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Your support makes all the difference.Gutted by Grimsby at the same stage of last season's Worthington Cup, Liverpool again fielded a virtual reserve XI last night. This time the gamble paid off, the Premiership leaders putting a patchy opening behind them to claim a fourth-round place that had seemed to be Southampton's for the taking.
Chris Kirkland, Jerzy Dudek's 6ft 5in deputy, kept Liverpool alive until Patrik Berger scored in the 45th minute with an unwitting assist by Michael Svensson. And when Augustin Delgado equalised with his first goal for Southampton, the stage looked set for them to reassert their first-half ascendancy. Instead, El Hadji Diouf and Milan Baros scored inside the next three minutes and the margin would have been even greater, but for some fine saves by Antti Niemi.
"This shows the quality and depth of the squad," Gérard Houllier said, "but also the attitude and mental strength of the players on the first-team fringes." Of Kirkland, his £7m reserve, he added: "I saw in training that he had improved dramatically from working with Jerzy and [coach] Joe Corrigan. I regard him as the future of goalkeeping in this country."
Gordon Strachan, who had blooded Kirkland at Coventry, sighed: "My ex-keeper was their man of the match." How does he compare with England's other young keepers? "I've no idea," replied the Southampton manager, "but he'd get a game for Scotland."
Houllier has a "soft spot" for the competition, which brought his first trophy at Anfield, but he underlined his priorities by making 10 changes from last Saturday's Premiership match. Jon Otsemobor, 19, a local-born full-back, made an assured debut, while Markus Babbel grew in authority as his first starting role in 15 months progressed.
Liverpool's 16 still contained 11 internationals, although until Berger struck there was a confidence about Southampton which suggested they meant to atone for a 3-0 League defeat at Anfield in August.
Kirkland twice dived full-length to push behind 20-yard drives by Matthew Oakley. The first save was followed by an extraordinary game of head tennis in and around Liverpool's six-yard box, culminating in a header by Delgado which Kirkland flicked over. Delgado, the £3.5m Ecuadorean, marked only his second start in the English game with a fulminating drive from 25 yards, only to draw another acrobatic save from Kirkland.
Until the last seconds of the first half, Liverpool had not properly tested Niemi. Then Berger unleashed a low free-kick from 35 yards, the ball taking a deflection off Svensson which wrong-footed the Finn on its way into the net.
Kirkland's resistance was finally ended in the 57th minute. Having made a point-blank parry from Svensson, he was helpless as Delgado rifled in the loose ball.
Within 45 seconds Liverpool were back in front and by the hour they were out of sight. Baros made the goal which restored their lead, barging through the middle before Diouf rolled in the loose ball. The Czech then converted Berger's cross to leave Strachan reflecting on an opportunity lost and Houllier purring with pleasure.
Liverpool (4-4-2): Kirkland; Otsemobor (Traoré, 70), Babbel, Biscan, Vignal; Smicer (Diao, 76), Gerrard, Berger, Cheyrou; Baros (Heskey, 65), Diouf. Substitutes not used: Diomede, Arphexad (gk).
Southampton (4-4-2): Niemi; Dodd, Lundekvam, M Svensson, Bridge; Telfer, Delap, Oakley, Marsden (Pahars, 68); Beattie, Delgado. Substitutes not used: Williams, Kanchelskis, Tessem, Blayney (gk).
Referee: P Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent).
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