Reds win Cup on penalties
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ByEurosport
Published 13/05/2006 at 15:46 GMT
Liverpool beat West Ham on penalties to win the FA Cup at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday after the game ended 3-3 in normal time. A Steven Gerrard brace, including a late equaliser to send the game into extra time, helped the Merseysiders lift their s
FOOTBALL 2005-2006 FA Cup Final Liverpool-West Ham Gerrard lifts trophy
Image credit: Reuters
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina, who had put in a shaky performance for much of the day and was at fault for two of West Ham's goals, was the hero as he saved three Hammers' penalties to give Liverpool victory.
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FOOTBALL 2005-2006 FA Cup Liverpool-West Ham Reina
Image credit: Reuters
Bobby Zamora, Paul Konchesky and Anton Ferdinand saw the Spaniard repel their efforts, whilst Liverpool scored three of their four, Sami Hyypia being the only player in red to miss.
But it all could have been so different.
The trophy seemed to be heading for East London after a Jamie Carragher own goal, a Dean Ashton strike and a lucky Paul Konchesky goal had given West Ham fans hope that this was to be their year.
But up stepped Liverpool captain Gerrard in the dying minutes to put those ideas on ice as he bagged his second of the day with a crisply struck first time effort from outside the box.
GERRARD EQUALISER
Djibril Cissé had earlier pulled the score back to 1-2 with a sweet volley before Gerrard equalised twice to send the match into extra time.
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FOOTBALL 2005-2006 FA Cup Liverpool-West Ham Gerrard's strike
Image credit: Reuters
No further breakthrough could be made in the additional half hour period as, with all three substitutions already made by both teams, players tired and cramp set in.
So it was to be the cruel ending of penalties that finally separated these two teams, with Reina emerging as the toast of Liverpool.
But if Reina was ultimately the hero, he could so easily have been the villain after his under-par performance in normal time.
ZERO TO HERO
The Spaniard was at fault for West Ham's opening two goals, firstly as the unfortunate Carragher slid in to guide the ball into his own net when the 'keeper should have claimed, and then as he spilled a Mathew Etherington shot into the path of Ashton for the striker to slot home easily.
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FOOTBALL 2005-2006 FA Cup Liverpool-West Ham Reina
Image credit: Reuters
"I think my game was horrible today," said Reina. "But in the lottery of penalties I was lucky."
"There is a small line between making saves and making mistakes - this time we were lucky.
Before his penalty heroics, Reina had redeemed himself in the closing stages of the game as he athletically tipped a Nigel Reo-Coker effort onto a post to ensure the game was settled by spot kicks.
"(The save in the final minutes) was not the best but was the most important," confirmed the shot-stopper.
'SPIRIT OF ISTANBUL'
Steven Gerrard believed his side's experiences in Istanbul a year ago - when they came from three goals down to beat Milan on penalties to claim the European Cup - helped them at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.
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FOOTBALL 2005-2006 FA Cup Liverpool-West Ham Gerrard
Image credit: Reuters
"The spirit of Istanbul got us through," said Gerrard. "West Ham put in a fantastic performance, but we have a great team spirit.
"Istanbul made it better," he continued. "If we go behind we'll always fight back.
"(The two goals) were nice goals. It was a good day for me."
BENITEZ: 'FANTASTIC'
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez was equally pleased with his side's performance.
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Gerrard's last-minute goal helped Liverpool on their way to FA Cup glory in 2006
Image credit: Reuters
"We kept going until the end," he said. "The team worked really hard. The players and supporters are fantastic. I think the players run more with supporters like that.
"Before the game, we were talking about not making mistakes, and we've made some but for me this is amazing."
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