Liverpool hold City as football mourns Speed death

Posted Monday, November 28, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

Liverpool put the brakes on
Manchester City's title challenge by holding the Premier League
leaders to a 1-1 draw on Sunday when the death of Wales manager
Gary Speed overshadowed everything that happened on the field.

Speed, 42, was found hanged at his home after apparently
committing suicide.

Earlier, Welsh side Swansea City drew 0-0 with Aston Villa
with fans bursting into spontaneous applause during a minute's
silence in his honour.

The first goal of the day came at Anfield where City, who
finished the match with 10 men after substitute Mario Balotelli
was sent off, took the lead in the 31st minute with a Vincent
Kompany header.

Liverpool equalised two minutes later when Joleon Lescott
deflected a Charlie Adam shot past goalkeeper Joe Hart.

The England keeper had an outstanding match for City and
made some superb saves to keep them in the game especially when
they were down to 10 men.

Balotelli, who came on in the 65th minute for Samir Nasri,
was booked twice in his brief appearance, first for pulling back
Glen Johnson, then for appearing to lead with his elbow when he
challenged Martin Skrtel for a high ball seven minutes from
time.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish withdrew Craig Bellamy from
his squad, explaining the Welsh forward was too grief-stricken
after learning of Speed's death.

"It was best for me to make the decision for Craig,"
Dalglish told Sky Sports. "He was very close to Gary who was
almost a mentor to him, someone he admired and looked up to, and
he was upset.

"There's no way a game of football is more important than
grief."

Speed was the first player to chalk up 500 Premier League
appearances as his career took in spells at Leeds United,
Everton, Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield
United. He became Wales manager last December.

Dalglish was pleased his side became only the second this
season to take league points off City who remain unbeaten having
won 11 and drawn two of their 13 games.

City, on 35 points, stayed five clear of Manchester United,
with Tottenham Hotspur third on 28. Liverpool moved up to sixth
on 23 points.

"I think they started better than us but we were the better
team at the end," said Dalglish.

"It was fortunate for us we got the equaliser as quickly as
we did, it kept the spirits up. We tried our very best to win it
in the second half but unfortunately we just could not get it
over the line."

MANCINI BIRTHDAY

City, who had won their last seven league games but went to
Anfield after losing 2-1 to Napoli in the Champions League in
midweek, started the better team but were left hanging on to a
point at the end.

Manager Roberto Mancini was satisfied with a draw on his
47th birthday but added Balotelli should not have been sent off.

"It's a good result for us because we played with 10 men for
the last few minutes," the Italian said. "But for me the second
Balotelli foul was not a yellow card, he didn't deserve it."

Earlier, Swansea's match with Villa was played in a subdued
atmosphere at the Liberty Stadium as everyone struggled to come
to terms with the news of Speed's death.

The minute's silence before the game was broken when fans
burst into applause and began singing, "There's only one Gary
Speed".

Villa goalkeeper Shay Given, a close friend and a former
team mate of Speed's at Newcastle, was visibly sobbing before
the match.

Neither team created many chances although Leroy Lita
(Swansea) and Gabriel Agbonlahor (Villa) twice went close.

Four current Wales internationals -- Ashley Williams, Neil
Taylor and Joe Allen of Swansea plus James Collins of Villa --
started the game.

Villa defender Richard Dunne said: "It's been really hard.
Before the match Shay told us the news and in the minute's
silence he was inconsolable.

"Everyone who played with Gary or came across him knew what
a good guy he was. This is a sad day. We had to play the match
but everyone's thoughts were elsewhere, especially with his
family and children."

Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers said: "Our message was we
wanted to play the game for Gary Speed. He was a great football
man as well as a great player and a human being so the players
wanted to do it for him."