Glenn Hoddle was treated to an international quality performance from Michael
Owen - while Roy Evans can breath a sign of relief after a nightmare month.
The England boss was at Anfield to run the rule over a clutch of England
hopefuls, and must have left with a massive smile after young Owen's display.
Owen has lost one strike partner in Robbie Fowler and was deprived of
Karlheinz Riedle in the first-half.
His response was to lead Liverpool's attack almost single-handed. His pace,
running power and sheer desire for the ball ended with him grabbing thewinner in
a tough game against desperate opponents.
For good measure, Hoddle saw a captain's display from Paul Ince, a cameo
second-half display from Steve McManaman and impressive performances from
fit-again Jamie Redknapp and full-back Rob Jones.
When Hoddle names his squad on Monday week for the Switzerland match at the
end of the month, there may just be a few more Liverpool players than usual in
the party.
Evans, though, finally saw his misfiring side clinch a victory after a month
of anguish. The irony is that Liverpool's title chance has all but disappeared,
but they are now back in second place nine points behind leaders Manchester
United, who lost at Sheffield Wednesday.
After Alan Thompson had ruined Brad Friedel's first game at Anfield with a
breathtaking 30 yarder after just seven minutes, Liverpool pulled themselves
together in the second period to grab goals from Ince and then Owen to clinch
victory.
Evans also witnessed a determined display from substitute Mark Kennedy,
recalled from a loan spell at QPR and wanting either a transfer away from his
Anfield nightmare or a fair crack of the whip after months on the sidelines.
The Irishman found himself hurled into the fray, and a string of accurate
crosses and passes, plus some intelligent running, could well have given Evans
something to think about.
Poor Bolton had dominated the first-half with their abrasive style and were
deservedly ahead at the break. But the cracked under pressure and the chance of
their first away win since the first day of the season was swept away.
Liverpool's injury nightmare eased somewhat with the return of Jamie Redknapp,
Dominic Matteo and Oyvind Leonhardsen, while Bolton chief Colin Todd decided
against plunging defender Mark Fish straight back into the side after finally
returning from a month away playing forSouth Africa in the African Nations Cup.
He was left on the bench. Liverpool had much of the early play, but wasted
their possession and dominance.
Riedle saw an angled chip turned away by Keith Branagan, while the Bolton
'keeper made an excellent plunging save to claw out a Redknapp 20-yard curler.
Branagan was in constant action. He dived to his left to divert a Leonhardsen
close-range shot, and then was down by his right hand post a minute later to
push away a Stig Bjornebye drive.
Thompson's strike stunned the full house crowd, and drew applause from all
round the stadium.
Nathan Blake held off Matteo and nodded a free-kick back for the Geordie
midfielder to lash a cracking drive from fully 30 yards that gave Friedel no
chance as it powered past him into the top corner.
Liverpool, though, didn't learn. They were not pressuring Thompson and John
Sheridan enough, and Thompson popped up again soon after to lash in a 25yarder
this time that crashed against the bar.
Then Sheridan chipped a free-kick into the box after 20 minutes, and Friedel
was left punching thin air as he failed to stop Blake getting to the ball first
and connecting with his head - thankfully for the USA star, the ball bounced
well wide.
All of Liverpool's attacking was coming via Owen's inventive running andpace.
He cut across the front of the defence in a determined run from 30 yards out,
and cracked a right footer inches over the bar.
Then on 28 minutes a Riedle first-time touch in the centre circle sent a long
clearance into the path of Owen, who raced clear but drilled his shot into the
side netting.
Bolton, as has been their style all season, were snapping and snarling around
the ankles of opponents, and referee Keith Burge had to deal with several
exchanges.
The worst came when Redknapp was rightly booked for clattering through the
back of Blake's legs. Ince clearly felt the Welshman made the most of it,and
said so. It provoked an angry bout of finger-pointing from both players before
Blake limped off for attention.
Friedel was again left exposed by his defence to a Arnar Gunnlaugsson cross
shot, and could only dive to push it out into the danger area before Steve
Harkness hacked clear.
Liverpool lost Riedle with a muscle strain after 34 minutes, Kennedy, back
from his loan spell at QPR, coming on as substitute.
After 39 minutes Owen was once again the instigator and set up Leonhardsen for
an edge-of-the-box curler that shaved the bar.
A minute after the break Gunnlaugsson was clean through the middle and should
have put Bolton two up, only for Harkness to race back and produce a critical
saving tackle in the box.
It was a costly miss. Kennedy, out to show Evans that he either deserves a big
money move or a chance in the side, sent over a stream of excellent crosses.
Two in a minute saw first Owen and then Leonhardsen fail to finish them off.
The Irishman had been pushed into a central role alongside Owen, but
theaccuracy of his centres produced the equaliser after 58 minutes. His perfect
corner from the right was met by a surging Ince run, and the Liverpool skipper
powered home a header.
Seven minutes later Liverpool were ahead. Ince threaded a fine ball into
Owen's path on the right, and the little striker sped into the box to drill a
low shot inside Branagan's far upright.
Owen was still the focal point. He chased one lost cause, brushed Chris
Fairclough off the ball and laid a pass back for Kennedy to drive over the top.
Then Leonhardsen and Kennedy set up Owen, who wanted to be involved in
everything by now, and he just failed to add to his tally on both occasions.
Bolton staged a brave comeback in the closing minutes, and Per Frandsen sent a
low shot whistling wide through a packed area. Then Blake outpaced Harkness
through the middle, cut inside onto his right foot, and lifted a glorious chance
to equalise over the top.
It means Bolton, for all their guts and effort, have now gone 12 matches
without a league victory, and surely their Premiership place is slipping away
again.
Teams
Liverpool: Friedel, Jones, McManaman, Leonhardsen, Redknapp,
Harkness, Riedle (Kennedy 34), Ince, Owen, Bjornebye, Matteo.
Subs Not Used: James, Kvarme, Carragher, Thompson.
Booked: Redknapp.
Goals: Ince 58, Owen 65.
Bolton: Branagan, Cox, Frandsen, Fairclough, Blake, Thompson,
Bergsson, Sheridan, Todd, Holdsworth, Gunnlaugsson.
Subs Not Used: Johansen, Ward, Phillips, Fish, Taylor.
Booked: Bergsson.
Goals: Thompson 7.
Att: 44,532
Ref: K W Burge (Tonypandy).
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