Errors give Hammers lead at break in Cup final

Liverpool 1 West Ham 2

Djibril Cisse revived Liverpool’s hopes of more silverwae for manager Rafael Benitez at half-time in a thrilling FA Cup final after they had fallen two goals behind to West Ham at the Millennium Stadium.

An own goal from Jamie Carragher and Dean Ashton’s toe-poke following a mistake from Reds goalkeeper Jose Reina had given the fearless Hammers rich reward for their bright start.

But Liverpool responded strongly and were denied a goal when Peter Crouch’s volleyed effort was ruled offside, moments before Cisse volleyed home after Steven Gerrard’s long ball into the area.

Liverpool had a free-kick in the opening seconds for a foul on Steven Gerrard by Paul Konchesky, but the opening was wasted.

With Cisse and Harry Kewell playing wide, Liverpool were at times choosing a 4-3-3 formation and it gave them success down the wing.

West Ham hit back with a run by Yossi Benayoun on the right that had the Hammers fans on their feet.

Liverpool’s first effort was a wayward overhead kick by Crouch that bounced wide, but the striker had already started to win his share of possession.

Riise gave the ball away cheaply but made amends by blocking Harewood's angled shot. From the resulting corner Ashton was penalised for challenging Reds keeper Jose Reina.

Fletcher gave away a free-kick in a dangerous position 10 yards outside the penalty area by impeding Gerrard. But Riise fired the ball into the wall.

In the 20th minute West Ham took the lead when Jamie Carragher put the ball in his own net.

Benayoun neatly laid the ball off to Ashton in midfield after Alonso lost possession, and the striker cleverly slid the ball through the Liverpool defence for Scaloni to run on to down the right.

He fired the ball across the area towards the waiting Harewood but Carragher, while trying to intercept, got it all wrong and deflected the ball inside the near post to put the Hammers in front.

Liverpool responded but Cisse was penalised for handball as he tried to bring down the ball just outside the area.

But they were rocked when West Ham doubled their lead in the 28th minute. Ashton challenged for the ball just outside the area and it fell to Etherington, who squeezed in a shot despite the close attention of three Liverpool defenders.

It should not have troubled Reina but the Spaniard spilled it and Ashton was in like a flash to poke the ball past the ‘keeper and into the net.

Crouch thought he had pulled a goal back for Liverpool from Gerrard’s quick free-kick. He volleyed past Shaka Hislop but was harshly adjudged to be offside.

But the Merseyside club were right back in the game just after the half-hour mark when Alonso squared the ball to Gerrard deep in midfield and his glorious long ball into the area was fired past Hislop by Cisse.

Back came West Ham and Ashton’s slaloming run into the danger area ended with an angled shot which flashed past Reina’s post.

Liverpool forced a couple of corners but were repelled as they piled the pressure on West Ham, for whom Benayoun could only muster a weak shot from the edge of the area which Reina gathered easily.

Cisse was proving hard to contain and he fired a hard, low shot which stung the palms of Hislop after cutting in from the left flank.