
Neil Mellor scored his first goal of the season to give Liverpool Reserves a 1-0 victory over Sunderland but the result was marred by an ankle injury to Florent Sinama-Pongolle.
It was in the 72nd minute of the game that Sinama-Pongolle collapsed on the ground in agony after seeming to twist his ankle, and after treatment he was helped off the field and couldn't put any weight on his ankle. The watching Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will be hoping the injury isn't too serious.
The game itself was certainly a low key affair as a strong looking Liverpool team struggled to produce clear cut openings. When they did create their first meaningful chance it was perhaps inevitable Neil Mellor was the scorer.
It was something of a rarity for Mellor not to score in his previous two reserve team outings after returning from a knee injury he suffered during pre-season. The goal came in the 56th minute and was created by Sinama-Pongolle intercepting a backpass and he fed Mellor who found the net.
Chris Kirkland and Stephane Henchoz both played well in what was a disappointing match.