When you least expected it, West Ham produced a battling performance in a
stadium where they have had little success over the years.
They arrived at Anfield as crippled cannon fodder. They left with a point
after being twice behind.
The display will go down as one of their bravest of the season.
The Hammers normally fold at Liverpool without a fight, but when the
Merseysiders' goalscoring double act of Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen had
scored in the first half, West Ham refused to cave in.
Frank Lampard scored from the spot and an amazing Marc Keller corner that went
straight in awarded them a draw.
For Liverpool the chances of European football next season are diminishing by
the week.
West Ham do not really have a realistic chance of a UEFA Cup spot despite what
Harry Redknapp keeps saying, but they went back down the M6 with their pride
intact for a change.
Liverpool were without ex-Hammers star Paul Ince and Dominic Matteo, both
suspended, allowing Rigobert Song his full home debut.
But that was nothing compared to the horrors afflicting the east Londoners.
Short of nine first-team players through illness, injury and suspension, boss
Harry Redknapp was forced into major changes that involved Joe Cole's second
Premiership start and two recently signed former non-league players on the bench
in Gavin Holligan and Jimmy Bullard.
Hardly the sort of side Redknapp would have wanted to field at a stadium where
West Ham had not won since 1963 and had only scored twice in 16 previous
visits.
But despite early pressure, they did not do a bad job, considering how the
goals have been crashing past them of late.
West Ham started with skipper Steve Lomas as a wing-back, trying to halt the
runs of Steve McManaman, which he achieved effectively for long spells.
Jamie Redknapp, Liverpool captain against his dad's team, saw a fierce
free-kick turned wide by Michael Owen, and fought an intriguing midfield battle
with cousin Frank Lampard.
Lampard almost presented the home side with a goal after 14 minutes when he
tried to nod the ball back to Shaka Hislop, the effort falling short and
allowing Fowler to get in a shot that was taken too quickly and flew wide.
Another Fowler shot two minutes later was deflected inches wide of a post by
Babb.
But after 22 minutes Liverpool were ahead when Redknapp's ball in was won by
Vegard Heggem from Scott Minto in the six-yard box.
The Norwegian backheeled the ball for Fowler to smash into the roof of the
net.
West Ham claimed that Minto had been fouled, but two minutes later West Ham
were level when Minto took a pass from Eyal Berkovic and was brought down by
Heggem in the other penalty area.
Referee Neal Barry pointed to the spot, and Lampard stepped up to smash the
penalty past David James.
Jamie Carragher, playing in Ince's midfield roll, had an outstanding game,
winning tackles and showing excellent anticipation.
But despite what is normally expected of them at Anfield, West Ham fought well
in an excellent match.
After 33 minutes Heggem gave the ball away to Trevor Sinclair, 18 yards out.
The Hammers' striker saw his shot half stopped by James, who had to dive on
the ball as Lampard raced in.
Anfield was witnessing the first time two Cameroon internationals had faced
each other in the Premiership. Song was relishing his role on the right of
defence, while Marc-Vivien Foe looked strong and powerful, winning plenty in the
air but frequently being left stranded by quick passing in midfield.
But Liverpool were back in front on the stroke of half-time.
Michael Owen was allowed space on the edge of the box after taking a McManaman
pass to fire in a shot that took a deflection off Rio Ferdinand before beating
Hislop.
The confrontation between Owen and Ferdinand was another compelling battle -
two players who are clearly a part of England's future.
Twice in the early moments of the second half, Owen took on his young England
colleague Ferdinand.
A neat touch 30 yards out wrong-footed the Hammers' defender, but he managed
to catch Owen and with Lomas' help, blocked the run with Owen tumbling in the
box. The Kop screamed for a penalty, but the Scunthorpe official waved play on.
A couple of minutes later Owen tried again down the left, but Ferdinand made
an excellent stop, stretching to flick the ball out of play at full speed.
After 53 minutes Carragher had to clear an Ian Pearce header off the line
after a Lomas free-kick.
The battle between Redknapp and Lampard hardly eased, with the former's mother
watching from the directors' box alongside daughter-in-law and pop star Louise.
They witnessed a crunching Redknapp tackle that left his cousin in a painful
heap that will no doubt cause some comment at the next Redknapp family meeting!
After 66 minutes Patrik Berger arrived as substitute for McManaman, to an
interestingly appreciative roar from the home fans.
Liverpool stepped up the pace, but it was West Ham who were level after 74
minutes with a bizarre goal.
Keller, only on the pitch as substitute for Minto for three minutes, took a
left-wing corner and curled it low to the near post, where it squeezed between a
pack of defenders on the line and James before slipping over the line.
Cole limped off with 10 minutes to go, allowing teenager Holligan his first
taste of senior football, receiving much encouragement from veteran Ian Wright.
Then West Ham lost Pearce on a stretcher with Stan Lazaridis coming on for
what was now a real backs-to-the-Kop survival bid by the Hammers.
But twice West Ham could have stolen it.
Holligan was put through by Berkovic and James made a fine save at his feet,
and then Sinclair escaped the offside trap to race away and chip James, only for
the effort to clear the bar.
Both sides went hell for leather at the end, Owen fired a cross that Karlheinz
Riedle missed on the line, and then at the other end another Keller corner
clipped the bar with Liverpool in disarray.
Teams
Liverpool: James, Heggem, Song, Staunton, Babb,
Bjornebye (Riedle 77), Carragher, Redknapp,McManaman (Berger 66), Fowler, Owen.
Subs Not Used: Harkness, Ferri, Friedel.
Booked: Carragher.
Goals: Fowler 22, Owen 45.
West Ham: Hislop, Sinclair, Potts, Ferdinand,
Pearce (Lazaridis 82), Minto (Keller 71), Lampard, Foe, Lomas,
Berkovic, Cole (Holligan 80).
Subs Not Used: Forrest, Bullard.
Booked: Potts, Sinclair.
Goals: Lampard 24 pen, Keller 74.
Att: 44,511
Ref: N Barry (Scunthorpe).
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