Red cards may rule Garcia and Mullins out of Cup

HAYDEN MULLINS and Luis Garcia could miss the FA Cup final after both players were sent off nine minutes from time in Liverpool’s Premiership victory over West Ham last night.

Semi-final winner Garcia had only been on the field for two minutes when he tangled with Mullins in a tackle. Mullins pushed the Spaniard to the floor and referee Howard Webb showed both players straight red cards.

It is a more serious blow for West Ham than Liverpool. Mullins has been an unsung hero alongside Nigel Reo-Coker at the heart of the Hammers midfield this season.

Liverpool won the game, a dress rehearsal for next month's Cardiff final, with two expertly-taken goals from Djibril Cisse either side of Nigel Reo-Coker's equaliser.

The double sending off brought the evening to a sour end. Before kick-off players, fans and former West Ham stars had paid a rousing tribute to John Lyall, the Hammers' manager for 15 years who died suddenly last week, aged 66.

Lyall is the only West Ham manager to have won the FA Cup twice and so it was a fitting evening for the club to pay its tributes.

But after the exertions of the weekend, and their respective semi-final victories over Chelsea and Middlesbrough, West Ham and Liverpool sent out shadow sides.

Steven Gerrard was rested for Liverpool as Rafael Benitez made eight changes, while Alan Pardew made five, reshuffling both his defence and his strike-force.

The Reds won three early corners and Cisse stung the hands of West Ham keeper Jimmy Walker with a viscous strike from 25 yards.

But there was nothing Walker could do after 17 minutes when Cisse, having been picked out by Momo Sissoko, unleashed a low drive from the angle of the West Ham box that flew in at the near post.

West Ham almost snatched an immediate reply through Yossi Benayoun Jerzy Dudek did well to block the Israeli's close-range volley but Liverpool were dominant, with Robbie Fowler causing the Hammers' defence all sorts of problems.

West Ham finished the half strongly and a slick move allowed Benayoun space to break down the right but Teddy Sheringham headed wide.

It took just over a minute of the second half for West Ham to find their breakthrough.

Zamora exchanged passes with Sheringham to create space in the area before squaring the ball for Reo-Coker to apply the simple finish.

West Ham were denied the chance of a second when Zamora strayed offside after Matthew Etherington's had sliced through the heart of Liverpool's midfield.

Reo-Coker then burst into the Liverpool box and it seemed as if the Hammers would snatch the lead. Instead, Liverpool cleared their lines and exacted the perfect sucker-punch.

Fowler sent a superb 30-yard ball over the top of West Ham's defence, Cisse latched onto it and slotted his shot under the advancing Walker.

Dudek was then forced into two superb stops from Etherington, the first from a curling free-kick and the second from an angled drive.

Substitute Harewood almost made an immediate impact after Sheringham had picked him out with a wonderful pass. Liverpool broke downfield and Fowler, unmarked in the West Ham box, directed his header wide.

He was replaced immediately by Garcia, who lasted only two minutes before both he and Mullins were given their marching orders.

WEST HAM: Walker, Scaloni, Ferdinand, Collins (Fletcher 45), Ward, Etherington, Benayoun (Harewood 77), Mullins, Reo-Coker, Zamora, Sheringham.

LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Finnan (Hyypia 63), Carragher, Kromkamp, Traore, Cisse, Hamann, Sissoko, Warnock, Fowler (Luis Garcia 80), Morientes (Riise 85).

Referee: H Webb (S Yorkshire).