Crouch seals victory for Liverpool

Bordeaux's midfielder Johan Micoud (L) vies with Liverpool's Jamie Carragher during their Champions league Group C clash in Bordeaux. Liverpool won 1-0.

Peter Crouch sealed victory for Liverpool with a second-half header that clinched a 1-0 Champions League Group C win against Bordeaux.

England striker Crouch capped a solid, if unspectacular, performance by the English team with a 58th minute header from Craig Bellamy's corner.

And despite being forced to weather some periods of pressure from the home side, Liverpool always appeared comfortable at the Chaban-Delmas stadium.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was delighted that his side had won their first match away from home this season.

"Two things were very important for us: to win away and to keep a clean sheet, and in terms of confidence that will be a very very good thing," said the Spaniard.

"It was important for senior players like Sami Hyypia or Jamie Carragher to come up with a key performance. Now we only need two wins at home, but you never know, its football."

Liverpool's Mark Gonzalez (R) kicks the ball in front of Bordeaux's Fernando Menegazzo during their Champions league Group C clash in Bordeaux. Liverpool won 1-0.

His Bordeaux counterpart Ricardo refused to give up the ghost of qualifying for the next stage despite his side only having one point and Liverpool and PSV Eindhoven seven with three matches remaining.

"Of course the task of qualifying is difficult but it isn't over yet," said the Brazilian.

"I told the players that it is not finished and that everything is beginning to come together."

Benitez, with captain Steven Gerrard already ruled out with a hamstring injury, opted against risking fellow midfielder Momo Sissoko's ankle problem from the start of the game.

Benitez began with the attacking flair of Luis Garcia and Mark Gonzalez on the flanks with Dutch international Bolo Zenden alongside Xabi Alonso at the heart of midfield.

Liverpool's forward Peter Crouch is smothered by his cheering teammates as they congratulate him for his goal during their Champions league Group C clash in Bordeaux. Liverpool won 1-0.

It was certainly an adventurous selection, but Bordeaux have done little to suggest that they are one of the more potent attacking units in the Champions League and Liverpool always appeared in control in the first-half, despite the odd scare in their own goalmouth.

Had Bordeaux playmaker Johan Micoud been able to take advantage of a clear chance to open the scoring on 25 minutes, it may have been a different story for the home side.

The former France international should have scored when, after outjumping Jamie Carragher in the six yard box, he failed to connect with Wendel's floated free-kick into the penalty area.

Even the slightest of touches from Micoud would have diverted the ball past Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal, but instead, the 2005 Champions League winners survived and went on to waste their own clear-cut chances to break the deadlock before the interval.

Bordeaux's Alejandro Cesar Alonso (L) and Franck Jurieti (R) challenge Liverpool's Luis Garcia during their Champions league Group C clash in Bordeaux. Liverpool won 1-0.

England striker Peter Crouch did brilliantly to spring the offside trap on 36 minutes and latch on to Craig Bellamy's cross at the far post. Crouch was unmarked six yards out, but he lacked composure and could only direct his volley wide of the far post.

Having failed to score away from home in the Champions League for 12 months, it was a case of the same old story for Liverpool, but Crouch went close to ending the club's goal drought when he broke free again five minutes before half-time.

Crouch did well to control the ball and his effort on goal looked set to hit the target until it was diverted into the sidenetting by Franck Jurietti.

Bordeaux attempted to turn up the pressure on Liverpool early in the second-half, though, and Brazilian midfielder Fernando Menegazzo tested Reina with a 25-yard effort second after the re-start.

The home side could not break through, however, and Liverpool took the lead against the run of play on 58 minutes when Crouch headed his third Champions League goal in two games from Bellamy's corner.

Garcia had created the opportunity when he forced a fine save from Rame's after cutting in from the right-flank before unleashing a fierce left-foot strike.

And Crouch made it pay off when he rose above the static Bordeaux defenders to head home from close range and all but extinguish the home side's hopes of a place in the knock-out stages.