Early on he hacked Owen’s shot off the line and then came racing back at

Early on, he hacked Owen’s shot off the line and then came racing back at full pelt to deal with a long ball from Djimi Traor?hat appeared to leave Bramble, Shay Given and Nikos Dabizas paralysed. He took the ball from Owen’s boots just as he was aiming what should have been a fatal shot.Owen went on to miss two clear one-on-ones, normally the deadliest weapon in his armory; once aiming high into the Anfield Road End and then clipping into Given’s body. Dietmar Hamann, however, made no mistake to finally break through in the 53rd minute. Dispossessing Nolberto Solano, he drove into the area with absolute purpose. Since he is regarded with disdain by the Toon Army after quitting the club in the wake of the 1999 FA Cup final, the goal would have stung more than a strike from Owen.Having missed a penalty on the opening day of the season, Owen soon stepped up to take another, awarded after Dabizas had wrestled Sami Hyypia to the ground It seemed the final, decisive word on a one-way game.

Instead, it triggered an extraordinary turnaround.Liverpool (4-4-2): Dudek 6; Abel Xavier 5, Henchoz 6, Hyypia 6, Traor?; Murphy 7, Hamann 7 (Diouf 6, 68), Gerrard 8 (Cheyrou, 84), Smicer 7; Owen 8, Heskey 5. Substitutes not used: Kirkland (gk), Riise, Carragher.Newcastle United (4-4-2): Given 7; Hughes 8, Bramble 3, Dabizas 6, Bernard 4; Solano 5 (Bellamy 7, 63), Dyer 6, Speed 7, Viana 4 (Jenas 5, 63); LuaLua 5 (Robert 7, 63), Shearer 7. Substitutes not used: Harper (gk), O’Brien.Referee: G Poll (Tring) 7.. Sven Goran Eriksson has heeded the advice of the West Ham manager Glenn Roeder and chosen not to fast-track Jermain Defoe into the senior England squad.

But Eriksson has decided not to select the 19-year-old, who will instead join the Under-21 squad to face Yugoslavia at the Reebok Stadium on Friday. That will please Roeder, who had hoped Eriksson would not turn to Defoe before he had established a regular first-team spot at Upton Park.Sunderland’s recent £3.5m signing Matthew Piper is among five players called up by David Platt for the first time. Piper burst on to the Premiership scene with considerable success for Leicester City in the second half of last season.Also receiving their first recognition at this level are the defenders Peter Clarke (Everton), Joleon Lescott (Wolves), Stuart Parnaby (Middlesbrough), Matt Taylor and Gary O’Neil (both Portsmouth) Clarke is currently on loan to Blackpool. The goalkeepers Rhys Evans (Chelsea) and Russell Howarth (York) are also named in a squad for the first time, although they had previously been called up by Platt as injury replacements. Howarth was added to the European Under-21 Championship squad in May after Stephen Bywater was injured.

Evans, like Clarke, is also obtaining first-team experience during a loan spell with Leyton Orient.. Gordon Sorfleet had one heck of weekend. “Bizarre” was the adjective that recurred most often yesterday as he recounted how he flew to Monte Carlo last Thursday to be named as Uefa’s Supporter of the Year at the annual gala dinner of the game’s European ruling body

Gordon Sorfleet had one heck of weekend. Zidane, Roberto Carlos and Raul all picked up gongs at the same ceremony.Uefa decided to honour the 38-year-old when his fund-raising work for Bury, where he is press officer, was brought to its attention. He was also integral to the formation of a Supporters’ Trust that now sees a fan on the board at Gigg Lane. “It’s still going to be bloody tight for five years but at least the supporters have shown what can done,” he said. “The award has got my name on it, but it’s for every fan at the club.