Reds recovery gathers steam

Liverpool shrugged off the absence of injured superstar Michael Owen as they came from a goal down to beat Birmingham 3-1 and leapfrog over their opponents to sixth in the table.

Finnish star Mikael Forssell gave Birmingham a 33rd-minute lead from a well-worked free kick but that was cancelled out when Matthew Upson fouled young French striker Florent Sinama-Pongolle a couple of minutes later.

Steven Gerrard converted the penalty and Liverpool went on to claim all three points with second half goals from Harry Kewell and Emile Heskey.

Kewell is not the most natural headers of a ball but he seems to be making a habit of getting on the end of crosses for Liverpool.

After nodding in the winner against Steaua Bucharest in the UEFA Cup in midweek, the Australian winger surpassed himself with a diving effort to meet a cross from the left by John Arne Riise and put Liverpool into the lead.

Heskey, restored to the side after Owen incurred a thigh strain against Steaua, made sure of the points with a spectacular strike five minutes later.

Salif Diao pumped a long ball into the Birmingham box, which the England striker controlled on his chest before spinning to fire a shot into the top corner.