Archiv » squeeze to a 2-1 win over Sunderland and move

LIVERPOOL, England -- Title-chasing Liverpool overcame an attack of nerves to squeeze to a 2-1 win over Sunderland and move to within a point of leader Chelsea in the Premier League on Wednesday. Steven Gerrards free kick and Daniel Sturridges deflected shot put Liverpool two goals clear by the 48th minute, but the pressure of being a serious challenger for the title for the first time since 2009 showed in the final half-hour. Ki Sung-yeungs 76th-minute header came amid a dominant spell for the relegation-threatened visitors and Liverpool survived some hair-raising moments in the last minutes to seal a seventh straight league win. Hope has turned into expectation at Anfield these past few weeks as Liverpool -- the dominant side in England in the late 1970s and 1980s -- revives its glory days to launch a title challenge against all the odds. Its players loss of composure in the latter stages was telling, and it is set to get even more nervy over the next few weeks with seven games left. "We have had a wonderful season until now, but there is still a way to go and the message to the supporters is to keep believing," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said. "As the season goes on, we will embrace the pressure and enjoy it." The victory lifted Liverpool into second place -- two points above Manchester City, which has two games in hand over the sides above them. But this was not as convincing as the Reds previous six victories, when they scored at least three goals every game to cement their status as the Premier League entertainers. "The game was set up for a big party, four or five goals," said Sunderland manager Gus Poyet, who added: "My friends in Uruguay didnt send me one text before the game ... they thought wed be destroyed." The game certainly looked like it would go that way when Sturridge found the net, via a deflection off Wes Brown, for his 20th goal of the campaign. That ensured two Liverpool players have scored at least 20 times in the same season for the first time in 50 years, when Roger Hunt and Ian St. John were prolific in leading the line for the Reds. Luis Suarezs current haul stands at 28 goals and although the Uruguay international didnt add to his tally against Sunderland, he played a key role in the opener. Santiago Vergini escaped with just a yellow card when he hauled down Suarez when last man. Sunderland hadnt escaped, though, as Gerrard curled the resulting free kick in the 39th into the top corner for his ninth goal in 2014. Relief spread around Anfield but the nerves were to return midway through the second half, when Liverpool sat back and started to get sloppy in possession. The deficit was halved when Adam Johnson whipped in a corner that crept through a crowded area for fellow substitute Ki to stoop and head in at the far post. And Sunderland should have returned to the north east with a point as John OShea headed a gilt-edged chance wide just before injury time. Its another win chalked up by Liverpool as it seeks a first league title since 1990 and the clubs fans are starting to believe again. The way they cheered Liverpools players into Anfield before the game got Rodgers heart beating. "Our game started on the coach on the way in here," Rodgers said. "Any guys who watched Liverpool in the 70s and 80s coming in, it filled me with great pride being the manager of the club as we were driving in." Liverpool, which is unbeaten in 2014, has home games remaining against City and Chelsea. "We are in fantastic position," Gerrard said, "but we havent won anything yet." In Wednesdays other game, West Ham ended a three-game losing streak as an own-goal by James Chester secured a 2-1 win over 10-man Hull in a match between two mid-table teams. Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor was shown a straight red card after charging into Mo Diame midway through the first half and Mark Noble dispatched the resulting penalty to give West Ham the lead. Nikica Jelavic equalized in the 48th. Doug Gilmour Jersey . The 2010 batting champ showed what he can do when hes mostly healthy. Gonzalez homered, doubled and singled in his return to the lineup, and the Colorado Rockies snapped a five-game losing streak with a 13-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. 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LOUIS -- Before hiring Gregg Williams as his defensive co-ordinator for the second time, St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher cleared it with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Williams was part of Fishers first staff with the Rams in 2012, but only for a few weeks before getting suspended for his role in the Saints bounty scandal. After a news conference to introduce Williams Thursday, Fisher said hed been in contact with Goodell throughout the process two years ago and "I wanted to inform him about the direction I was thinking about going." "He was very excited, and he endorsed it." Before signing Williams, Fisher said the two spent a few days revisiting the 2012 experience. The suspension left the Rams in a bind and they went without a co-ordinator in 12. Fisher said then that the suspension was "warranted" and asked if hed consider Williams in the future said hed "cross that bridge when we come to it." After the 2012 season he fired Williams son, defensive line coach Blake Williams. During his suspension, Williams had no contact with the Rams but said he attended all of the home games. He was a defensive assistant last year at Tennessee and called it a "good stop." "His handprint was all over the Tennessee defence, it was obvious that hed gone in there and had a significant impact," Fisher said. "Id say 60-70 per cent of our terminology is his. I just really felt strongly about just pulling together." Fisher initiated contact a few weeks after the season ended, and believes hed surprised Williams. He made room by firing Tim Walton after one season, telling Walton hed done nothing wrong but that Williams had been his first choice. The 55-year-old Williams was defensive co-ordinator under Fisher with the Titans from 1997-2000. "Things are in perspective, things are behind him, his past is his past," Fisher said. "The arrows going up with the defence and I just felt like Gregg was the person to make sure that happens." Williams shed no light on the discussions, saying "Those are things that are between Jeff and I." He deflected a question about how hes changedd as a coach since his suspension, saying every coach must adjust, but thought the familiarity would make this a good fit.dddddddddddd "Its fun to be back with people who think and believe the same way you are," Williams said. "So now you get a chance to spend more time with the players, because youre spending less time having to sell or defend yourself with your staff before you ever get with the players." Fisher said the hire got a big thumbs-up from players, adding "my phone was blowing up." Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis, who was at Rams Park for a workout, anticipates a more aggressive approach. The Rams have one of the NFLs top pass rushes but enter free agency and the draft needy in the secondary. "Win or lose, I want to know that were going to go down swinging," Laurinaitis said. "Everyone Ive known that has played for him just absolutely loves the guy." Williams, who grew up in Missouri, said he hoped this was his last coaching stop. Williams scoffed at a claim from a player who said the coach bragged about using a stolen playbook to help Tennessee beat Jacksonville in the 1999 AFC championship game. Williams called the allegation by former Jaguars defensive end Renaldo Wynn "a joke" and added he had every teams playbook. "Every time a free agent walks in a building, he gives you the playbook," Williams said. "We all have everybodys playbook. When you turn the film on, do you have their playbook? "How much traction did Omaha get when Peyton (Manning) said Omaha 46 times one game on TV? Whats that mean? It doesnt mean anything." Williams said hes watched all of the Rams games from last season but declined to discuss specific needs. Fisher wants his new co-ordinator to concentrate on improving a defence that was ranked 15th overall. "I told Gregg this time around hes going to be the mad scientist," Fisher said. "Hes not going to do a lot of player evaluations, Im not going to take up his time evaluating unrestricted free agents and getting ready for the draft. "I want him to take this defence and run with it." 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