PA Sport, 18 Jan 2005
Burnley 1 Liverpool 0
Burnley inflicted a night of embarrassment on mighty Liverpool as
another Barclays Premiership side slumped out of this season's FA Cup.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez took one gamble too many with his
much-weakened team selection, resting Steven Gerrard and co.
The Spanish boss may well claim he had little choice with so many
injuries and the Premiership his priority.
But what he can get away with in the Carling Cup he discovered he cannot
achieve in the world's most famous cup competition.
Djimi Traore's own goal separated the sides but Burnley's brave display
and controlled, organised play deserved their place in the fourth round
at home to Bournemouth.
Liverpool's misery was complete when they had Antonio Nunez sent off in
the dying minutes for elbowing Tony Grant.
Sami Hyypia captained a much-changed Liverpool side, with Benitez
throwing in his youngsters again.
Jerzy Dudek played, as did Traore and Nunez. But England Under-21
midfielder John Welsh made his first start for Liverpool, and David
Raven played his second senior match in defence.
Burnley had Micah Hyde back from suspension - he was banned when the
initial postponed game was scheduled - and roared on by a sell-out
crowd, they set about Liverpool from the off.
The inventive Jean-Louis Valois was a constant threat and early on his
through ball found Liverpool's defence square and Richard Chaplow raced
away to force Dudek into a diving save, Hyypia gratefully conceding the
corner.
And from Grant's set-piece, played to the edge of the area, Hyde was
unmarked for a stinging drive that had Dudek sprawling again. Another
corner, and this time Gary Cahill arrived to head narrowly over.
Three more set-pieces followed, Stephen Warnock was warned for tripping
Chaplow and Frank Sinclair saw a flying header clear the bar.
It might have been bitterly cold, but Liverpool were pretty warmed up by
now. And Benitez's theory that a blend of youngsters with a few senior
men could see off a lower division side was being severely put to the test.
This was no game for the faint hearted and Nunez and then Warnock were
both on the wrong end of thumping challenges.
Hyde saw another 20-yard shot flash wide of a post as Burnley maintained
their pressure, Liverpool barely registering as an attacking force.
But from Liverpool's first corner, Igor Biscan saw a low header blocked
in the six yard box by Cahill when it looked like it was going to sneak
in at the far post.
But Burnley soon hit back and Valois' run into the box caused chaos as
Liverpool failed to clear properly.
That was a theme of the half. Valois' excellent corners continually
caused problems in Liverpool's defence and Dudek was under constant
pressure in the air.
Biscan and Welsh were being out-played by Hyde and Grant, and Liverpool
could not keep the ball long enough to construct anything significant.
Near the break Florent Sinama-Pongolle got his first sniff of a chance,
while Raven saw a long range effort saved, but Liverpool were struggling
and Benitez knew it as his team trooped off at the break.
Liverpool were initially sharper after the break and Sinama-Pongolle saw
a flicked header drop wide from Nunez's right wing cross.
But Burnley had deserved to be ahead at the break and on 51 minutes they
were in the lead.
Ian Moore's glancing header sent Chaplow away on the left and when his
low cross skidded into the box, Traore got into a terrible mess on the
far post trying to clear, but only managed to turn it into his own net.
Raven was booked for a foul on Moore after 64 minutes, and a minute
later Liverpool brought on Milan Baros for Traore as Benitez attempted
to save the tie.
The game was finally hotting up when Chaplow was booked for a foul on
Sinama-Pongolle, but when the free-kick was cleared the play switched to
the other end where Chaplow wasted a great chance from 12 yards.
Neil Mellor came on for Welsh with 15 minutes to go, as Valois was
booked for what seemed dissent as Liverpool finally started to come
forward with some purpose.
A right-footed effort by Mellor with the outside of his boot dropped
just over the bar, while Baros cut in from the left only to see a shot
charged down.
Then Warnock's fine run ended with a chance set up for Biscan, but the
midfielder mishit badly wide from the edge of the box.
Mellor was next into the book for a trip on Grant.
But things got worse for Liverpool when Nunez stupidly lost his temper
with Grant after a tackle and elbowed the former Everton man, referee
Mark Clattenburg instantly brandishing the red card.
Baros was then booked in injury time for dissent.
Burnley: Jensen, Sinclair, Cahill, McGreal, Camara, Hyde, Grant, Roche,
Chaplow, Valois, Moore.
Subs Not Used: Coyne, O'Neill, Pilkington, Scott, Yates.
Booked: Chaplow.
Goals: Traore 51 og.
Liverpool: Dudek, Raven, Hyypia, Whitbread, Traore (Baros 65), Nunez,
Biscan, Welsh (Mellor 75), Potter, Warnock, Sinama Pongolle.
Subs Not Used: Otsemobor, Harrison, Smyth.
Sent Off: Nunez (87).
Booked: Raven, Mellor, Baros.
Att: 19,033
Ref: M Clattenburg (Co Durham).
BEATEN BENITEZ HAS NO REGRETS
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez stood by his decision to field a
weakened squad against Championship side Burnley after the Clarets sent
them crashing out of the FA Cup.
After the third-round tie was initially postponed due to bad weather,
Burnley were keen to take the game to their more illustrious opponents
and deserved their 1-0 win, which came thanks to an embarrassing Djimi
Traore own goal.
Benitez fielded a number of youngsters with only a handful of first-team
regulars included in the starting line-up.
But the Spaniard believes the number of games his side are forced to
play justifies his team selection.
"We have done good in the second half. They started at a high tempo and
played well, after that we controlled the game but at the end there was
a big mistake," he told Sky Sports.
"Sometimes they had counter attacks but I think at least a draw would
have been the best result."
Asked whether his selection of youngsters was the problem, Benitez said:
"They tried. The problem is when you play four competitions you need to
use your squad. If you can't play four competitions you need to focus on
the next one.
"I don't think it was a mistake. I am happy with the players, they
tried. We worked hard, the squad in the Carling Cup was the same idea
and we win but not today. We now have three competitions. All of us are
disappointed with the result but that is football."
Traore's own goal will prove to be one of the most memorable of modern
times, as the defender pirouetted and back-heeled the ball into his own net.
Benitez was unhappy but not scathing about the mistake.
"It was a mistake in the six-yard box, you need to clear the ball and we
need to learn about those things in future."
Benitez's Burnley counterpart Steve Cotterill hailed the result as
"probably my best night."
"It's a fantastic win for us, I'm delighted with the boys," he told Sky
Sports.
"In the second half probably they were the better side but in the first
half we were the better side and very unlucky not to be a few goals up.
"In the end perhaps we deserved what we got on the night and we are
delighted. It was our team ethic, we were a team tonight. We've got good
individual players but they played as one of 11 tonight.
"It's probably my best night (in the cup)."
Captain Frank Sinclair claimed his side's defensive nous served them
well and ensured the victory.
"It was a difficult tie and we made it difficult for them," Sinclair
told Sky Sports.
"We're happy with the result, there were a lot of good players out there
and the lads worked their socks off.
"We dug deep in the end and it was hard, (Milan) Baros caused a lot of
trouble when he came on, but we've kept a lot of clean sheets this year
and once we were 1-0 up we fancied ourselves not to concede.
"It was a leveller with the pitch like that."
Sinclair defended Benitez's decision to send out an inexperienced team.
"You've got to play youngsters sometimes, they did themselves justice
and at the end of the day they are Liverpool players."
Man of the match Richard Chaplow created the winner - it was his cross
which Traore sent beyond Jerzy Dudek.
"We had to dig in, we won headers and got tackles in and luckily we held
on, which was nice.
"Liverpool have come here, the pitch is a bit iffy, and tried to play
football. They were unlucky losers."
Chaplow described the goal, which saw him pick up the ball and send it
into the penalty area.
"The ball dropped and I got there first, crossed it in and Traore did
the rest!"
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