Reds revenge

Mark Walters collected the match ball with a great hat-trick as Liverpool sank Coventry without trace at Anfield.

Much-travelled Walters produced marvellous finishing power to make a mockery of his haul of just six League goals this season.

In the 16th minute he met a cross from Don Hutchison on the volley to leave Jonathan Gould helpless. Then in the 33rd minute he spotted Gould no more than two yards off his line but beat him with an inch-perfect lob from 25 yards.

He completed his treble in the 50th minute with a confident spot-kick after Andy Pearce had brought down Paul Stewart. It was virtually Pearce's first challenge after replacing skipper Brian Borrows for the second half.

For Liverpool it was sweet revenge following a 5-1 hammering at Highfield Road last December.

Yet for half-an-hour there was little real hint of what was to become one of Liverpool's best performances of the season.

But suddenly gaps galore appeared as Coventry's back four fell apart. Walters did the main damage but Ian Rush pulled the defence apart and in the 75th minute John Barnes supplied the short pass that enabled David Burrows to make it 4-0 with a blistering shot from 30 yards.

Mick Quinn twice went close for Coventry but their best effort was from Leigh Jenkinson, a 79th minute substitute for Peter Ndlovu, who crashed a great shot against the bar from 30 yards.

Graeme Souness said: "We owed them one and gave them one. We have only played in fits and starts this season but I want to finish on a high and we certainly played good stuff today."

Coventry manager Bobby Gould, who had to take off skipper Brian Borrows with a thigh injury at half-time, said: "We have to look for reasons not excuses but we've had a tremendous turnover of personnel this year. "The lads know how to accept the plaudits when they play well and the brickbats when they don't." 

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