West Brom: Miller, Holmes, Smith, Sneekes, Burgess, Raven
(Dobson 43), Flynn (Butler 82), Hamilton, Taylor (Hughes 60),
Peschisolido, Kilbane.
Booked: Burgess.
Liverpool: James, Kvarme, McAteer, McManaman, Fowler, Riedle,
Ruddock, Berger (Harkness 79), Thomas, Bjornebye, Carragher
(Leonhardsen 45).
Subs Not Used: Owen.
Goals: Berger 52, Fowler 89.
Att: 21,986
Ref: A B Wilkie (Chester-le-Street).
[PA-Report] [Telegraph-report] [Times-report] [Guardian-report]
Liverpool showed a commitment to the Coca-Cola Cup that put Manchester United to shame, as they overwhelmed West Bromwich Albion to an extent that was not mirrored by the final scoreline at the Hawthorns. While Alex Ferguson rested many of his big-name stars at Ipswich 24 hours earlier, Roy Evans was as good as his word in fielding his strongest possible side.
Goals from Czech international Patrik Berger and Robbie Fowler settled the third-round tie, but Evans' men backed up his claim that Liverpool "try to win every competition we enter" message with a totally committed and classy display. They had Albion chasing shadows for long periods with their one-touch football slicing through the home defence time and time again. It was a minor miracle that the Albion defence was pierced only twice thanks to some inept finishing and several fine stops by goalkeeper Alan Miller.
Albion deserve credit for sticking to their task, but if ever the gulf between the Premiership and the first division was highlighted then it was on this occasion. Only in the final quarter did Albion get a sniff of the Liverpool goal, and all their effort and commitment counted for nothing as The Reds booked their place in the last 16.
Liverpool dominated the first half to such an extent that had it been a boxing match then the referee might have stopped the contest to spare Albion further punishment. Evans fielded his strongest available side, and his team showed from the first whistle that they were in the mood for the challenge. Acting captain Steve McManaman and Berger were a constant threat, as Liverpool sliced their way through the Albion back four almost at will with their one-touch football.
Fowler should have given them a second-minute lead, after Miller failed to cling on to a low drive from Berger. But he was far too lethargic in trying to convert the rebound, and the Albion goalkeeper was able to parry his weak effort. Fowler then headed a Berger centre against the bar, before Albion threatened briefly with Paul Peschisolido turning past Bjorn Kvarme only for Liverpool goalkeeper David James to be equal to his low drive.
But Albion struggled to halt the wave of attacks and Karlhienz Riedle should have done better when he headed a Bjornebye cross over the top from close range. Riedle again went close when he deflected a mis-hit shot from Jamie Carragher on to a post, and Miller produced a fine save to tip a shot on the turn from fit-again Neil Ruddock around the post.
The start of the second period was in the same vein, and there was an inevitability about proceedings when Liverpool finally broke the deadlock after 51 minutes. Fowler got clear on the left flank and pulled his low centre back into the path of Berger, who had time to steady himself before drilling a 15-yard drive past Miller.
Albion, who brought on former Kidderminster striker Lee Hughes in place of Bob Taylor after 59 minutes, at last gave their supporters something to cheer about with a spell of pressure. First Richard Sneekes burst forward and was only a yard wide with a fierce long-range effort and then James tipped over a Kevin Kilbane shot from a narrow angle.
James then held on to a low Sneekes shot -- but in the 89th minute Fowler settled the issue with a powerful drive from 15 yards which flew past a shell-shocked Miller.
Liverpool manager Roy Evans re-affirmed his commitment to the Coca-Cola Cup after his side turned on the style to beat West Brom 2--0 at the Hawthorns. Goals from Patrik Berger and Robbie Fowler clinched Liverpool a home draw against giant-killers Grimsby in the last 16. Evans, as good as his word in fielding his strongest available team tonight, said: "I was very pleased with the way we performed. "There was a spell after we had opened the scoring when they got back into the game and we had to shore things up, and I was pleased to get through.
"I did start to wonder in the first half if we would ever break through and you begin to wonder whether they might snatch one on the break, but we kept creating chances and I was pleased to get through what was always going to be a tough draw for us. "We have always done well in this competition and we still want to win it, even if there is no longer a European place at the end of it. "But I disagree with people who say there's no pot of gold to go for now, because often you earn more money from winning the Coca-Cola Cup than the FA Cup."
Evans insisted that his side would treat Grimsby with total respect after they had dumped Sheffield Wednesday and holders Leicester out of the competition. He said: "You have always got to be happy when you are at home, but Grimsby have had a couple of great results, particularly against Leicester, who are always difficult to beat as we found to our cost at the start of the season."
The only negative point for Evans was the cracked rib suffered by Phil Babb in a training ground collision with Karlheinz Riedle that will sideline him for four weeks. It will mean he is ruled out of the Republic of Ireland's World Cup play-off with Belgium. Evans said: "It's a blow for him and Ireland but also a big blow for us, because he has probably been our best defender for the past season."
SOCCER COCA-COLA DRAW
The draw for the fourth round of the Coca-Cola Cup: Leeds v Reading, Middlesbrough v Bolton, Chelsea v Southampton, Derby v Newcastle, West Ham v Walsall, Liverpool v Grimsby, Arsenal v Coventry, Oxford v Ipswich. All ties are to be played in the week commencing November 17.
Liverpool class tells as Miller
toils in vain
By John Ley
West Brom (0) 0 Liverpool (0) 2
PATRIK Berger and Robbie Fowler delivered Liverpool into the fourth round of the Coca-Cola Cup at the Hawthorns last night.
West Bromwich Albion, emerging as one of the leading contenders for promotion to the Premiership, relied on Alan Miller, their goalkeeper, for most of the first half but Berger's 51st-minute goal put Liverpool ahead and, with two minutes remaining, Fowler dispatched a stunning drive from 20 yards to end their spirited resistance.
Liverpool, the Coca-Cola Cup winners in 1995, commanded what was an entertaining affair for long spells but, as in previous matches this season, they struggled to convert that dominance into goals.
On several occasions in the first half they would have scored but for the athleticism of Miller, Albion's former Arsenal and Middlesbrough goalkeeper.
Miller, who once appeared destined for great things during his days as England's Under-21 goalkeeper, showed a determination to prove that he has lost nothing of his capabilities, frustrating Fowler after only two minutes.
Berger had a shot blocked and Fowler, with three goals from four previous starts, could have scored. But Miller reacted quickly to save superbly.
Liverpool were showing an almost arrogant approach to the game and when Fowler rose to head on to the top of the crossbar from Berger's deep cross, it seemed the visitors would have little trouble in overcoming their First Division opposition.
Manager Roy Evans rejected the chance to copy Arsenal and Manchester United and field a largely reserve-based team. Paul Ince, smarting from the scars of Rome, was one omission while Neil Ruddock, returning after recovering from a knee operation sustained on the season's opening day, replaced Phil Babb, who was injured in training earlier in the day.
Albion, though, were determined to capitalise on the pace of Paul Peschisolido, their Canadian international striker.
On one first-half occasion the forward beat Bjorn Kvarme to the ball and set off on a troublesome run which ended with a shot which stretched David James. Richard Sneekes was then denied when his volley deflected wide.
Liverpool made an alteration at half-time, giving a debut to Oyvind Leonhardsen, the £3.5 million summer signing from Wimbledon, in place of Jamie Carragher.
It was not long before the visitors finally capitalised on their first-half dominance by taking the lead in the 51st minute.
Predictably it was the Fowler-Berger combination which brought the goal.Fowler cut the ball back from the left and Berger was available to sweep the ball, left footed, beyond the dive of Miller.
It was Berger's fourth goal of the season following his hat-trick in Liverpool's previous game, the 4-2 win over Chelsea.
In an attempt to improve their chances, Albion introduced striker Paul Hughes, the former roofer signed in the summer from Kidderminster Harriers.
Fowler gives plucky Albion the bird
BY OLIVER HOLT, FOOTBALL CORRESPONDENT
West Bromwich Albion ...0 Liverpool ...2
BEFORE the match, Robbie Fowler had a contretemps with a big bird called Throstle. He started off by aiming shots at the home mascot, who imitated a goalkeeper by spreading his wings wide in the Liverpool goal. In the end, Fowler took his retribution by wrestling with him on the goalline and tearing off his false beak and head feathers. It took Fowler 89 more minutes to unmask West Bromwich Albion, but he managed it in the end.
After the upsets on Tuesday night, Liverpool seemed prime candidates to be the victims of another shock in the Coca-Cola Cup. Robbed of their captain, Paul Ince, the bloodied hero of Rome, and of Phil Babb and Rob Jones, it appeared that they might be vulnerable to a West Bromwich Albion side riding high in the Nationwide League first division.
Liverpool, though, eschewed the ill-disguised disdain with which other FA Carling Premiership clubs have treated this competition and clung on grimly for their 2-0 win. Berger had given them the lead with his fourth goal in two games, but it was Fowler who guaranteed their appearance in the fourth round with a rasping, left-foot drive two minutes from the end.
They will be one of the favourites now after being drawn at home to Grimsby Town for a place in the quarter-finals. "We will have to show them respect," Roy Evans, the Liverpool manager, said afterwards. "We treat every competition that we enter seriously."
Liverpool seized the initiative from the start last night. Berger's fierce left-foot shot in the second minute was struck too well for Miller to hold and it seemed as though Fowler had to score from the rebound. Miller, though, flung himself across his goal and blocked his shot.
Four minutes later, Fowler looped a header on to the angle of bar and post from Berger's cross and, as Albion's nerves jangled, Miller tried to clear a back pass and sliced it just wide of his own goal. Peschisolido gave the home team some respite with a dribble past Kvarme and a fierce, left-foot shot that James did well to save, but, at the other end, the chances were still coming thick and fast.
The best of them was wasted by Riedle, who headed over, unmarked, from ten yards out from Bjornebye's curling cross. The Germany international nearly made amends midway through the half when he ran on to Carragher's mis-hit shot and poked the ball past Miller, but against the post.
Miller saved well from Ruddock, back in the first team after injury,on the half-hour, and Albion survived another scare nine minutes before half-time when Miller could only palm Berger's cross out to Riedle. He chose not to shoot but to try to set up McManaman, but his pass went astray.
Six minutes after the interval, as McManaman continued to tease the home defence with his jinking runs from deep inside his own half, Liverpool made their dominance pay. Fowler wriggled his way down the left, shook off his marker and pulled the ball back for Berger.
The Czech Republic international, who scored a hat-trick on his last appearance, against Chelsea at Anfield, ran on to the ball and swept it past Miller into the corner of the net from 15 yards.
Albion rallied after they brought on Hughes in the sixtieth minute and the substitute went close with a glancing header in the 75th minute after an earlier cross from Kilbane had been tipped away from him by James.
Liverpool hung on, though, and as Leonhardsen, who had been brought on at half-time for his first appearance since his summer move from Wimbledon, began to exert his influence on the game, they threatened to hit Albion on the break. With two minutes left and the home side committed to attack, Liverpool broke out of defence. Leonhardsen bore down on goal and appeared to be about to shoot, but he laid the ball to Fowler instead and the young striker hit it sweet and true from 20 yards past the dive of Miller. By then, Throstle was nowhere to be seen.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION (4-4-2): A Miller P Holmes, D Burgess,
P Raven (sub: T Dobson, 42min), D Smith S Flynn (sub: P
Butler, 82), I Hamilton, R Sneekes, K Kilbane R Taylor (sub: L
Hughes, 60), P Peschisolido.
LIVERPOOL (4-4-2): D James J McAteer, N Ruddock, B T Kvarme, S
I Bjornebye S McManaman, M Thomas, J Carragher (sub: O
Leonhardsen, 46), P Berger (sub: S Harkness, 79) K Riedle, R
Fowler.
Referee: A Wilkie.
West Bromwich Albion 0, Liverpool 2
Fowler adds relish to Berger's offering
By Peter White
Liverpool produced a thoroughbred performance at the Hawthorns to earn their rightful place in the last 16 of the Coca-Cola Cup.
The Premiership side, able to field 11 full internationals, were always too strong for West Bromwich Albion and sealed the victory with second-half goals from Patrik Berger and Robbie Fowler.
Roy Evans, the Liverpool manager, bucked the trend of some of his Premiership counterparts by fielding his strongest-possible line-up, the only absentees being Paul Ince, recovering from England duties, and Phil Babb, who suffered a rib injury in training.
Liverpool, winners of the competition a record-sharing five times along with Aston Villa, made their intentions clear as they pushed forward. They might have scored twice through Fowler in the opening minutes.
Albion were much on the defensive but almost snatched a goal in a breakaway attack. Paul Peschisolido rounded Bjorn Kvarme to hit a shot from just inside the area which David James saved low.
Liverpool were soon back on the attack and Karlheinz Riedle headed over from six yards before going within a post of taking the lead.
Albion were forced to make a change just before half-time when Tony Dobson replaced Paul Raven. Seconds later Daryl Burgess was cautioned for a crude tackle on Fowler.
An injury to Jamie Carragher meant a switch for Liverpool at the interval, with the introduction of Oyvind Leonhardsen for his debut after his £3.5 million transfer from Wimbledon.
The inevitable breakthrough came in the 51st minute, with Fowler providing the cross from the left for Berger to put away a clinical left-foot shot.
In pursuit of an equaliser Albion brought on Lee Hughes for Bob Taylor - but Fowler put an end to doubt with a cracking 89th-minute effort.
Evans said: "Even though it no longer brings a European place I'd be delighted to win the competition. There's no point entering if you don't want to do well."
West Bromwich Albion: (4-4-2); Miller; Holmes, Burgess, Raven (Dobson, 42min), Smith; Sneekes, Flynn (Butler, 82), Hamilton, Kilbane; Taylor (Hughes, 60), Peschisolido.
Liverpool: (4-4-2); James; McAteer, Kvarme, Ruddock, Bjornebye; McManaman, Carragher (Leonhardsen, h-t), Thomas, Berger (Harkness, 79); Fowler, Riedle.
Referee: A Wilkie (Chester-le-Street).