Black Cats make their point by taming Liverpool at SoL
LUIS SUAREZ CANCELS OUT STEVEN FLETCHER’S EARLY GOAL
An emotional week for Liverpool following Hillsborough revelations ended in a 1-1 draw at Sunderland on September 15, 2012.
Reds striker Fabio Borini had two early shots saved before Steven Fletcher tapped in for Sunderland after Craig Gardner’s mazy run and cross.
Liverpool went close to a goal when Glen Johnson’s shot hit the crossbar and Steven Gerrard fired just wide.
Teenager Raheem Sterling was Liverpool’s main threat and it was another of his crosses from the right that led to the equaliser.
Luis Suarez failed to connect properly with his first attempt and, after the ball ricocheted back to him off Titus Bramble, he steered in a shot with his left foot.
Jonjo Shelvey had a late chance for Brendan Rodgers’ visitors as they finished the match the stronger but his shot was saved by keeper Simon Mignolet.
The build-up to the match had been dominated by the Hillsborough findings which finally officially exonerated fans for the disaster at the FA Cup semi-final of 1989 in which 96 supporters died, and there was a show of solidarity between the two clubs at the ground, Sunderland flying flags at the Stadium of Light at half-mast as a mark of respect.
This was a third successive draw at the start of the season for Sunderland, after finishing 0-0 at Arsenal and 2-2 at Swansea.
Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill said: “I thought we played well in the first half – we gave as good as we got, got the goal in front.”
Rodgers said: “The players have been terrific. It’s been a difficult week, of course, as you can imagine for the city and everything surrounding it. The performance was outstanding, both our creativity and our movement, and there was a really good tempo and rhythm to our game. I am sure Sunderland were probably happier with the point than ourselves.”
Sunderland: Mignolet, O’Shea, Cuellar (Bramble 46), Rose (Campbell 72), Cattermole, Larsson, Gardner, Colback, McClean, Sessegnon, Fletcher (Saha 86). Subs: Westwood, Kilgallon, Meyler, Ji Dong-Won.
Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Agger, Kelly, Skrtel, Gerrard, Allen, Sterling, Shelvey, Suarez, Borini (Downing 64). Subs: Jones, Jose Enrique, Carragher, Sahin, Henderson, Assaidi. Att: 41,997.