Owen goal beats Southhampton
Liverpool wins Premier League opener 2-1
Posted: Sunday August 16, 1998 02:07 PM
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Owen played opportunist in scoring the game-winner Clive Brunskill/Allsport |
LONDON (Reuters) -- England striker Michael Owen
poached a 72nd-minute goal to give Liverpool a 2-1 win at
Southampton in its opening game of the new English Premier
League season on Sunday.
The 18-year-old pounced after Southampton goalkeeper Paul
Jones dropped the ball in the goalkeeer's box, driving the loose ball home for the victory in the debut for Liverpool's new joint managerial team of Roy Evans
and Frenchman Gerard Houllier.
Norwegian Egil Ostenstad had earlier put Southampton ahead
in the first half only to have German striker Karlheinz Riedle equalize for Liverpool almost immediately.
The visitors started purposefully and Paul Ince, Jason
McAteer and Owen all nearly scored in the first three minutes.
Southampton's main threat was from its 34-year-old
"newboy" Mark Hughes, a close season buy from Chelsea.
But the home side went ahead against the run of play after
36 minutes. Former Blackburn winger Stuart Ripley crossed from
the right and Ostenstad headed past American Brad Friedel into the
Liverpool goal.
The lead lasted barely two minutes. Owen chipped the ball in
from Liverpool's left flank and Riedle crashed a downward header
past Jones for the equalizer.
Early in the second half poor control cost Owen the chance
to put Liverpool ahead but after 72 minutes the teenager made no
mistake.
Ince flicked on a long throw-in and when Jones failed to
hang on to the ball, Owen gleefully smacked it into the net from
five yards out.
Southampton substitute Matt Le Tissier almost equalized two
minutes from time but his shot on the turn flashed just wide.
In the first division, Crystal Palace, managed by former
England boss Terry Venables, was still looking for its first
win of the season after crumbling 3-1 at Birmingham.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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