DOMINANT REDS FORCED TO SETTLE FOR A POINT

Liverpool were unable to make their dominance pay against 10-man Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday and had to settle for a point in their opening Premiership game of the season.

The Reds were easily the better side and will count themselves unlucky not to have returned from Teeside with the win their performance deserved.

In a game of few clear-cut opportunities the European Champions always looked most likely to break the deadlock but on a frustrating evening in front of goal they could find no way past Boro keeper Mark Schwarzer - even after Ugo Ehiogu was dismissed for a foul on Steven Gerrard 15 minutes from time.

It was Gerrard who had earlier spurned the best opportunity when he fired over from close-range midway through the first half following a neat move involving Xabi Alonso and Fernando Morientes.

The skipper was again at his inspirational best throughout the 90 minutes and shortly after the break he threatened three times in quick succession with long-range strikes before later heading narrowly over and then being denied by a fine Schwarzer save.

The impressive Momo Sissoko also went close with a shot from distance as Liverpool laid siege to the home goal but despite their best efforts they failed to make the decisive breakthrough and were forced to accept a solitary point.

"Boro manager Steve McClaren, a massive fan of Gerrard, admitted the player who works under him at England should have won the game for Liverpool single-handedly."

McClaren said: "I think we were lucky

"He has been scoring goals quite regularly in pre-season and when he got a couple of chances, we rode our luck on those occasions.

"But I think we deserved that luck.

"We got those breaks but we worked hard enough for them. But he is an awesome player. He was their best attacker and their best defender. He was everywhere."