The Hindu : Sport : Liverpool lifts cup

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 14, 2006

Sport

Sport

Liverpool lifts cup

ON CLOUD NINE: Liverpool players celebrate after winning the penalty shootout against West Ham United in the FA Cup final on Saturday. — PHOTO: AP

ARDIFF (Wales): Liverpool beat West Ham 3-1 on penalties on Saturday after rallying to a 3-3 draw, winning the FA Cup for the seventh time.

Liverpool, which also made a comeback and won a shootout in last season's Champions League final, was trailing 2-0 and then 3-2 in the 125th final until Steven Gerrard's 30-metre (yard) half volley in injury time.

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina tipped an effort by Nigel Reo-Coker onto the post with a minute of extra time to go before saving three kicks in the shootout.

Gerrard lifted the famous trophy, adding it to last season's European title, when Liverpool came from 3-0 down at halftime to draw 3-3 and beat AC Milan on penalties.

``It's very special, the supporters are fantastic and West Ham were brilliant today, but we had the never-say-die attitude,'' Liverpool captain Gerrard said. ``We felt our best chance was penalties because we had no energy left.''

The Hammers had been in control midway through the first half with two goals in seven minutes. Defender Carragher turned a cross from Scaloni into his own net and Dean Ashton added the second after Reina failed to hold a shot by Matthew Etherington.

Liverpool hit back through Djibril Cisse and Gerrard, but Konchesky put the Hammers 3-2 ahead with a miss-hit cross in the 64th minute. Gerrard then fired his late drive through a crowded area to make it 3-3. — AP

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