Birmingham City's hopes of lifting the Worthington Cup perished in the most agonising fashion 5-4 on a penalty shootout to Liverpool - but Blues took only the most enormous credit from a pulsating spectacle at the Millennium Stadium. Trevor Francis's Bluenose heroes took their Premiership opponents all the way, having come back from the dead to equalise with Darren Purse's 90th-minute penalty. Purse's perfectly-executed spot-kick, dispatched under the most colossal pressure, cancelled out Robbie Fowler's 30th-minute strike for Liverpool to send the match into extra time. The hugely-impressive Blues went on to look the likelier side to win the game in the extra period but just could not force that vital killer thrust, which meant that the ever-unsatisfactory medium of penalties was needed to settle this most enjoyable of games. Ultimately, Liverpool held their nerve slightly better in the shoot-out, but there was no stifling the pride and joy of 31,000 Blues supporters when the last rite of a mesmeric afternoon had been administered. With a fully-fit squad at his disposal, all Francis's pre-match conundrums were tactical: principally, how to populate his right side. He plumped dramatically for Jon McCarthy in an advanced role; only the second time the Northern Ireland international has started a first-team game since suffering a broken leg at Maine Road ten months ago. McCarthy's selection meant that Nicky Eaden dropped back into an orthodox right-back role for the first time since August. It also brought heartbreak for Jerry Gill. Having played in seven of Blues' nine games on their trail to the final, Gill found himself out of the 16 on the big day. Elsewhere in his team, Francis reinstated fit-again pair Stan Lazaridis and Geoff Horsfield, wide on the left and up-front respectively, to the starting lineup. Both had missed Blues' 2-0 victory at Preston North End last Tuesday. Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier welcomed back England midfielder Steven Gerrard after injury. The Frenchman elected to pair captain Fowler with Emile Heskey up-front, leaving Michael Owen to wait for his chance from the substitutes' bench. As kick-off approached, the atmosphere generated by both sets of supporters was superb, although the stadium authorities did their best to wreck it by foisting music at approximately 28 million, trillion decibels on the assembled throng. Still, when the teams ran out to a colossal ovation, there was a tear in the eye of many a Bluenose present. It was a special, heart-warming, ear-popping, spine-tingling, moment. The small question that remained? Could Blues follow it with the performance of their lives? Predictably, the opening exchanges consisted of a plethora of flying tackles floating on an unleashed tide of energy. Six minutes elapsed before a vestige of menace was conjured. It came from Vladimir Smicer, whose low 20-yard effort was comfortably gathered by Ian Bennett. Liverpool's midfield flexed its muscles in the 14th minute, threading together a five-man move which worked Igor Biscan into space, but the Croatian wastefully delivered his cross too deep. Blues responded with a muscular charge down the left by Geoff Horsfield. He got the better of Markus Babbel and dropped a measured cross over Sander Westerveld, but Stephane Henchoz hacked the ball clear, just as McCarthy arrived at pace. Francis's side showed no signs of being overawed as the match approached the half-hour mark still awaiting its first decisive twist. That twist, however, arrived in the 30th minute in the form of a Fowler goal of the highest calibre. From Emile Heskey's flicked header, the Liverpool captain, 20 yards out, assessed the situation in a split-second and sent a first-time shot over Bennett into Blues' net. It was an instinctive strike, of a quality against which it is very difficult to defend. Now, Blues faced a major test of their resolve and almost hit back straight away as they produced their best attacking moment so far. McCarthy slipped an astute pass into Liverpool's box and Lazaridis cleverly back-heeled the ball into the path of Danny Sonner, whose momentum was just too great to allow him to gather. Two minutes before half-time, Liverpool squandered a terrific chance to double their advantage at a most crucial time. Again, Heskey got the flick-on, this time releasing Smicer behind Blues' defence, but he slid his shot culpably into the side-netting. Dele Adebola almost punished that wastefulness with a 20-yard shot which tested Westerveld. Before the goalkeeper could release the ball, referee David Elleray disturbed the pea in his whistle three times in quick succession and Blues trooped off for half-time with their heads held high. Blues made a half-time switch, sending on Andrew Johnson for Adebola and the young substitute almost had the most sensational of first touches. Less than a minute after the restart, Eaden bent in a wicked cross from the right and Johnson was first to react at the near post, but sent his shot agonisingly wide under heavy pressure from Sami Hyypia. A minute later, Purse rescued Blues with a timely block as Fowler again pulled the trigger from dangerous range. Johnson was soon busy again, though and the 20-year-old's pace forced Babbel to fell him with a flustered challenge. The free-kick came to nothing, but Johnson's arrival had clearly supplied Blues with another dimension. Liverpool still had a few dangerous dimensions of their own, of course, and strung passes together with great assurance at times. Another sweet move concluded with Heskey's 12-yard shot deflected wide by Martin Grainger. As the game opened right up, another Eaden cross found Hors-field and Lazaridis arriving in the middle just too late before Liverpool sprang back on the counterattack. Smicer raced on to Fowler's cute pass and shot hard and low, only for Bennett to stand up well to block. Liverpool's supporters were clearly uneasy with their team in possession of such a narrow lead. Blues were looking their illustrious rivals squarely in the eye and, as the game entered its final quarter, had matched them in every department except one strike of individual brilliance. In pursuit of an equivalent strike, Francis withdrew Sonner and sent on lifelong Everton supporter Bryan Hughes, with instructions to make himself a few headlines. Liverpool's anxiety was clear from their increasing reticence to commit men forward. Dietmar Hamann stretched his legs in the 76th minute, though, on a run which took him 30 yards to the edge of Blues' box before meeting a mighty tackle from Michael Johnson. With 13 minutes left, Liverpool sent on the wise old head (accompanied, quite sensibly, by the rest of him) of Gary McAllister in place of the tiring Gerrard. The former Scotland captain was soon helping defend a corner as Blues pressed again but Purse's header travelled just too high. Francis played his final attacking card in the 81st minute when Horsfield, having worked himself into the ground, was replaced by Marcelo. After a flurry of fluent attacking in the game's third quarter, its closing stages had reverted to less incisive fare with Liverpool sitting back and challenging Blues to get forward. The Reds showed again how briskly they can counter when Heskey's pass released Fowler but this time, the England striker shot high and wide as Michael Johnson closed in. There would have been some controversy had the ball gone in because Purse was grounded, holding his head, at the time. While Purse received treat-ment, the Blues supporters took the opportunity to stretch their alveoli with a rousing rendition of "Keep right on. . ." It was a message their team appreciated but did not need. Into the last three minutes, Blues were still pressing Liverpool back and McCarthy's cross sped across goal again within that vital touch proving elusive. Drama of dramas, two minutes into injury-time, they got the chance to supply that vital touch from the penalty spot. Blues worked their way into the Liverpool area one more time and as O'Connor controlled the ball, he was felled by Henchoz. Elleray pointed emphatically to the spot. Minutes passed while O'Connor received treatment, then was finally stretchered off the field. How would young penalty-taker Purse handle the long delay? Perfectly. Right in front of the massed ranks of Blues supporters, he dispatched the spot-kick immaculately, low to Westerveld's left. Seconds later, Elleray signalled 90 minutes. O'Connor was the subject of intensive further treatment before extra time began. He had to continue if Blues, with three substitutes used, were not to face extra-time a man short. Continue he did, limping heavily and it was Blues who bossed the first half of extra-time. McCarthy's cross fell to Hughes charging in but the substitute, ten yards out, could not keep his effort down. Hughes was buzzing and in the 100th minute, almost emulated Fowler's tremendous strike with a delicious 25-yard effort which Westerveld, back-pedalling at full stretch, turned over the bar. As Liverpool hung on for half-time of extra time, Andrew Johnson again darted into the box only to be floored by Henchoz. This time, to Blues' incredulity, Elleray waved play on. Reprieved, Liverpool stepped back up a gear in the final period. Twice, Michael Johnson denied them with brilliant headers in the heart of Blues' box while Bennett palmed a header from Fowler round a post then clutched one from Hypia to his chest. As a truly memorable spectacle shifted emphasis again, Hamann sent a 20-yard shot thumping against Bennett's left-hand post. It bounced to safety and this rollicking occasion sped in the direction of penalties. No one on the pitch deserved to be the fall-guy . . . but there had to be one.
Marcelo scored. Still there was hope. Hamann was denied by Bennett. All square again. Lazaridis scored. Fowler scored. Hughes stepped up, needing to score. He did. Sudden death now. Carragher scored. Andrew Johnson missed. Liverpool went wild, but Blues had been magnificent. The penalties (Liverpool taker first) 1-0 McAllister scores |
