FA Cup Final 2006

The 2006 FA Cup Final was played between Liverpool and West Ham United on Saturday. It was held for the 6th time at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, due to the redevelopment of Wembley.

After a slow start, the first goal came when Jamie Carragher put through his own net to give West Ham the lead. The build up was good, after a through ball from Dean Ashton. Carraghar turned the resultant cross into the net.

West Ham doubled their advantage eight minutes later, when a shot from the edge of the area was fumbled by Liverpool Goalkeeper Jose Reina. Ashton tapped in.

Peter Crouch then had a goal disallowed for off-side, but Djibril Cisse scored shortly after, to bring Liverpool back into it at 2-1.

Early in the second half, Reina made amends for his earlier error with a fantastic double save.

Steven Gerrard equallised with twenty minutes to go, with a thunderbolt into the top corner past Shaka Hislop.

Paul Konchesky scored a fluke from outside the box, when he inadvertantly scored from a cross. 3-2 to West Ham.

West Ham entered the four minutes of injury time still ahead, and Steven Gerrard was suffering with cramp. Yet Gerrard scored from 40 yards with a volley to send the game into extra time.

Extra time was played, but most Liverpool players collapsed with cramp seemingly every minute. Marlon Harewood of West Ham was injured, but with both sides having made their substitutions, Harewood stayed on. The best chance of extra time came for Harewood, but barely able to walk, he scooped his prod wide.

In the resulting penalty shoot-out, Jose Reina was the hero, saving three of West Ham's four shots, as Liverpool won 3-1 on penalties.

Liverpool won the first FA Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium, and with Wembley looking set for next year's showpiece, Liverpool look set to have won the last there too.

Meanwhile in Scotland, Hearts beat Gretna, of the third tier of Scottish football, on penalties, to win the Scottish FA Cup.

Date
Sat 05/13/06, 11:41 am EST