Gerrard inspires Liverpool to 3-1 win over Newcastle

LIVERPOOL: Craig Bellamy bagged a brace and Steven Gerrard was also on the scoresheet as Liverpool boosted their bid for a top four finish with a 3-1 win over Newcastle at Anfield on Friday.



Kenny Dalglish's side trailed to Daniel Agger's own goal midway through the first half, but Bellamy equalised soon after and the former Newcastle striker netted again from a free-kick in the second half.



England midfielder Gerrard, who has missed most of the season due to injury, capped a fine cameo performance from the substitutes bench with his side's third goal.



Liverpool are now in fifth place, level on points with fourth placed Chelsea, while Newcastle remain seventh after another failed trip to Anfield.



All eyes were on misfiring Liverpool striker Andy Carroll who has struggled for goals since completing a £35 million move from Newcastle last January.



With Uruguay striker Luis Suarez suspended, Carroll was charged with leading Liverpool's attack yet the 22-year-old had not found the net in a Liverpool shirt for almost seven hours.



Pressure had been growing on Liverpool after their failure to kill off teams at home threatened to cost them a top-four finish.



But they travel to leaders Manchester City on January 3 with hopes of securing a place in next season's Champions League very much alive.



Just as they did against bottom-of-the-table Blackburn on Monday, Liverpool were forced to come from behind despite making the brighter start.



Jose Enrique, another Liverpool player facing his former club, delivered a delightful low cross into Newcastle's six-yard area in the 16th minute.



Yet the home team's failure to make the most of their chances this season has been well documented and once again another opportunity went begging as there was no red shirt to turn the ball over the line.



Three minutes later Carroll's first serious attempt at goal cannoned off Bellamy who was standing in front of the Newcastle goal.



Charlie Adam fired high and wide before Stewart Downing, still without a goal since completing a £20 million move from Aston Villa in July, forced visiting keeper Tim Krul into his first save after good work by Bellamy.



Then out of nowhere, Newcastle took the lead in the 25th minute when Yohan Cabaye's flick, following Ryan Taylor's cross from the left, deflected off Agger's shoulder and flew past Pepe Reina.



It was Newcastle's first top-flight goal at Anfield since Patrick Kluivert scored in a 3-1 defeat in 2004.



Yet their lead lasted just five minutes as Bellamy seized on Cheik Tiote's half clearance to find the net from 12-yards after smashing the ball through a sea of legs.



Martin Skrtel then flashed a header narrowly wide before Newcastle were fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men after Cabaye's ugly challenge on Jay Spearing.



With more than half an hour to go, Dalglish sent on Gerrard and it was Liverpool's captain who proved the difference between the two teams in the end.



Within moments of his introduction he teed-up Carroll with a pin-point cross only for the striker to lose control of the ball after a shocking first touch.



But Carroll played his part in Bellamy's second from a 25-yard free-kick as Liverpool made it 2-1 in the 67th minute.



Newcastle defender Danny Simpson should have cleared the set-piece but only succeeded in getting in Krul's way, and with the keeper already unsighted by Carroll, the ball flew straight in.



Skrtel denied Demba Ba an equaliser before Carroll headed Gerrard's inviting cross against the woodwork.



But Liverpool ensured they rounded off 2011 with a win when Gerrard found the net from an accute angle from inside the area in the 78th minute.