Burnley v Liverpool FA Cup Match report

Burnley (0) 1 Liverpool (0) 0

On a raw Lancashire night that demanded the presence of men, not boys, Liverpool were deservedly punished for taking the FA Cup lightly and fielding a weakened team. How fitting that this desperately embarrassing defeat should be sealed by an own-goal, an extra-ordinary one from Djimi Traore.


Net loss: Djimi Traore's error proved expensive

To complete Liverpool's night of ignominy, Antonio Nunez was sent off for elbowing Tony Grant, a former Everton player. Struggling financially, Burnley will celebrate this famous evening long and hard, the score reflecting their 1914 FA Cup final success over Liverpool.

Steve Cotterill's men played with pride in their shirt and with an appreciation of the Cup's traditions, and constantly threatened through the outstanding Richard Chaplow, Jean- Louis Valois and Mo Camara as they progressed to a fourth-round tie against Bournemouth.

Following the original weather-induced postponement and an additional 15-minute traffic-related delay, it was no wonder that Cotterill's neat Championship side had been so eager to test the mettle of their Premiership guests. Running hungrily and intelligently across a pitch made playable by intense activity by the Turf Moor ground staff, Burnley took the game to Liverpool, their industry rewarded seven minutes after the break by Traore's astonishing own-goal.

How the home fans delighted in the clever movement of Chaplow and the dribbling of Valois. An interval lead would certainly not have flattered Chaplow, Valois and company. Traore's gift was gratefully accepted. No wonder the visitors' supporters were chanting for Milan Baros.

Exploiting the inevitable lack of understanding in an experimental, inexperienced Liverpool side, Burnley began creating chance after chance in front of the David Fishwick Stand, which had become the Kop for the night.

Scarcely two minutes had elapsed when nerves began swirling around the Liverpool fans. Valois released the lively Chaplow, who tested Jerzy Dudek with a low shot. Liverpool's young centre-half, Zak Whitbread, took no chances with the loose ball, which he belted out for a corner. Yet Cotterill had clearly been drilling his players heavily on attacking set-pieces, perhaps mindful of Liverpool's vulnerability at corners.

As Rafael Benitez's defenders stuck to their specific zonal roles, Burnley almost reaped rich reward. Micah Hyde, so busy in midfield, pushed up to unleash a shot that Dudek palmed away for another corner. Gary Cahill headed over; Frank Sinclair nodded wide.

Then came the all-action Chaplow, breaking untended from midfield and being dispossessed by Traore as he threatened Dudek. Liverpool were being pegged back, alarmingly so for their sizeable gathering of fans. Hyde, suitably emboldened, let fly with a 25-yard volley that flew just wide of Dudek's left-hand upright. Despite the biting cold, Burnley fans were showing similar enthusiasm for upsetting Liverpool and their goalkeeper, who was greeted with chants of "Rooney, Rooney", a reminder of his nemesis on Saturday.

Gradually, though, Liverpool began to piece some passing moves together. Only Sami Hyypia would make their first team, and the five home-grown youngsters were taking time to settle in a 4-2-3-1 formation spearheaded by Florent Sinama-Pongolle.

Moments of promise did arise, such as when Stephen Warnock flighted in a corner that Igor Biscan headed wastefully downwards and into a wall of claret. The half did

finish encouragingly for Liverpool, not least when Sinama-Pongolle robbed Lee Roche, raced 50 yards but was then pressurised into a weak shot by Roche, who had recovered well. Brian Jensen clutched the loose ball gratefully.

Stirred by Cotterill at the break, Burnley went for Liverpool again, breaking through after 52 minutes. The danger seemed to have expired when Chaplow crossed low and hard from the left. The claret presence in the six-yard box was minimal but Traore panicked, executing a bizarre turn that clipped the ball into Dudek's net. Embarrassment was writ large.

Faced with such ignominy, Benitez had to react and he sent on Baros to give Liverpool focus and a cutting edge. As the Czech Republic international started dribbling menacingly at Burnley, they began retreating deeper and deeper but still found time to counter, notably when the tireless Chaplow fired goalwards with 17 minutes left. Dudek dropped down, flicking out a glove to divert the ball.

Engulfed by humiliation, Benitez sent Neil Mellor into the fray but he was promptly booked for a rash challenge, and then Nunez was dismissed, as Liverpool's frustration spilled over. "Premiership?" chanted Turf Moor. "You're having a laugh."

Match details

Burnley (4-5-1): Jensen; Sinclair, Cahill, McGreal, Camara; Roche, Hyde, Grant, Chaplow, Valois; Moore.
Subs: Coyne (g), O'Neill, Pilkington, Scott, Yates.
Booked: Chaplow.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Dudek; Raven, Hyypia, Whitbread, Traore (Baros 65); Welsh (Mellor 75), Biscan; Nunez, Potter, Warnock; Pongolle.
Subs: Otsemobor, Harrison (g), Smyth.
Booked: Raven, Mellor, Baros.
Sent off: Nunez
Referee: M Clattenburg (Co Durham).

NEWS STORY
A NIGHT OF MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT
Steve Hunter 19 January 2005
It was a night to forget for Liverpool as they crashed out of the FA Cup at the hands of Burnley but it was the manner of the performance that left a bitter taste in the mouth.
Just as it was when Burnley beat Liverpool to win the FA Cup back in 1914 a solitary goal was enough but you have to be honest and say that if it wasn't for Jerzy Dudek the scoreline could have been a total embarassment.

Rafael Benitez has taken a lot of stick for the defeat because of his selection of many young players and resting seniors like Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and John Arne Riise. You felt if those three had been playing and had Milan Baros started the match then we wouldn't be talking about one of the most disappointing and instantly forgetful defeats in the club's history.

On the other hand you could also say a much stronger Liverpool side containing Gerrard, Carragher, Owen, Heskey and Baros crashed out at the fifth round stage last season to Portsmouth reserves. Harry Redknapp could barely put a five-a-side team together such was an injury crisis engulfing Fratton Park last season but reserves and youth team players caused a major upset. Owen missed a penalty too in one what was one of the darkest moments of last season.

What makes things worse as well is Burnley manager Steve Cotterill only had eight senior professionals in the summer when he took over from Stan Ternant due to players out of contract and so on, so what he has achieved is something of a minor miracle so far at Turf Moor.

Not since Graeme Souness's final hour at Anfield had we crashed out of the FA Cup at the third round stage and it is not a nice feeling this time around.

This season Benitez has deservedly taken credit for giving youngsters, so poorly treated by the previous management, a chance in the first team. They have responded well in the Carling Cup by guiding the Reds through to the semi-finals. The main difference between the Carling Cup run and the FA Cup match with Burnley can be summed up in one word, expectancy.

The young lads were not expected to do as well as they have done in the Carling Cup and it was a case of eager footballers chomping at the bit for a chance of stardom in the first team.

Now for the first time perhaps there was a real sense of expectancy ahead of the Burnley game and a 'let's take Burnley to the cleaners' mentality perhaps set in, maybe even a touch of over confidence.

Let's get one thing straight first though and that is that the young lads were badly let down by senior players, either going through the motions or just basically having a poor attitude on the night.

Djimi Traore bore the bruntof the frustrations with a comical own goal that Benitez didn't find amusing one bit and he quickly substituted the player. Quite what Traore was trying to do only he knows but it was a terrible error and like Jerzy Dudek on Saturday against Manchester United Liverpool are being punished big time for individual mistakes.

However, Traore had been more good than bad this season and his last ditch tackle against Watford in the last minute last week could well turn out to be crucial if the Reds get to Cardiff, so let's not forget that.

Igor Biscan had arguably his worst ever game in a Liverpool shirt and his passes mostly found Claret shirts more than yellow ones and the manager quite clearly was not amused.

Sami Hyypia struggled too and found it hard getting to grips with the pacy former Tranmere striker Ian Moore. Zak Whitbread tried hard but during the Carling Cup he has had Stephane Henchoz alongside him playing brilliantly.

Antonio Nunez didn't do himself any favours and let the team down with a show of petulance to get himself sent-off. Former Everton player Tony Grant also disgraced himself with his over the top reaction but the referee probably sent Nunez off for dissent and intent rather than actually catching the player. Nunez can certainly cross a good ball but that is about it, and he gave the impression that he would rather be somewhere else rather than Burnley on a boggy pitch.

Florent Sinama-Pongolle didn't have a good night either but in fairness to him he is no left winger and in the first half he didn't have any support or service. He did have the one chance when he broke clear that he should have done better with. It was just one of those nights unfortunately.

There can still be good things salvaged from the season and now is not the right time to start judging Benitez. If he guides Liverpool to a Carling Cup success in Cardiff he will be hailed a hero and the Reds can still progress further in the Champions League.

However what can't be taken away is the disappointment of this FA Cup 3rd round defeat. It's been a terrible week for Liverpool, and three points at Southampton on Saturday might go a small way to suggest our beloved team can still make this season something of a success.

After the game Benitez defended his decision to play a young side and said the squad he has inherited is not big enough to cope with four competitions.

Benitez said: "We are all very disappointed. We worked hard during the week to prepare for the game. The fact that we lost is very, very frustrating for all of us.

"I picked the team which I felt was right for the game and I have no regrets about that. In the first half Burnley were better than us but in the second half we were better. The bad thing is we conceded a poor goal and it was then always going to be difficult for us to score on a bad pitch against a team that was fighting for everything.

"It's always hard after a defeat to look for positives but I think there are two things we can take from last night. We have a lot of injured players at the moment and so maybe playing less games will help us. But that doesn't mean we're not disappointed to be out because we are.

"Firstly, although we would much prefer to have stayed in the competition, now that we are out it means we will have more time to work with the players later in the season to prepare them for the important games we have in the Premiership, the Champions League and the Carling Cup.

"We have a lot of injured players at the moment and so maybe playing less games will help us. But that doesn't mean we're not disappointed to be out because we are."