Reds stay in top-four race

LIVERPOOL have not had anywhere near enough to replicate last season’s title challenge – not nearly enough – but it was still far too much for West Ham last night.

First-half goals from Yossi Benayoun and David Ngog and a second-half og from Robert Green wrapped up a straight-forward evening at Anfield.

The visitors were without an away win since the opening day and Liverpool made short work of them ahead of their long trip to Madrid.

However, it was a win that only moves them to within five points of in-form Tottenham, who still have a game in hand, in fourth place.

“I think that we have to keep doing our job,” Benitez said, with a hint of déjà vu. “It will be more difficult because we have difficult games. Tottenham won their difficult games and we were not expecting them to win but we l have to keep trying to do our job and be in position if they make a mistake.

“Now we will have not too many days to be ready for an important game but hopefully the journey will be good. People are working hard to prepare the ‘Plan A’ and ‘Plan B’ and working very hard so everything is ready and they will be fresh.”

The reality for the Reds is that even their grip on the top six, maybe even the top seven, has been laid open to question in this wretched campaign.

The journey to the Europa League semi-final first leg will start this morning with a train to London, but beyond that the arrangements are still not certain although they are likely to at least fly from Bordeaux to Madrid.

Having spent all season with their hopes of getting into Europe being stalled, the Icelandic volcanic ash has been another unwanted distraction in a miserable campaign.

The disruption will mean that many supporters are unable to make the trip to Spain and although some may have chosen longer, alternative routes, that does not explain a pitiful crowd of 37,697, the lowest for a Premier League game since December 2004.

The new chairman Martin Broughton was here for the first time, a couple of weeks before his real team Chelsea play here, and must have wondered what all the fuss is about.

But at least Liverpool’s players will not be too stiff as they make their way through the continent.

So little has been required to stay in this division that, even with their relative class, West Ham will do so by default but there remains work to be done, with just a three-point cushion to 18th-placed Hull.

It is sure to be a tougher Premier League next season and with more assets set to be stripped in the summer, even if they stay up, West Ham will only be earning the right to do this all over again next season.

Green had to turn a Maxi Rodriguez drive around the post with just a couple of minutes gone but Liverpool moved in front when a Steven Gerrard free kick was clipped in behind the West Ham defence and the ball flew in off Benayoun’s chest.

The lead should have been doubled when Sotirios Kyrgiakos wandered away from Matthew Upson only to head Gerrard’s corner over the bar.

Liverpool were soon safe though thanks to a wonderful passing move started with Reina. Benayoun clipped wide to the right for Rodriguez to cross and Ngog got in front of Upson and hit a shot through Green.

Anyone watching, saw West Ham were finished for the night and Liverpool’s third came thanks to more slack defending. Another Gerrard free kick saw Upson beaten by Kyrgiakos, whose prod at goal came back off the post only to roll in off Green.

With a crucial game to come against Wigan on Saturday, there will be no inquest from Gianfranco Zola.

He said: “We’re all disappointed but it’s not the moment to think about that. We need to react straight away.”

Substitutions for Liverpool: Mascherano for Gerrard, 72; Degen for Benayoun 78, Babel for Ngog 81.

Substitutions for West Ham: Daprela for Spector, 80); Franco for Stanislas, 46, McCarthy for Cole 72.

Referee: P Walton.