Liverpool 2-0 Sheffield United
Liverpool made it into their second Worthington Cup Final in three seasons as they overturned a first leg deficit to win 3-2 on aggreaget over First Division high flyers, Sheffield United.
El Hadji Diouf should have had the first shot on goal after only the second minute, but after getting inside the area, Diouf took too long to shoot and the Blades' defence had no problems in getting the ball to safety.
Diouf didn't hesitate for a second on 8 minutes though, when after an Owen shot had been saved by Paddy Kenny, Heskey knocked the ball just outside the area to Diouf, and the Senegalese striker hit a first time shot into the bottom corner of the Sheffield United goal to give the Reds the early lead which they had hoped for.
The Liverpool number nine was the easily the star of the show after half an hour's play, and he could have added a second goal midway through the half when he fired a shot at goal which initially looked as if it had been mis-hit, but bounced off the ground and looped over Paddy Kenny before clipping the crossbar.
Peter Ndlovu, who once scored an FA Cup hat-trick at Anfield during his time at Coventry, had the first shot for the visitors, but fired high and wide of Kirkland's goal from the corner of a very crowded 18 yards box.
Phil Jagielka was closer though, after beating Carragher to win a header from a corner played in from the right side, but the ball whistled inches wide of the post.
An excellent run down the left and cross by Riise found Heskey in the area, and Heskey brilliantly flicked the ball towards goal but saw his attempt at goal narrowly miss the near post, and the Reds had to settle for just a one goal lead at half time.
Michael Brown almost caught out Kirkland in the opening stages of the second half with a free kick from the left touchline which looked to have been intended as a cross, but swerved towards goal and would have dropped just under the bar had Kirkland not got a hand to push the ball over the bar and out for a corner.
The midfield pairing of Gerrard and Murphy each went close to doubling Liverpool's lead, with Gerrard sidefooting a close range shot which looked destined for the back of the net until it was deflecred over the bar by Wayne Quinn following an excellent build up. Four minutes later it was the turn of Murphy, whose header from a Gerrard corner came even closer to making it 2-0, but caught the side netting.
He opened the scoring in the first half, but Diouf was unable to net a second of the night, but did again go close with a fine volley, which flew around a foot over the bar after he was picked out by a cross from Owen.
The 90 minutes looked about to end in controversy when Kirkland and Wayne Allison challenged for a bouncing ball in the area, and after appearing to claim the ball under the pressure of Allison, Kirkland dropped the ball and then looked to have been fouled by the big striker as he pounced to claim it second time around, eventually being forced outside the area.
Referee Alan Wiley gave saw nothing wrong with Allison's part in the challenge, and instead booked Kirkland for handling the ball outside his area, to the surprise of Robert Page, who clearly expected Wiley to issue the Liverpool 'keeper with a red card. Page was booked for his protests though the United captain saw his side with a free kick on the edge of the area, which presented a perfect opportunity to grab a dramatic late equaliser and surely send the Blades into the final and a trip to Cardiff.
The 90 minutes ended with Liverpool leading by the only goal of the game, but with the away goals rule not being used until after extra time, the two sides were forced to play out another 30 minutes of football, though if the scoreline remained the same, Liverpool would have been in the final.
Michael Owen could have increased Liverpool's lead in the first period of extra time, after wriggling his way between a couple of Sheffield United defenders, but his final shot struck the outside of the post and went out for a goal kick.
Owen did get his goal though, and it arrived just a couple of minutes into the second period of extra time. Steve Gerrard threaded a wonderful pass through the Sheffield United defence, and Owen was quick to get on the end of the ball before curling the ball over and around Paddy Kenny to give Liverpool the second goal on the night and an aggregate lead of 3-2.
Owen could have even had another two in the the remaining 12 minutes of the match, the first chance of which fell to him just a minute after his goal, but he saw his flick towards the top corner of the goal saved by Kenny, who pulled off a miraculous save eight minutes later, when he threw himself across goal to get one hand to a Michael Owen shot which was going into the top corner until Paddy Kenny's intervention, with the Blades' keeper blocking two shots by Gerrard in between Owen's chances.
Sheffield United still only needed one goal to send the match to penlties, and they fought until the last seconds of the match but, as at Southampton at the weekend, Liverpool's defence stood up to the late pressure and defended a lead which this time was to send Liverpool to Cardiff for a fifth time!
Blackburn and Manchester United face each other at Ewood Park in the other semi final, with the winners joining Liverpool in the final, which takes place in March.
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