Sheff Wed: Pressman (Clarke 73), Nolan, Atherton, Walker,
Stefanovic, Whittingham, Humphreys (Oakes 59), Carbone, Hirst
(Donaldson 59), Booth, Pembridge.
Subs Not Used: Blinker, Nicol.
Sent Off: Clarke (83).
Booked: Carbone, Pembridge.
Goals: Donaldson 75.
Liverpool: James, Kvarme (Matteo 45), McAteer, Wright, McManaman,
Collymore (Barnes 45), Redknapp, Ruddock (Harkness 16), Owen,
Thomas, Bjornebye.
Subs Not Used: Warner, Carragher.
Goals: Redknapp 83.
Att: 38,943
Ref: D R Elleray (Harrow on the Hill)
[PA-Report] [Times-report] [Telegraph-report]
Liverpool squandered their chance of a place in the European Champions' League next season as they were held to a dramatic 1-1 draw by Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. The Merseysiders needed to win to make sure of second spot in the table and the extra place in the competition next season. But they could only manage a draw this afternoon after O'Neill Donaldson's second goal of the season put Wednesday 1-0 up with 16 minutes to go.
Liverpool then equalised with just eight minutes remaining in extraordinary fashion as substitute goalkeeper Matt Clarke was sent off on his Premiership debut for handling the ball outside the area. From the resulting free-kick Jamie Redknapp curled a delightful shot past stand-in Andy Booth to set up a dramatic last few minutes. But despite throwing everyone forward including goalkeeper David James, Liverpool could not find the crucial goal they needed as Booth pulled off a series of excellent saves.
The result means a desperately disappointing end to the season for the Reds and puts added pressure on manager Roy Evans. Several pundits have already questioned Evans' ability to get the results required from his team in the big matches and this afternoon's result will give the critics extra ammunition. Evans had given 17-year-old striker Michael Owen his first Premiership start in place of the injured Patrik Berger and Owen was desperately unlucky not to have given Liverpool the lead before Donaldson's heartbreaking goal.
Owen was a handful all afternoon for the Wednesday defence and with the introduction of John Barnes as a second-half substitute for Stan Collymore the teenager was given many more chances to find the net. Barnes vastly improved the Liverpool performance in the second half as he prompted Owen and Steve McManaman in front of him with some delightful through-balls. One such ball sent Owen clear on 70 minutes and the young striker did everything right as he beat Kevin Pressman with a powerful low drive only to see his shot come back off the far post.
Liverpool had completely dominated the second half but were then caught out with a classic counterpunch just four minutes later from substitute Donaldson. Mark Wright appeared to have a long ball covered but somehow managed to let the ball slip under his feet and Donaldson pounced to slip the ball under James. That prompted a frenzied last 15 minutes as Liverpool threw caution to the wind and piled forward in a desperate search for the two goals they needed.
Barnes again played a decisive ball, this time finding Thomas clear in the penalty area, but Clarke saved well at the midfielder's feet. Barnes himself then drove another shot just wide of the far post before Liverpool were handed a last lifeline eight minutes from time. Clarke raced to the edge of his area to collect a long pass as Owen chased it in, but as the keeper gathered the ball his momentum took him outside the penalty area and referee David Elleray had little choice but to send off the unfortunate keeper. Redknapp then curled the resulting free-kick wide of Booth to give Liverpool a fighting chance to salvage second spot.
But in a frantic last five minutes Booth held firm and made a series of fine saves worthy of any proper goalkeeper. With just two minutes left Owen was again through on goal but shot inches wide and with 90 minutes showing on the clock McManaman had the last chance for Liverpool only to see Booth produce an excellent save with his feet.
Liverpool manager Roy Evans was left feeling "absolutely gutted" after his side failed to take second spot in the table and grab the second place in the Champions League next season. The Reds needed to win against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough to guarantee second spot and join champions Manchester United in the prestigious competition next year. But they could only manage a 1-1 draw with Jamie Redknapp's free kick cancelling out O'Neill Donaldson's 74th minute opener. And with both Newcastle and Arsenal winning against Nottingham Forest and Derby respectively, Liverpool find themselves relegated to fourth position in a desperately disappointing end to the season. It was a cruel way to end the year which had promised so much as Liverpool had more than enough chances in the second half to seal a comfortable victory. Young star Michael Owen had several excellent chances and was very unlucky to see one effort come back off the far post with Wednesday keeper Kevin Pressman well beaten.
Evans said: "We are all absolutely gutted. We wanted second because we felt through the season that we deserved at least that and in the end we finished fourth and it's sad. "The season has not been all we thought it would be. It's not just today it's all the other games we lost through the season that cost us. "We had the chance to take second under our own steam but we didn't. "We created enough chances to win two or three games but if you don't put them in you don't get results. That has been the story of our season. "In the second half we could not have done more except stick the ball in the net and we paid the ultimate penalty."
Wednesday manager David Pleat was forced to admit that Liverpool completely dominated the second 45 minutes and should have taken all three points. Pleat said: "In the second half Liverpool screwed us with their football. We have to say that Liverpool had enough chances to bury us but it was not running for them." Pleat spoke to referee David Elleray after the game to question the officials sending off of substitute goalkeeper Matt Clarke for handling the ball outside his penalty area. Pleat added: "I am not the referee, he is the referee so I have to respect his decision, but I thought it was a strange decision and Liverpool then took the free kick from the wrong place. "I thought it was a yellow card offence, I have never seen the goalkeeper get sent off for that. "I spoke to the referee and he told me what he thought but I still wished him a good summer."
BY DAVID MADDOCK
Sheffield Wednesday ...1 Liverpool ...1
IT WAS the final ignominy for Liverpool in a match that perfectly encapsulated their desperate season. Needing victory to ensure second position in the FA Carling Premiership, and a place in the European Cup, they somehow contrived an almost surreal draw to finish fourth.
Like everything else they have done this season, the draw against Sheffield Wednesday was achieved under dramatic and ultimately disappointing circumstances. Trailing with only seven minutes remaining to a goal from the Wednesday substitute, O'Neill Donaldson, Liverpool were then handed one final chance in a season littered with missed opportunity.
Matt Clarke, the Wednesday goalkeeper, had only been on the pitch for ten minutes after replacing the injured Kevin Pressman, when the fates conspired to make his debut at least a memorable one. Almost his first act was to collect a through-ball from McManaman, but in doing so he overran his penalty area.
Most referees would deem such an error accidental and merely award the free kick. But not the fastidious David Elleray. He decided to dismiss Clarke and set up what was a quite remarkable final seven minutes. With Pressman already injured, Andy Booth, the Wednesday forward, went in goal.
His first task was to pick the resulting free kick out of the net, placed there by Jamie Redknapp who flighted home a quite beautiful strike in a delicious arc from the 18-yard line.
As Wednesday kicked off there were still six minutes remaining, and a betting man would have placed his life's savings on Liverpool finding the goal that would have at least offered some small consolation for a season that promised so much and delivered ultimately nothing. But Liverpool are perhaps the most frustrating side to watch in the Premiership and failed yet again when it seemed impossible.
They had chances, at least three in the final breathless minutes, but missed them all because of an insistence on being too clever and too premeditated when the situation, against ten men and with a dodgy goalkeeper, demanded a direct, blunt approach.
It was a typical Liverpool performance. They had appeared lost in a poor first half when pursuing the direct tactics that Roy Evans, the manager, has favoured in recent weeks. But at half-time he switched back to the more familiar passing methods, and in doing so removed Collymore. It was, perhaps, the definitive comment on his time at Anfield because he will surely be transferred in the summer.
Barnes, his replacement, made an immediate difference and had the 17-year-old Michael Owen accepted one of three straightforward chances, Liverpool would have had their place in the European Cup. Instead they floundered in front of goal, and Wednesday broke swiftly to again expose uncertain defending from the visitors and snatch an opening goal. It came after 75 minutes when Wright lost control on the edge of his own penalty area to allow Donaldson to steal in and smash a shot from close range past the unprotected James.
The goal was not enough to give Wednesday a Uefa Cup place given results elsewhere, but it was enough to consign Liverpool to a season of frustration and embarrassment and one that will surely ring the changes at Anfield during the summer.
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (4-3-1-2): K Pressman (sub: M Clarke, 73min) I Nolan, D Walker, D Stefanovic, R Humphreys (sub: O Donaldson, 60) G Whittingham, P Atherton, M Pembridge B Carbone A Booth, D Hirst (sub: S Oakes, 60).
LIVERPOOL (4-3-1-2): D James B T Kvarme (sub: D Matteo, 46), M Wright, N Ruddock (sub: S Harkness, 15), S I Bjornebye J McAteer, J Redknapp, M Thomas S McManaman S Collymore (sub: J Barnes, 46), M Owen.
By Martin Smith
Sheff Wed (0) 1 Liverpool (0) 1
NOT FOR the first time this season, Liverpool failed to take advantage when the portents for success looked overwhelming. This, though, was the last: two more points carelessly thrown away cost them a place in the European tournament for champions and not-quite-champions.
Even when offered a helping hand by referee David Elleray to claim the victory necessary to annexe second spot and a place alongside Manchester United in the Champions' League, Liverpool were found wanting. From not-quite-champions they fell to fourth, with participation in the UEFA Cup a booby rather than consolation prize.
It was, however, indicative of a season when they have dropped 21 points at home and should have been out of sight of United before the championship went back to Old Trafford.
With eight minutes left, and leading through O'Neill Donaldson's goal, Wednesday had substitute goalkeeper Matt Clarke sent off for handling outside his area as he whipped the ball away from Michael Owen. It was not even clear whether the whole ball had crossed the 18-yard line; even so the letter rather than the spirit of the law was what Mr Elleray followed.
Clarke had waited on the bench for the whole season while Kevin Pressman maintained a 100 per cent record only ended when he damaged a hamstring midway through the second half. The youngster's debut lasted just nine minutes.
Striker Andy Booth became the third Wednesday goalkeeper inside 10 minutes and could only watch as Jamie Redknapp's free-kick curled over his head into the top corner.
Surely now Liverpool would find a way past the rookie goalkeeper. Certainly they threw everything forward, but Booth was inspired: what he didn't catch cleanly, or punch clear, he deflected away with various parts of his anatomy.
Instead the final whistle found Liverpool probably grateful to hang on for a point as Wednesday found gaps in a Liverpool rearguard committed to attack.
Roy Evans, the Liverpool manager, admitted: "In the second half we couldn't have done more than put the ball in the back of the net and we we paid the ultimate price.
"We had the chances to win two or three games. I suppose that has been the story of our season. More so at home than away."
Donaldson's goal, quarter of an hour after he had been introduced, had come out of the blue as he broke through to leave David James on his backside. A point was also insufficient for Wednesday, who fell just short of qualifying for the UEFA Cup.