Liverpool 2-2 Birmingham City

A late penalty by Steven Gerrard salvaged a draw for Liverpool as their faltering season continued against Birmingham at Anfield.

Gerrard scored from the spot to make it 2-2 after David Ngog had appeared to go down following minimal contact from a Lee Carsley tackle.
 
Ngog had earlier put the Reds ahead when he smashed in a far post volley but Christian Benitez levelled when he nodded in a well-worked set piece.
 
Cameron Jerome's 30-yard strike shocked the Reds before Gerrard's equaliser.
 
Birmingham will be furious at the penalty given by referee Peter Walton as Carsley did not seem to make any contact with Ngog as the under siege visitors valiantly kept the Reds at bay. 
 
However, despite a half-fit Gerrard, who had only come on because of an injury to Albert Riera, slotting in from 12 yards the result will only heap further pressure on Reds manager Rafael Benitez after a game Liverpool were expected to win.
 
Liverpool's defensive solidity has been their strength in Benitez's reign but the foundations he has laid have been on rocky ground this season and again undermined their play.
 
The home side took a patient and calm approach to the match before gradually raising the tempo and taking the lead.
 
Glen Johnson was having plenty of joy down the right flank and, after weaving between two defenders, he pulled the ball back for Ngog, whose initial shot was saved by Joe Hart.
 
Hart scampered across his goal to fend away Dirk Kuyt's follow-up but the Blues keeper had no chance when Riera crossed to the far post where Ngog smashed a left-foot volley into the roof of the net.
 
The Reds seemed in control only to let their weakness at the back let the visitors back into a game they rarely looked like making an impact on.
 
Former Everton midfielder James McFadden swung a Blues free-kick to the far post and, after being headed on by Roger Johnson and Scott Dann, Christian Benitez nodded in from close range.
 
The goal had given Birmingham encouragement and the visitors had an extra air of belief about them as they repelled some concerted Liverpool pressure as the home side looked to re-establish their grip on the game.
 
Hart tipped over a 25-yard strike from Javier Mascherano before the Blues defence cleared a tamely struck Lucas Leiva sidefooted 15-yard shot off the line.
 
Liverpool brought Gerrard on when Riera went off with a hamstring problem but their half-fit captain could do little as the visitors took the lead in spectacular fashion.
 
Jerome controlled Dann's head ball forward, fended off the irritation of Mascherano and unleashed a thunderous shot which dipped over keeper Reina.
 
The Reds piled on the pressure with wave after wave of attack and it almost paid off only for Gerrard to head a Glen Johnson cross against the outside of the post from eight yards.
 
Birmingham defended in numbers with a bravery which saw the likes of centre-backs Scott Dann and Roger Johnson flinging their bodies at crosses and shots to keep the home side at bay.
 
However, they conceded an equaliser in controversial circumstances as Gerrard sent hart the wrong way from the spot.
 
The Anfield crowd were now staunchly behind their team and Ngog sidefooted wide after Gerrard powered in a cross to the near post but a winner eluded the Reds as they stay seventh in the Premier League.

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