Grabbi gamble pays off

After all the talk of the partnership between Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke, the meanest defence in the Premiership forgot all about the man who cost Graeme Souness a princely £6.75 million from Ternana last summer.

And that oversight ended up costing them dearly as the former Juventus star unleashed a year of frustration on the Reds by snatching a last-gasp equaliser in the most dramatic way possible.

Grabbi is the first to admit that the last 12 months have been nothing short of a nightmare as he has struggled to come to terms with life in England.

However, for one glorious moment last night he put all those troubles behind him as his bullet header ripped past Jerzy Dudek to earn Rovers a point barely 30 seconds after he had climbed off the substitutes' bench.

It was a sensational climax to a gripping evening but nothing less than the 26-year-old deserved after showing the character to defy his critics.

"Ciccio found it difficult when he came here last year," admitted Souness.

"It was a new environment, he was in a totally different country, his wife had just given birth to their first baby and he couldn't get his head around it.

"But he went away, had a look at his whole life and he's since come back with a great determination to show everyone that he can contribute this year and I've got belief in his ability.

"So if his attitude is right then I'm sure he can play a part for us."

Although they left it late, few could deny Rovers were full value for a point after they more than matched a Liverpool team who are sure to be title contenders once again.

Reds boss Gerard Houllier spent big over the summer in a concerted effort to go one better than last season's runners-up spot.

But Souness's young lions were far from overawed and, judging by this evidence, few sides are in for an easy ride at Ewood over the next nine months.

Finishing 10th and lifting the Worthington Cup last season, has instilled an air of confidence into a gifted squad which is overloaded with attacking potential.

And when the ingredients all come together, someone somewhere will find themselves on the wrong end of a hiding.

At the back, Martin Taylor and Craig Short were so effective in snuffing out the threat of Michael Owen and El Hadji Diouf that Houllier ended up substituting both his strikers during the second half.

But it's in midfield where Rovers' real strength lies.

Garry Flitcroft provided a protective barrier in front of the back four with a tigerish performance against the imperious Didi Hamann.

And, although he never really slipped into top gear, Damien Duff still did enough to put the fear of God into Portuguese full-back Abel Xavier with a couple of typically devastating runs in the opening half hour.

It was David Dunn who ultimately caught the eye, though, with a man of the match performance on the opposite flank.

Over the last 12 months, Souness has tried to impress upon his midfield star the importance of not shirking his defensive responsibilities.

But Dunn is at his best when he's running at defenders in the final third and he underlined his enormous value to the team with a goal and an assist, even though he was again pressed into action on the right rather than in his preferred position in the centre.

On this evidence, he must be a serious contender for an England call-up ahead of next month's friendly with Portugal at Villa Park, although midfield rival Danny Murphy did his own cause no harm at all with a goal of sublime quality in the first half.

However, while Duff and Dunn continue to bloom, the sudden slump in form of Tugay remains a cause for concern.

And it may take time for Yorke and Cole to rediscover the kind of understanding they had together at Old Trafford.

For that to happen, though, the whole team must work on improving the service into the front two.

Nevertheless, the positives far outweighed the negatives on the night. Rovers made the perfect start, carving out the opening goal with barely 13 minutes on the clock.

Duff -- who else? -- was the destroyer-in-chief, ghosting past Hamann and Abel Xavier on the left before delivering a pin-point cross which Cole dummied for Dunn who took a touch and drilled a low shot under Jerzy Dudek from 12 yards out.

Things could have gone from bad to worse for the visitors two minutes later when Cole pounced on a slip by Stephane Henchoz only for Dudek to save at his near post.

However, as the half wore on, Liverpool started to pose more of a threat going forward and, after Owen had been denied by a great block from Nissa Johansson, they fashioned a wonderful equaliser in the 31st minute.

Murphy nonchalantly flicked the ball out to Xavier on the right and, when the Portuguese international delivered his return cross, there was the England midfielder to sweep home an exquisite half volley inside the far post.

Both sides struggled to impose themselves on proceedings after the break and Houllier's patience finally ran out in the 64th minute when he replaced Owen and £10 million striker-partner El Hadji Diouf with Emile Heskey and Vladimir Smicer.

That gamble paid off with 13 minutes remaining when Tugay failed to get enough purchase on a clearance and Henchoz picked out Smicer who crossed for Jon Arne Riise to head what looked like the winner at the far post.

However, Grabbi had other ideas and Ewood then erupted when he snatched an equaliser in a fitting finale, rising majestically to head home a cross from Dunn in the 83rd minute.

ROVERS 2

Dunn 13, Grabbi 83

LIVERPOOL 2

Murphy 31, Riise 77

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