Liverpool 3-0 Newcastle

Mar 9 2008

RED-HOT Fernando Torres fired his 19th league goal of the season as Liverpool cruised past Kevin Keegan's strugglers to boost their bid to finish fourth in the table.

The result saw Rafael Benitez's side move three points clear of fifth-placed city rivals Everton who face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light tomorrow.

And Newcastle have now gone 12 games without a win as they face being drawn into a relegation battle.

The Reds were boosted by a recent run of good form and started in determined fashion.

The Magpies started confidently, with Alan Smith seeing a seventh-minute header deflected wide for a corner.

After that initial opportunity Liverpool slowly took control of the tie.

But despite dominating the possession stakes the home side had to rely on a piece of bizarre fortune to give them the lead after 43 minutes.

Magpies defender Jose Enrique had no luck at all when his attempted clearance deflected off Jermaine Pennant and looped over helpless keeper Steve Harper.

Torres has notched hat-tricks against West Ham and Middlesbrough in his last two home outings and he doubled Liverpool's advantage moments before the half-time whistle.

Steven Gerrard sent the Spanish star clear and he fooled Harper with a delightful dummy before stroking the ball into an empty net.

The 23-year-old striker turned provider six minutes after the break when his perfect through-ball sent Gerrard in on goal and the skipper calmly lifted over Harper.

Keegan sent on Obafemi Martins to change the flow of the game and the switch almost brought a consolation as the Nigerian hitman drilled a fierce effort off the bar.

Harper was then called upon and he saved well from a Kuyt flick as the away side left with nothing but relegation fears.