Tuesday, November 2, 1999 Published at 11:36 GMT
Heggem seals Anfield victory
Titi Camara stuns Bradford with his blistering first-half strike
Liverpool 3-1 Bradford
Liverpool have moved up to sixth in the Premiership after a confident victory over Bradford at Anfield.
After the game, Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier said he was pleased with the win, but added: "Now I want five more.
"We reacted well to going behind. It was five games unbeaten, yes, but I hope now for another five.
"We were not good at the beginning. I want my team to take the game by the scruff of the neck, but they were too soft, too gentle, too nice and you have to be more aggressive at this level.
"After we equalised, we went on to dominate and it could have been more. Their goalkeeper was man of the match, he made some excellent saves."
Liverpool started with an air of authority, neat passing and movement, that must have worried Bradford's fans.
And when Neil Redfearn was booked for pulling back Patrik Berger after just 30 seconds, it looked like that anxiety had spread to the Yorkshire side.
Liverpool produced three clear-cut openings early on. First, a 20-yard Redknapp free-kick was pulled down by keeper Matt Clarke, making his Premiership debut for the Bantams.
Then Titi Camara struck a low shot on the turn that Clarke held low down, before Berger's fierce drive fizzed wide of the far post.
But it did not take long for the gremlins to get to work in the Liverpool defence.
Thirty seconds later it could have been far worse. Former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders got away on the left and crossed for Redfearn to head over from just a few feet when he really should have buried the chance.
Vladimir Smicer chipped wide of the far post as Liverpool sought to get themselves back into the game, but after 20 minutes Camara scored his fifth of the season and third in successive games.
He took possession 30 yards out before turning and running at a retreating defence before drilling a low shot past Clarke.
It was a turning point for Liverpool, who never looked back, and when David Wetherall brought down Berger in the box, after 41 minutes, Redknapp rapped home the penalty.
Camara in the frame
Liverpool continued to take control in the second-half, but they were unable to complete a number of promising moves.
Camara again looked dangerous going forward, but he was frequently guilty of doing too much and losing the ball in promising positions.
Bradford brought Jamie Lawrence on for Gunnar Halle in the 65th minute.
Seconds later, Bradford were fortunate not to fall further behind, when Matt Clarke just managed to challenge Redknapp after Camara had put the England midfielder through with a delicate flick.
It proved to be Redknapp's final contribution to the match, Houllier replacing him with Jamie Carragher.
Camara again stamped his authority on the match in the 74th minute when he outpaced the Bradford defence on the right, only to be denied by Clarke who tipped his superb strike over the bar.
In an inspired substitution, Houllier then brought on Vegard Heggem for Thompson and the Norwegian added Liverpool's third with almost his first touch of the game.
Taking the ball past four defenders, Heggem buried his shot in the inside corner, past the Bradford keeper's left hand.
It ended a brave fight from the Bantams, who were ultimately outclassed on the night.
Liverpool: Westerveld, Staunton, Henchoz, Hyypia, Song, Smicer, Redknapp, Hamann, Berger, Thompson, Camara. Subs: Heggem, Meijer, Carragher, Murphy, Nielsen.
Bradford: Clarke, Wetherall, Halle, O'Brien, Sharpe, Windass, McCall, Redfearn, Saunders, Mills, Blake. Subs: Myers, Lawrence, Prudhoe, Rankin, Dreyer.
Referee: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees)