MATCH REPORT

Craig Bellamy ended the perfect week with his first league goal for Liverpool - but it could not salvage their 100% home Premiership record.

Bellamy, captain of his country, scored his first Wales goal for 20 months in midweek, and followed that up with a face-saving equaliser against the club he left in the summer to move to Anfield.

Blackburn more than deserved their point and led at the break through Benni McCarthy, who swept home a fine cross from David Bentley.

Liverpool toiled away without much cohesion or confidence, and boss Rafael Benitez will hope to have some of his injured stars back for the midweek Champions League trip to Bordeaux.

The Anfield chief was without Mohamed Sissoko and Dirk Kuyt, both injured playing for their countries, and that saw a recall for Fabio Aurelio and Peter Crouch.

Blackburn keeper Brad Friedel had recovered from a groin problem to keep his place.

Early chances went begging, first when Friedel failed to gather a John Arne Riise long throw, and a surprised Crouch failed to connect in the six-yard box. Then from Jermaine Pennant's chip, Steven Gerrard saw a header sail wide.

Rovers survived thanks to Lucas Neill's goalline clearance from a Crouch shot, Friedel having only palmed away a Riise drive. Crouch was then unable to get enough power behind a 12-yard shot.

Blackburn were looking to Bentley and he responded with an excellent delivery of deep, angled balls into the box.

A couple had previously had caused uncertainty in Liverpool's defence, and when he produced another on 17 minutes, it fell perfectly for the unmarked McCarthy to drive past Jose Reina.

On 28 minutes Bentley was booked for catching Riise in full flow down the left, but Liverpool were not creating anything. The movement and control had gone from their game.

Gerrard, playing in the central midfield role he is constantly denied by club and country, found space to curl in a 20-yard shot that Friedel dived to touch away to his left.

Friedel needed lengthy treatment after that, and a change of shirt, but was able to continue. Neill was booked for a string of fouls on Pennant.

A half-time change saw Riise moved to left midfield and Aurelio to left back, while within seven minutes Luis Garcia was on in place of Pennant.

Neill had Reina scurrying across his goal chasing a 30-yard shot that went wide, before Robbie Savage was booked for a foul on Gerrard. Still Liverpool were not testing Friedel.

Even when Crouch headed down for Luis Garcia, the Spaniard failed to connect on the far post, while Riise drove wide after a Steve Finnan cross had eluded Crouch and Bellamy.

But on 64 minutes Bellamy did connect. Aurelio's corner sailed into the box and the striker nodded home from six yards - his first league goal for the club, following on from his first Wales goal for 20 months.

At last Liverpool came to life. Riise failed by inches with a cross-shot as the pressure increased on the Rovers defence, with Gerrard turning on the edge of the box to send a screamer into the Kop.

Liverpool's ideas petered out and Blackburn could have stolen it. Sami Hyypia was booked for tripping Savage when the Welshman was charging through after winning possession, and he took the free-kick himself, curling the effort just over from 25 yards.

Then Blackburn almost scored when Hyypia failed to clear and Bentley found a yard of space but still could not beat Reina from eight yards.

Paul Walker, PA

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MEDIA/PRESS REPORTS

BBC Sport

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