Paul Eaton 30 December 2006 Rafael Benitez has praised the battling qualities of his side after watching them secure an excellent 1-0 victory over Spurs. | |
Luis Garcia's goal in first half stoppage time was enough to see the Reds clinch their third away victory of the season as they bounced back from their Boxing Day disappointment at Blackburn. Spurs made Liverpool work all the way for the points and Benitez was delighted to see his players standing up to a tough challenge at a rain sodden White Hart Lane. "I thought it was a fantastic team performance," said the Reds' manager. "When you lose a game like we did at Blackburn then you want to see character from your players and we had that today. "We played well in the first half and scored at a very good time, just before the break. In the second period Tottenham played more long balls and put us under pressure, but the work rate of the side was first class. "The defenders dug in, Xabi played well in front of them, the midfielders tackled and fought and Kuyt and Bellamy worked for every minute they were playing. "We knew before the game that the result would be important because Tottenham were close to us in the table and we wanted to stay ahead of them. "We have lost many away games this season despite having more attempts than our opponents. Maybe today was the game where we didn't quite have as many opportunities but still managed to win the match." Benitez revealed Craig Bellamy was substituted early in the second half as a precaution after feeling a tightness in his hamstring and that Jerzy Dudek wasn't included because his wife gave birth last night. |
Sunday 31 December 2006
RAFA HAILS REDS AFTER BATTLING WIN
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