over the park, but they found a
different Liverpool to the one that has been maligned. 

A superb long-range strike from Patrik Berger, and a clinical close-range finish from Michael Owen put
Liverpool in the driving seat and gave them a platform from which to search and eventually find at least
some of the qualities they are supposed to have. 

Liverpool had shape and although there were flashes of sloppy play their heart was in the right place.
There was a lighter side when, before the kick off, Benito Carbone ran from his own half to kiss Paul Ince
on both cheeks, a rather embarrassing welcome for his former Inter Milan team-mate. 

However, that was hardly the friendly welcome Ince - driving and controlling the play - got from Danny
Sonner, who clattered Ince with a dreadfully-timed challenge in the first minutes. 

Then Andy Hinchcliffe was booked for a 14th minute foul on Ince, before Stig Bjornebye suffered the same
fate two minutes later for bringing down Carbone. And after 19 minutes Liverpool got the break their early
competitiveness deserved when they scored from a corner after Robbie Fowler had chased a Jamie
Redknapp through ball. 

Bjornebye launched the flag kick into the area, and Fowler laid it back for Patrik Berger to unleash a fierce
drive from the edge of the box that flashed past Pavel Srnicek. That goal inspired Liverpool further, and
Vegard Heggem and Redknapp combined with neat passes to put the England man in for a chance that
was stabbed wide. 

Then Redknapp crashed a 35-yarder that dipped fractionally over the bar after 23 minutes. Liverpool's play
was quick and incisive, and you sensed another goal was on the cards. Srnicek's poor handling - he
spilled another Redknapp drive after 32 minutes - did nothing to ease Wednesday's fears. 

Bjornebye was having one of those infuriating games where he can give the ball away in schoolboy
fashion one minute, and supply an excellent pass the next. He got it right after 34 minutes when he
controlled a Heggem crossfield ball on the left, and laid a perfect pass back for Owen to take one touch to
avoid a defender, before drilling it into the bottom corner. 

Last weekend at Wimbledon, Liverpool bemoaned their ability to fritter away chances and make life hard
for themselves. This time those early chances went in, and they were beginning to produce a performance
more in keeping with what is expected from this club. 

Five minutes from the break another fine Bjornebye pass found Owen clear, but he failed to take the ball
round Srnicek. 

Wednesday came out after the break fired up, and they needed to be to have any chance of pulling this
back. Carbone, clever and inventive but only on the fringes of the action, began to influence play and
conjured space and time for a fine left-wing cross early in the half, and then appeared on the right of the
box to fire a first-time volley wide. 

Robbie Fowler, struggling to find his true form but never once hiding from the action, got into some good
positions but you can sense a player striving for that one moment of fortune that will bring his form
flooding back. 

It remained elusive, but the Kop showed all their sympathy and encouragement for the young striker.
Such are the frailties that can be quickly exposed in this Liverpool team these days, even at two up
nobody can relax and Wednesday worked continually to pull apart such a suspect defence. 

David James came flying from his goal after 65 minutes only to see Andy Booth get to a right wing cross
first, nodding the ball over the bar. Fowler almost got that lucky break after 78 minutes when he latched
onto a blocked shot, but his effort was deflected inches wide of an upright. 

In the dying minutes Fowler played a fine one-two with substitute Karlheinz Riedle and fired an excellent
drive inches over the bar. The Kop rose to him, and deep down you knew that when his form has finally
returned, Liverpool will be more the side they are expected to be. 

Teams: 

Liverpool: James, Heggem (Kvarme 83), Babb, Staunton, Bjornebye, Carragher, Redknapp, Ince, Berger,
Fowler, Owen (Riedle 88). 

Subs Not Used: Friedel, McAteer, Thompson. 

Booked: Bjornebye, Berger. 

Goals: Berger 19, Owen 34. 

Sheff Wed: Srnicek, Atherton, Jonk, Walker, Carbone, Booth, Hinchcliffe, Thome, Rudi (Humphreys 86),
Alexandersson (Briscoe 58), Sonner. 

Subs Not Used: Clarke, Stefanovic, Magilton. 

Booked: Hinchcliffe. 

Att: 40,003 

Ref: A Wilkie (Chester-le-Street).