Star trio shine as Brighton hit for six

Whether it is what they should be judged on is open to argument but Liverpool continued their fine cup form by securing a place in the FA Cup quarter finals against Stoke with a routine victory over Brighton, partly thanks to three own goals by the Championship side.

Martin Skrtel opening the scoring and Liam Bridcutt’s own goal restored the lead after Kazenga Lua Lua’s equaliser.

Andy Carroll added a third before Bridcutt knocked into his own net once again and Lewis Dunk also scored an own goal, making Brighton the first team to manage three in one game in the history of the FA Cup.

Luis Suarez, who had a penalty saved by Peter Brezovan four minutes earlier, headed in from close range to make it six.

The importance of the Champions League, which Liverpool are in danger of missing out on for a third straight year, means that being described as a “cup team” is no longer something to celebrate.

But, with a Carling Cup final to come against Cardiff on Sunday, they booked a place in the last eight of the FA Cup with their best home win since the win over Hull by the same scoreline in September 2009.

As unlikely as it now seems, failure to pick up any silverware this season would equal the club’s longest trophy drought since 1966 to 1973 and, while the first success since the 2006 FA Cup win should be seen as a step in the right direction, they will be judged on their league performance.

Home form has been the main reason why Liverpool, who had Steven Gerrard, Carroll and Suarez starting together for the first time, have struggled to push harder for fourth spot.

But Dalglish will have been cheered by the fact they could have scored far more than the three goals they managed to put in the net themselves and feels his team will only get stronger the more he is able to get his key trio on the field together.

“The three of them are fantastic footballers and they played really well,” Dalglish said. “The more anybody or any team gets the players that are iconic like they are on the pitch the better chance you’ve got of being successful.

“The fact we’ve done as well as we have and that’s the first time they’ve started together says a lot about the squad. It was a good victory but it was more difficult than the score-line would suggest.

“You can’t blame the boys for wanting to defend their goals and they were unfortunate. We had 15 attempts on target so we always said we’d like to get our conversion rate up.”

Dalglish had signalled for Suarez to take the penalty and added: “That was my fault because I let sentiment get in the way but I’ll learn my lesson.”

Gerrard is also looking forward to seeing how much havoc can be brought alongside Carroll and Suarez.

“I believe the more we play together the more we’ll click.

“Good players enjoy playing with other good players. Hopefully, we will get on the same wavelength and we’ll get better.

“It was important to focus on today, although it was always in the back of our minds that we have a big game at Wembley next week, and we want to go there again in this competition.”

Brighton seemed terrified by Carroll in the opening exchanges and with Adam El-Abd attempting to jump on the striker’s back for Steven Gerrard’s corner, Skrtel was allowed to peel away at the near post and glance a header in.

But Brighton pulled level when Jordan Henderson was punished for a needless foul on Lua Lua with the former Newcastle winger thumping a free kick into the bottom corner.

Liverpool’s lead was restored before the interval when, after a frenetic scramble, Glen Johnson’s header was headed off the line by Sam Vokes only for the ball to rebound in off the helpless Bridcutt.

Carroll scored his eighth Liverpool goal when he pulled away to the near post to fire in from Stewart Downing’s cross at the near post before Gerrard’s cross flew in off Bridcutt for a fourth goal.

The fifth was the pick of the own goals, when Enrique’s looping cross and Dunk contrived to knock across his own line as he attempted a third touch. Suarez had a penalty saved by Peter Brezovan after Dirk Kuyt was tripped by Craig Noone but the Uruguayan glanced in from close range from Carroll’s header.

“Two or three of the goals in the second half, I would say they were comic,” Brighton manager Gus Poyet said. “They were quite naïve so it was welcome to the world of the Premiership.”

LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Reina 7; Johnson 6, Carragher 6, Skrtel 7, Enrique 7; Gerrard 8 (Shelvey 76, 6), Adam 7; Suarez 7, Henderson 6 (Kuyt 77, 6), Downing 8 (Maxi 76, 6); Carroll 7.

BRIGHTON (4-2-3-1): Brezovan 5; Calderon 4, Greer 6, Dunk 5, El Abd 6 (Vicente 69, 6);, Bridcutt 6, Navarro 6; Buckley 5 (Noone 46), 5, Barnes 6, Lua Lua 7; Vokes 6 (Mackail-Smith 69, 6)

Ref: Andre Marriner.