English FA Premiership/West Ham United 1 Liverpool 2: A mere dry run for the FA Cup final this may have been, a cast of back-ups and aspirants playing to an expectant gallery and with one eye on a grander stage, though its fractious events have already left a indelible mark on next month's meeting between these teams in Cardiff.
With the contest apparently winding down towards a ninth successive Liverpool victory, and their first in London in eight attempts, the substitute Luis Garcia tangled with Hayden Mullins near the touchline. The Spaniard, arms flailing, had only been on the pitch for two minutes and the West Ham midfielder reacted by shoving his opponent in the face.
If the incident lacked punch the referee Howard Webb's decision to send both players off, presumably for violent contact, will still cost each a place in the FA Cup final on May 13th. A tame if entertaining contest had provided a bitter sting in its tail.
The evening had begun with a minute's celebration in memory of John Lyall, the former Hammers manager who died last week at the age of 66. Tributes were led by Trevor Brooking and a parade of former players before the PA announcer wheeled away to list the personnel representing "the FA Cup finalists".
Those locals still pinching themselves at that reality could hardly have been surprised by the quintet of changes made to their side, though there were raised eyebrows at the eight made by Rafael Benitez.
This was an unrecognisable Liverpool line-up to that which had defeated Chelsea to secure their trip to Cardiff, though the second-string's coherent approach quickly established a dominance which by the interval had yielded a lead. Mohamed Sissoko's energy swamped the midfield, the Malian snapping into challenges and marauding forward. His charge after 19 minutes culminated with a pass to Djibril Cisse, just outside the area, with the Frenchman's skimmed shot fizzing beyond James Walker at his near post.
Cisse was filling in as a left-sided forward, mixing midfield duties with searing charges forward, and it was his 16th of the season. That tally has gone almost unnoticed, so inconsistent has he proved. Yet he relished the opportunity to exploit West Ham's narrow defence, pummelling shots from distance. When he flitted wider Robbie Fowler sprung into life to scoop up a lob which had the goalkeeper retreating frantically.
The hosts were becalmed, their occasional forays forward prompted by Teddy Sheringham's one-touch passes. Bobby Zamora, fed by the former England striker, forced Jerzy Dudek to sprawl and block a low shot, though Sheringham himself might have equalised only to guide his header into the side-netting from Anton Ferdinand's cross. When Yossi Benayoun stooped to nod over from close-range, the locals feared the worst. Those concerns were eased only 56 seconds into the second half, Zamora combining wonderfully with Sheringham before sliding across goal for the unmarked Nigel Reo-Coker to side-foot into a gaping net.
The midfielder has proved a revelation this season, and Jamie Carragher stretched superbly to stifle his burst into the area as the hosts threatened a second. Matthew Etherington, another to impress, was just as dangerous and forced Dudek twice to batter attempts away. Yet if Liverpool's defence was occasionally faltering, their attack retained its zest. Fernando Morientes had already volleyed Sissoko's centre on to the bar when the Spaniard nodded on for Fowler to liberate Cisse with a first-time reverse pass. The Frenchman duly gathered, advanced and squirmed a low shot through Walker for the winner.
WEST HAM UTD: Walker, Scaloni, Ferdinand, Collins (Fletcher 45), Ward, Etherington, Benayoun (Harewood 77), Mullins, Reo-Coker, Zamora, Sheringham. Subs not used: Hislop, Ephraim, Reid. Sent off: Mullins (82). Goal: Reo-Coker 46.
LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Finnan (Hyypia 63), Carragher, Kromkamp, Traore, Cisse, Hamann, Sissoko, Warnock, Fowler (Luis Garcia 80), Morientes (Riise 85). Subs not used: Reina, Alonso. Sent off: Luis Garcia (82). Goals: Cisse 19, 54.
Referee: H Webb (S Yorkshire).
