Fernando Torres: How poor ref spurred me into life

Sep 29 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

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DERBY hero Fernando Torres revealed his frustration at referee Mike Riley prompted the spark for his match-winning double at Goodison.

Torres scored twice in three second-half minutes to earn Liverpool a 2-0 win over neighbours Everton in the 208th Merseyside derby.

The brace ended a six-game goal drought for the Spaniard, who hadn’t netted since the opening day of the season at Sunderland.

Earlier in the game, Torres had been unhappy with the attention of some Everton defending, and had talked himself into a booking following a petulant foul.

And Torres said: “Some things happened in the game that I was frustrated with, but they aren’t important now. The referee is doing his job, but sometimes a player needs help from a referee.

“I’m happy to score two goals after going six games without scoring. But I’m more happy with the three points. I just want to improve on this now and keep scoring.

“It was a physical game, Everton are a very strong team and it’s difficult to win here. But I thought we played very well.

“I thought maybe I could have had three goals because the referee disallowed another goal, but for what I’m not entirely sure why. But I was happy with the two goals and the fact we’d won.”

Robbie Keane crossed for Torres’s 59th-minute opener and was then instrumental in the build-up to the Spaniard’s second three minutes later.

And of his strike partner, Torres said: “Robbie is playing very well. He knows that if he keeps working hard the goals will arrive for him and arrive soon. He gave a fantastic assist, all of the players want him to score soon and for him to keep playing like he did on Saturday.”

Torres has now set his sights on surpassing his goals tally for last season and helping Liverpool sustain a realistic title challenge.