Liverpool prevail in cup classic

Liverpool FC won an extraordinary FA Cup final 3-1 on penalties after a 3-3 draw against West Ham United FC. In a repeat result of the 2005 UEFA Champions League final, against AC Milan, Rafael Benítez's team came from two goals down and needed a last-minute blockbuster from man-of-the-match Steven Gerrard to send the game into extra time.

Gerrard screamer
The London side went two goals up through a Jamie Carragher own goal and a poacher's effort from Dean Ashton, before Djibril Cissé and Steven Gerrard restored parity. Paul Konchesky scored direct from a cross that appeared to have sealed victory for West Ham before Gerrard's stoppage-time screamer.

Electric atmosphere
In probably the last FA Cup final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, the showpiece event's home since 2001, the sides produced a thrilling spectacle that neutrals will hope to see repeated when the final returns, a year late, to the rebuilt Wembley next May. The new arena may struggle to match the Millennium Stadium's superb acoustics, which contributed to an electric atmosphere.

Hammers' elation
The Hammers broke the deadlock on 20 minutes when Ashton released overlapping full-back Lionel Scaloni down the right. The Argentinian crossed low and saw the ball ricochet in off the standing leg of Carragher. The West Ham fans' elation became near disbelief seven minutes later, when José Manuel Reina failed to hold a low shot from Matthew Etherington and the impressive Ashton followed in the rebound to double the lead.

Reds' fightback
Shocked into action, Liverpool's response was swift and impressive, as Cissé volleyed them back into the contest in the 32nd minute, converting a precise Gerrard pass. Less than a minute into the second half Reina atoned for his earlier error with a superb double save from Marlon Harewood and then Yossi Benayoun. The equaliser came on 54 minutes when Peter Crouch headed down an Alonso cross and Gerrard slammed an emphatic volley high into the net for his 22nd goal of the season.

Extraordinary equaliser
The sides were not level for long, as West Ham wrested back the advantage in fortuitous style. Konchesky sent in a curling cross from the left that cleared Reina and dropped into the net at the far post. The drama was not over. Gerrard appeared to be struggling with injury but roused himself for another salvo in the final minute, as he seized on a bouncing ball and thundered the ball past Shaka Hislop from fully 30 metres for an extraordinary equaliser.

Liverpool luck
Both sides were visibly tired during extra time, as cramped players went down with alarming frequency. Penalties looked the likeliest outcome until 90 seconds before the end when West Ham came agonisingly close to a winner. Reina brilliantly clawed a looping Nigel Reo-Coker header on to the inside of the post, then a clearly injured Harewood missed a relatively simple rebound. Liverpool made the most of their luck in the shoot-out, with penalty expert Reina saving kicks from Bobby Zamora, Konchesky and Anton Ferdinand.