WHO starred, who bombed

Wanderers

4-5-1

JUSSI JAASKELAINEN ... 7

An excellent double save from Owen and Smicer helped frustrate Liverpool first half

BRUNO N'GOTTY ... 6

Steady at the back and even got forward more than usual; seemed to feel the strain near the end

GUDNI BERGSSON ... 7

Beats himself up when goals are conceded but needn't take it personally on this occasion

FLORENT LAVILLE ... 6

Looks steady but a couple of errors led to tricky situations for his defensive colleagues

SIMON CHARLTON ... 6

Desperately unlucky to be beaten in the build-up to both goals; his commitment is unrivalled

BERNARD MENDY ... 7

Looked the man most likely to upset Liverpool with his pace and penetration until he was taken off

JAY-JAY OKOCHA ... 6

Was allowed time on the ball but not where it mattered; Wanderers look for more from him

IVAN CAMPO ... 6

Worked the ball tidily and accurately in midfield but his accuracy was missing when shooting chances came along

RICARDO GARDNER ... 5

No joy in a midfield where the going got tough once in Liverpool's zone; miscued Wanderers' only clear chance

YOURI DJORKAEFF ... 6

Always looking for a way through but struggled to make his quality count where it mattered

SALVA ... 5

Little service and little chance to impress in his first Premiership start

Subs: PIERRE-YVES ANDRE (5) for Mendy 60 mins, KEVIN NOLAN (5) for Salva 70 mins. Not used: PER FRANDSEN, ANTHONY BARNESS, KEVIN POOLE.

Liverpool

4-3-2-1

JERZY DUDEK ... 6

JAMIE CARRAGHER ... 6

SAMI HYYPIA ... 7

DJIMI TRAORE ... 7

JOHN ARNE RIISE ... 6

STEVEN GERARD ... 7

DIETMAR HAMANN ... 6

DANNY MURPHY ... 7

VLADIMIR SMICER ... 5

EL-HADJI DIOUF ... 6

MICHAEL OWEN ... 8

Subs: Bruno Cheyrou (5) for Smicer 57 mins, Salif Diao for Gerrard 72 mins. Not used; Milan Baros, Igor Biscan, Pegguy Arphexed.

KICK BY KICK

12 mins: Traore extends himself to intercept Mendy's pass to Djorkaeff as Wanderers look certain to prise a way through.

15 mins: Traore is on hand again to hack the ball clear after Riise's attempted clearance hits Mendy and ricochets into the danger zone.

16 mins: Carragher gets a vital block to keep out Gardner's goal-bound shot.

22 mins: Charlton robs Dioudf to start and almost finish a sweeping move, in which Djorkaeff is prominent, only to run into the resolute Traore.

25 mins: The lively Mendy cuts in from the right, rounds Riise and extends Dudek with a fierce cross-shot.

32 mins: Wanderers almost pay for some slack marking, Hyypia missing the target with a header after finding space to meet Hamann's cross.

34 mins: Gardner squanders the best Bolton chance of the half, miscuing with only Dudek to beat after Salva pounces on Hyypia's poor clearance.

38 mins: Laville gets away with some hesitant defending as Jaaskelainen smothers the ball at Owen's feet then recovers to block Smicer's follow-up shot.

GOAL!

45 mins: The half ends in uproar with Wanderers furiously appealing that Diouf was offside when he nodded Owen's cross over the line after the England man had beaten Charlton to get his cross in.

Half-time: Liverpool 1

Wanderers 0

52 mins: Campo is way off target after being teed up by Djorkaeff in Wanderers' most promising attack of the half.

66 mins: Liverpool's famous counter-attacking almost pays off with Owen breaking and Gerrard shooting narrowly wide.

GOAL!

67 mins: Charlton appears to have the danger covered but the determined Diouf hustles him, wins the ball and crosses for Owen the predator to pounce at the near post.

79 mins: Jaaskelainen smothers Riise's cross as Liverpool move up a gear.

82 mins: Djorkaeff's free kick skims off Bergsson and cannons off Campo before running harmlessly through to Dudek, summing up a sorry afternoon for the Wanderers attack.

Full-time: Liverpool 2

Wanderers 0

Referee: Graham Barber (Tring, Herts).

Attendance: 41,462

Goals: Liverpool - Diouf 44mins, Owen 67 mins.

Shots/headers on target: Liverpool 5, Wanderers 3.

Corners: Liverpool 3, Wanderers 3.

Offsides: Liverpool 4, Wanderers 1.

Fouls comitted: Liverpool 14, Wanderers 11.

Bookings: Wanderers - Campo 20 mins (foul), Salva 42 mins (diving), Laville 71 mins (foul).

Man of the Match

MICHAEL OWEN

IF the Liverpool and England man is having a nightmare, heaven help defenders when he is in a purple patch. Often up front on his own, he underlined the importance of a quality finisher, setting up the first and converting the second. He made all the difference.

Moan of the Match

OWEN'S success just showed the simple point: Wanderers simply didn't have a cutting edge. For all their first half possession, they hardly troubled Poland international Dudek, even when Hyypia's mistake gave Salva and Gardner a clear sight of goal.

Magic Moment

GOALKEEPER Jussi Jaaskelainen's magnificent double save from England striker Michael Owen and Czech forward Vladimir Smicer seemed to add to Liverpool's frustrations at a time when Wanderers were matching Gerard Houllier's Champions League chasing Reds.