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                <p>SUNDERLAND (AFP) – Liverpool kept alive their hopes of qualifying for Europe with a controversial 2-0 Premier League win over 10-man Sunderland on Sunday.</p>
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Kenny Dalglish's sixth placed side need to catch fifth placed Tottenham to avoid missing out on a place in Europe and they were given a helping hand by the officials at the Stadium of Light.</p>
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Referee Kevin Friend and his linesman played an important part in the win, with a hotly-disputed decision allowing Dirk Kuyt to break the deadlock with a penalty before Luis Suarez sealed the victory.</p>
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Friend made his error when he allowed the linesman to persuade him to give a penalty for John Mensah's challenge on Jay Spearing even though he had initially given a free-kick.</p>
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Replays showed the tackle was outside the area but Kuyt scored the penalty to set Liverpool on the way, while Friend sent off Sunderland defender Mensah late in the match for a professional foul on Suarez.</p>
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The early stages were notable only for Sunderland's injury problems - Sulley Muntari and Kieran Richardson both limped off injured and Phil Bardsley might have followed if it had not meant using their last substitute already - until Friend intervened.</p>
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On Liverpool's last trip to the Stadium of Light, Sunderland's winning goal went in off a discarded beachball. This time the Reds got lucky.</p>
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Faced with a routine long ball, Ghana captain Mensah made a mess of chesting it down and allowed Spearing to pounce onto the loose ball.</p>
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The midfielder was heading for the penalty area when Mensah brought him down.</p>
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Friend stood on the spot outside the area where he thought the foul had taken place, but linesman Billy Smallwood disagreed, signaling for a penalty.</p>
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Although television replays proved Friend correct, he was persuaded by the linesman and Kuyt drilled the penalty to Simon Mignolet's left.</p>
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Mensah had escaped with a booking, but received a red card after 82 minutes for a professional foul on Suarez.</p>
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The Belgian goalkeeper's first save of note came after 37 minutes when he stretched to keep out Suarez's effort from a brilliant Spearing pass.</p>
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Until then Andy Carroll had been Sunderland's only real concern. The former Newcastle United forward was his usual dominant self in the air, and although he discomforted the home defenders on his Premier League debut, his side had little to show for it until he forced substitute Lee Cattermole to cleared off the line at a 51st-minute corner.</p>
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Mignolet made a great diving save from Spearing in the 74th minute, but was badly beaten at his near post minutes later. Suarez beat Cattermole, then the goalkeeper, from a near impossible angle.</p>
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Asamoah Gyan was fortunate to escape a red card for poking Martin Skrtel's nose but seconds later his international team-mate Mensah was dismissed for pulling down Uruguay forward Suarez as he bore down on goal.</p>
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Sunderland were poor throughout and it was not until the 86th minute that Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina was forced into a save, keeping out Cattermole's long-range effort.</p>
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