Owen the hero as Liverpool bounce back

Michael Owen put Liverpool's season firmly back on track with an expertly-taken double in a confidence-boosting 3-0 derby win over Everton at Goodison Park.

Owen was all business while at the other end England team-mate Wayne Rooney squandered at least four good chances and gathered yet another yellow card.

Everton were the first to threaten after seven minutes with England starlet Rooney getting a glimpse at goal only for Liverpool skipper Sami Hyypia to intervene at the last moment.

Seconds later Rooney sprung the Liverpool offside trap with a clever chip with the outside of his boot sending Tomasz Radzinski clear and his angled right-footer slipped inches past Jerzy Dudek's right-hand post.

It was a worrying start for Liverpool visiting their city rivals under the cloud of their worst start to the league in years with just one point and one goal from three games.

Everton under manager David Moyes in his second season were lying seventh and keen to put more space between the two clubs in the Premiership table.

Despite Liverpool's poor form though, Everton were up against it having won only one of their last 10 meetings and losing the last three games at Goodison Park.

Mark Pembridge curled a 30-yard free-kick round Dudek's post and Radzinski's pace through the centre of the Liverpool defense nearly brought a penalty as the Everton pressure continued.

Liverpool finally threatened after 20 minutes with new signing Harry Kewell volleying over the bar from just inside the penalty area.

But play swept back to the other end and Gary Naysmith should have done better for Everton four minutes later when he shot straight at Dudek from 20 yards out.

Play was scrappy with both sides looking nervy and Steve Watson became the second Everton player booked after 32 minutes for a tackle on El Hadji Diouf joining Naysmith who was yellow carded in the second minute.

A bad tackle by Joseph Yobo on Milan Barros just outside the box gave Liverpool a chance after 35 minutes, but they made nothing of the ensuing free-kick.

But three minutes Liverpool were ahead with their first goal of the season from open play.

Kewell burst through the middle and poked the ball through a hestitant Everton defence for Owen who slipped a left-footer past Richard Wright into the net off his left-hand post.

Everton came back quickly and Rooney sparked another move which ended in him poking a shot from close-in which Dudek countered.

With play swinging from end to end as the game came to life, both Owen and Kewell went close to increasing the Liverpool lead as half-time approached

Everton wasted no time on the restart and a free-kick from 35 yards out metres nearly caught out Dudek who was briefly injured after saving at the second attempt.

At the other end Wright parried a Vladimir Smicer pile-driver from 15 yards out and Kewell went into the referee's book for clattering in to Alessandro Pistone.

Owen made it 2-0 for Liverpool after 51 minutes steering the ball wide of Wright from 18 metres out after Barros had turned Yobo inside-out and fed the England striker.

Dudek defied Everton with a tremendous reflex save from a point-blank header following a Thomas Graveson corner and two minutes later Rooney shot weakly past from the edge of the box with the Liverpool defence sleeping.

Owen came within inches of his hattrick after 58 minutes, Wright tipping over his dipping shot from just inside the area.

In contrast Rooney again missed a good opportunity with a misdirected header 12 minutes later and Moyes then brought on Duncan Ferguson as Everton desparately sought to get back into the game.

The substitution nearly paid dividends after 75 minutes when his curling left-footed free-kick slammed back off the top of the post with Dudek well beaten.

But four minutes later Liverpool wrapped up the points when Owen broke clear on the right and crossed for Kewell to slot home after the Everton defence failed to clear.

Everton's woes were compounded with another yellow card for Rooney for dissent after 82 minutes