Liverpool followed up their midweek league triumph over Arsenal
with another big time scalp when they ended Manchester United's
hopes of a cup double with a 1-0 win.
Peter Crouch's first-half header was enough to win this fiercely
competitive FA Cup fifth round tie, the first time Liverpool have
beaten United in the competition for 85 years.
Not this time: Peter Crouch sees an effort go just wide as Edwin
van der Sar looks on.
Rafael Benitez's men held out against a furious late United
onslaught, the visitors losing substitute Alan Smith with a broken
leg and dislocated ankle in injury time.
Smith's leg buckled underneath him as he tried to block a shot from
a Liverpool free-kick and was clearly in severe pain as he was
carried off on a stretcher.
The match was built-up as United captain Gary Neville's worst
nightmare on his 31st birthday, but, apart from a late booking, the
England man handled the ordeal with solid professionalism.
There were problems for United before they even reached Anfield. An
accident on the East Lancs Road delayed their arrival until 50
minutes ahead of kick off, and then they announced that Rio
Ferdinand was not with them.
The central defender had picked up a hamstring injury in training,
which meant that Wes Brown and Nemanja Vidic played in the heart of
defence.
Liverpool recalled goalkeeper Jose Reina after his three-match ban,
with Peter Crouch also back up front after a heel injury while
Dietmar Hamann came into midfield with Xabi Alonso out with a thigh
injury.
Neville's first touch was met with a deluge of booing before Harry
Kewell should have been booked for a third-minute foul on the
United skipper. Kewell made one attempt to knock him off the ball
and then after a pass had been played down the line, the Aussie
bowled Neville over the line and onto the track.
On 18 minutes Liverpool's constant aerial assault almost saw
Liverpool take the lead. Steven Gerrard's free-kick was met by a
Kewell flick that Van der Sar superbly turned away at full
stretch.
But from the resulting corner, Liverpool were ahead. Gerrard's
corner was played short to Steve Finnan and when the swirling cross
arrived in the box, Crouch rose with a towering header that Van der
Sar reached but could only push onto a post before the ball rolled
into the net. Cue Kop hysteria.
That made Crouch the first Liverpool striker to score in 2006, his
last being on News Year's Eve against West Brom.
United could not get themselves out of the stranglehold Liverpool
had them in with their array of long balls, and Giggs was booked
for a wild lunge at the back of Kewell's legs on 33 minutes.
TV replays suggested the challenge was in the box, but Webb deemed
it a foot outside and from Gerrard's free-kick, Finnan squandered a
good chance by cracking a shot into the side netting.
Rooney decided to run 20 yards to complain to a linesman over a
previous incident, and when he was met with abuse from the Anfield
fans he kissed his badge and then ran to retrieve the ball from in
front of the Kop and repeated the gesture.
Being nut-megged by John Arne Riise soon after hardly helped his
mood.
United took of Mikael Silvestre at the break and sent on Louis Saha
up front. Keiron Richardson dropped to left back and the visitors
had a more balanced 4-4-2 look about them.
Crouch almost poached a second on 50 minutes when he took advantage
of indecision between Van der Sar and Vidic to stick out a foot and
deflect the ball just wide of a post.
Finnan and Reina just managed to scramble away a dangerous cross
from Neville, United were really back in the game now and Rooney
drove wide from Giggs' touched free-kick.
Jamie Carragher was booked for a foul on Saha, and Liverpool took
off Morientes to allow Luis Garcia into the action on 61
minutes.
Crouch needed six stitches in a head wound before the Kop were
delighted when Neville was booked on 73 minutes for a foul on
Kewell. Vidic soon followed for bringing down Luis Garcia. United
replaced Darren Fletcher with Smith before the free-kick could be
taken.
On 78 minutes, Kewell was booked for a retaliatory foul on Neville
and Ruud van Nistelrooy set up Giggs for a 20 yarder just over the
angle.
Liverpool sent on the more defensive Jan Kromkamp for Kewell eight
minutes from time and referee Webb pointedly signalled to his
fourth officials that objects were being thrown at Neville,
who looked to be picking up coins around him. Djibril
Cisse replaced Crouch on 88 minutes.
With a minute left Smith suffered his unfortunate injury and Park
Ji-Sung replaced him.
Seven minutes of injury time were signalled but United never
threatened an equaliser.
neville is getting donations 
