Yossi Benayoun saves Liverpool with a hat trick

Liverpool 5-2 Havant & Waterlooville

LIVERPOOL have reached the fifth round of the FA Cup but the honours undoubtedly go to non-league Havant & Waterlooville who gave the Premiership giants an almighty scare.

Twice Havant took the lead in a first half in which Liverpool produced one of their worst displays in living memory.

The minnows were an absolute credit to non-league football and they undoubtedly deserve all the plaudits that will surely come their way.

Make no mistake about it, Anfield was a very

anxious place until Liverpool finally took the lead through a Yossi Benayoun strike after 55 minues.

That was the second of three goals for the Israeli midfielder who was one of few Liverpool players to emerge from the game with any credit.

Far, far too many let themselves down but that does not take anything away from the visitors who put the romance into this year’s FA Cup with the kind of performance which showed that anything really is possible in this wonderfully magical competition.

An own goal from Martin Skrtel and a close range header by Richard Pacquette had threatened to turn this game on its head as Havant twice took the lead.

A wonderful curling effort from the edge of the box by Lucas – the first goal of his Liverpool career – was sandwiched between those goals and the fact that the Reds found themselves 2-1 down will be a source of embarrassment to the club for some time to come.

They may have gone on to win comfortably but the only talking point will be the fact that a team which finds itself 120 league places below Liverpool in the league came to Anfield and took the lead – that is a major shock in itself.

Benayoun’s hat trick was the highlight of the day as far as Liverpool were concerned.

His first was a delicate finish into the top right hand corner of Scriven’s goal on the stroke of half time.

His second was a strike in off the crossbar following good work by Ryan Babel on the flank.

And his third was a good poacher’s finish, as Benayoun followed in on a Babel shot which the keeper could only parry.

After going 4-2 up the game was well and truly up for Havant but they kept on going and never looked like waving the white flag despite the odds facing them.

Indeed, they could even have reduced the arrears only for Itandje to make a brilliant flying save from Jordan’s header.

Liverpool then produced their best football of the match with a move which started well inside their own half and ended with Peter Crouch scoring a close range tap in after being set up by substitute Steven Gerrard.

Liverpool: Itandje, Finnan, Skrtel, Hyypia (Carragher 84), Riise, Pennant, Mascherano (Gerrard 87), Lucas, Benayoun (Kuyt 72), Crouch, Babel.
Subs Not Used: Martin, Torres.

Goals: Lucas 27, Benayoun 44, 56, 59, Crouch 90.

Havant and W: Scriven, Smith, Jordan, Sharp, Warner (Taggart 40), Harkin, Wilkinson (Oatway 74), Collins, Potter, Pacquette (Slabber 57), Baptiste.
Subs Not Used: Steven Gregory, Taylor.

Booked: Wilkinson.

Goals: Pacquette 8, Skrtel 31 og.

Att: 42,566

Ref: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).