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MOTD: Bolton Wanderers 1-2 Liverpool

By on February 4, 2015

If not for an impressive late comeback, Liverpool would have felt very hard done by. Over the two matches of their FA Cup tie, they had forty-seven shots — twenty on target — while Bolton Wanderers only had three shots, one a dubious penalty from which they scored. And not the least because that goal tonight was the only goal that separated the two sides – the goal that Liverpool had been banging on the door for in both matches. Then the floodgates were opened and they went on to seal their comeback.

Liverpool were certainly not lacking the chances for a win in the first match, nor the second, though it goes to demonstrate the limitations of their sole forward setup that both of their goals happened to be in the twenty-five minute span when Daniel Sturridge appeared as a substitute. Niel Danns’ careless and untimely red card proved critical, yet Bolton’s grit and determination prolonged their demise until the final touch.

Or perhaps it is the final puzzle piece to Liverpool’s machine. Brendan Rodgers’ men were quick, creative, and intelligent on the attack from the beginning tonight, with textbook one-touch play, but so often their chances went begging on the final touch. Seven minutes in, for example, Liverpool worked the ball across the edge of the box through Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana to Steven Gerrard, only for the veteran midfielder to steer a low effort straight at goalkeeper Andy Lonergan. Again, fourteen minutes in, Sterling scuffed a low shot at Lonergan from a great position to the left of goal on the break.

Later on in the first half Sterling struck the outside of the right-hand post, though it was more luck than a lack of skill that denied him a goal, and Philippe Coutinho curled wide on the brink of the half. Bolton had chances few and far between – David Wheater’s header forced a save out of Mignolet — yet nothing too promising. Which is why, when youngster Zach Clough got by Mattin Skrtel down the left and dived for a penalty fifty-nine minutes in, Liverpool may have well been robbed. Eider Gudjohnsen buried the penalty coolly, though the goal didn’t lift Bolton to the win. In fact, Gudjohnsen soon found himself on the end of a cross wide open at the far post, and only a poor finish denied him a winner. Bolton looked more lively, and only retreated to their shell when Danns bulldozed through Joe Allen in a stupid unnecessary challenge earning a sending off. Then, Neil Lennon’s side may as well have shot themselves in the foot.

Liverpool poured pressure on, and finally, after Jordan Henderson’s deflected effort had struck the post, the equalizer came with four minutes until time. It wasn’t actually Sturridge who scored, but his run created space for Sterling to get on the end of Emre Can’s lovely clipped ball over the top, with a first-time finish just as neat as the assist. Bolton would almost certainly have lost in extra-time so much were they on the back foot, but Coutinho made quick of Liverpool’s job with a twenty-five yard, stoppage time shot which was deflected in off the crossbar.
Man of the Match: Raheem Sterling

Photo credit: Ruaraid Gilles and Wikipedia Commons

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.