I'll do the match report tomorrow afternoon because i'am going to see liverpool play arsenal tonight.
Stephen Warnock made a successful return to action after injury but it was a disappointing night for Liverpool Reserves as they lost 1-0 to Bolton Wanderers at the Lancashire FA County Ground in Leyland.
Warnock played for the second 45 minutes in his first match since the Carling Cup win over Birmingham City on November 8th. He replaced Fabio Aurelio after the Brazilian played the opening 45 minutes of the match.
There was some controversy about the only goal of the game and Liverpool will quite rightly feel annoyed as it appeared to be off-side by some distance. Ricardo Vaz Te ran on to a through ball and slotted past David Martin to give Bolton the three points.
Overall Gary Ablett's side were unlucky not to take anything from the game. In the first half the Reds struggled against Bolton's physical and direct style of football.
However, the team started to pick things up in the final half hour of the game and they carved out some great openings. Danny Guthrie was always bright in midfield for Liverpool and he was unlucky when he saw an effort cleared off the line after a superb run into the penalty area. Besian Idrizaj also saw his header cleared off the line and Lee Peltier was denied a goal after a fine save from Ali Al-Habsi.
Liverpool laid siege to the Bolton goal in the final 10 minutes of the game but try as they might they just couldn't find an equaliser as Bolton frantically charged down efforts.
Argentine Gabriel Paletta played the full 90 minutes for Liverpool and he and Miki Roque were superb at the back. They dealt with Bolton's aerial bombardment really well and Peltier also had a solid game at right back.
Bolton Wanderers Reserves: Al-Habsi, Charlesworth, Gardner, Cassidy, Ellis, Augustyn, Sinclair, Andranik, Smith, Tal, Vaz Te.
Liverpool Reserves: Martin, Peltier, Aurelio (Warnock 45), Roque, Paletta, Guthrie, Anderson (Flynn 82), Idrizaj, Lindfield (Antwi 70), El Zhar, Hammill. Subs not used: Roberts (GK), Darby.
Liverpoolfc.tv Man of the Match: Miki Roque. Solid as a rock at the back and made some brilliant interceptions.
Ablett couldn't hide his frustration and disappointment after seeing his team lose their final game of the year.
"It's a horrible way to end the year for us and I have told the boys after Christmas we need to be desperate to get back into training and work hard," Ablett told Liverpoolfc.tv.
"To have a record of played seven games and lost five is not acceptable for Liverpool Football Club. Our record at the moment just isn't good enough, it's as simple as that and we are better than that and we should aim to be a lot better.
"Again we have had enough of the ball to have got something out of the game but it was only in the last 15 minutes or so that we really started to get at them. Whether the goal was off-side or not was another thing but I just wonder why we don't have that kind of desire from the first minute of the game. That's something us as staff need to look at and the players themselves.
"I put big Godwin Antwi up front for the final 20 minutes or so of the game and he gave us more strength. We just felt that Craig Lindfield wasn't getting much joy out of their two centre halves who were big and strong. Godwin unsettled them for us and he changed the game when we started to create chances.
"Danny Guthrie and Besian Idrizaj had efforts cleared off the line and we had numerous other shots blocked. Our delivery from set pieces was outstanding but to me we haven't got anyone who will throw his head at something and risk getting a broken nose."
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