Goals
Hughes 71
Match
Report
Richard Hughes and Shaka Hislop were the toast of Portsmouth after
the duo dumped Liverpool out of the FA Cup at Fratton Park.
Midfielder Hughes scored his first Pompey goal - a fierce 71st-minute
drive - to avenge memories of one of the darkest days in the club's
history.
That was when Liverpool deprived Portsmouth of an appearance in
the 1992 FA Cup final with a penalty shoot-out victory in the semi-final.
But today's famous victory, which sets up a quarter-final showdown
against holders Arsenal, only came after Pompey twice survived penalty
dramas.
Referee Matt Messias awarded Liverpool a 49th-minute spot-kick
for handball - but changed his mind after consulting his assistant
Guy Beale.
The official got it wrong again 13 minutes later - penalising Matt
Taylor for a brilliant tackle on Milan Baros - but Hislop saved
Michael Owen's weak effort from the spot.
It was the perfect way for keeper Hislop, who had joked on the
eve of this game he had never saved a penalty, to celebrate his
35th birthday.
Portsmouth had started in lively fashion, with Eyal Berkovic forcing
Reds keeper Chris Kirkland into action with a first-minute free-kick
from an acute angle.
Play ebbed from end to end but without any real momentum to the
game.
Messias angered home fans by booking Nigel Quashie for a lunge
on Emile Heskey after the official had inadvertently diverted the
ball into the path of the England striker.
Jamie Carragher sent over a decent delivery from the left but Sami
Hyypia flattened his team-mate Bruno Cheyrou when attempting to
head the ball goalwards and left him needing treatment.
Liverpool fashioned the game's first genuine goalscoring opportunity
in the 36th minute. Cheyrou's smart lay-off to Gerrard put the England
midfielder into space and he fed his club and country colleague
Heskey, whose side-footed shot was well parried by Hislop.
The game exploded into life in the 49th minute when Messias awarded
Liverpool a penalty - then changed his mind and gave Portsmouth
a free-kick.
Gerrard fired a set-piece into the six-yard box from the right
and the ball struck the arm of Reds substitute Milan Baros.
But Messias thought it had hit the arm of Linvoy Primus, standing
next to Baros, and pointed to the spot.
Pompey's players - Berkovic in particular - were furious and besieged
Messias and his assistant Beale.
And, after a 60-second discussion between the two, Messias stunned
Liverpool by changing his decision.
Yakubu almost got on the end of Alexei Smertin's cross-shot then
Dietmar Hamann fired over at the other end.
Arjan de Zeeuw poked a foot wide of his own goal from Anthony Le
Tallec's cross - and there was more penalty drama in the 62nd minute.
Messias got it wrong again with Taylor penalised when his sliding
tackle nicked the ball away from Baros in the area - but Owen's
spot-kick was rolled tamely to Hislop's left and the keeper saved
comfortably.
And Pompey made Owen pay for his miss when they powered into the
lead in the 71st minute.
Berkovic cut inside from the right and fed Yakubu on the edge of
the box. He squared to substitute Hughes, who beat Kirkland with
an 18-yard angled drive into the bottom corner.
Hislop kept the home side in front with a fine tip-over from Gerrard's
header.
Yakubu shot wide when he should have made it 2-0 after exchanging
passes with Berkovic - and Owen fired a yard wide from a great shooting
position at the other end as Pompey held on for a famous victory.
Press Association
Teams
Portsmouth: Hislop, Primus, Pasanen, De Zeeuw,
Stefanovic (Hughes 45), Harper, Smertin, Quashie, Taylor, Berkovic,
Yakubu.
Subs Not Used: Wapenaar, O'Neil, Olszar, Cooper.
Booked: Quashie, Hughes, Smertin, Yakubu.
Liverpool: Kirkland, Finnan, Henchoz, Hyypia,
Carragher, Hamann, Gerrard, Le Tallec (Murphy 59), Cheyrou (Sinama
Pongolle 82), Heskey (Baros 45), Owen.
Subs Not Used: Dudek, Biscan.
Attendance: 19,529
Referee: M Messias (N Yorkshire).
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