LIVERPOOL BOSS RAFA BENITEZ AND MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER MARK HUGHES ARE STILL FRUSTRATED

ABOVE: Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez and Manchester City manager Mark Hughes are still frustrated

THIS was a match neither side could afford to lose – and they didn’t.

But the frustration goes on for Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez and City manager Mark Hughes.

It’s now one win in 10 matches for Liverpool and Benitez doesn’t need telling that is not good enough.

And while a point at Anfield is never a bad result for a visiting team, it’s now six draws in succession for City and that’s not enough for the mega-rich men from Eastlands either.

Particularly as they lost a lead just a minute after going ahead late in the match.

Martin Skrtel’s first goal for Liverpool put his side in front before strikes from Emmanuel Adebayor and Stephen Ireland had seemingly won the game for City.

But substitute Yossi Benayoun made it 2-2 – much to the Kop’s relief.

Hughes admitted: “It’s frustrating that we’ve let another winning position go away from us.

“If we had defended correctly at that time we would have seen the game out because Liverpool weren’t causing us too many problems.

“It was a good performance and we were the better team, but it feels like a chance missed.

“Failing to get a victory after being in a winning position is not a worry, it’s a frustration.

“It is an indication of the progress we are making that we’ve come to Anfield, scored twice, got a point, but we are still disappointed.”

Liverpool bodies were littered all over the pitch in the early minutes as they made an unfortunate and accident-prone start.

They were out of luck in the fifth minute when Skrtel’s header from Steven Gerrard’s free-kick was kept out by Shay Given’s amazing one-handed save when a goal looked certain.

But as the ball was played into the box, Daniel Agger clashed with Kolo Toure and had to be stretchered off, and later had five stitches in a head wound.

Agger was replaced by Sotiros Kyrgiakos and eight minutes later the Reds were forced into another change.

Gerrard and Ryan Babel collided on the edge of the City penalty area and the Liverpool winger came off worst.

Benayoun replaced Babel, just as Jamie Carragher was being booked for a wild challenge on former Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy.

The hobbling Toure – who had to be replaced at half-time – was thanked by his keeper Given for a vital block on Gerrard, who then lifted the rebound over the top.

It was frantic stuff with Liverpool mainly on top at that stage, but City still had their moments.

Pepe Reina had to palm out a Gareth Barry header and Shaun Wright-Phillips shot wide from a good position. The early chaos led to six minutes of added time.

But even that didn’t bring a goal in a first half noteworthy only for injuries.

Liverpool did manage to break the deadlock five minutes after the interval.

Gerrard swung in a free-kick from the left and Skrtel reacted quicker than Adebayor to steer the ball home.

But Adebayor made amends in the 69th minute, escaping Skrtel’s loose marking to power his downward header past Reina and into the far corner.

Liverpool were punished for allowing Adebayor space and not having a defender on the line.

And they seemed shattered in the 76th minute when Ireland gave City the lead with a neat right-foot finish after substitute Carlos Tevez – on his 100th Premier League appearance – and Wright-Phillips had opened up the fragile Liverpool back line.

But City switched off and a minute later Liverpool were level.

David Ngog’s cross took a deflection that put it neatly into the path of Benayoun to apply the finishing touch.

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