Fowler leads eight-goal romp

No more holidays in their homeland for the men from the land of fire and ice, surely. The entire population of Iceland was apparently glued to their sets for live transmission of what amounted to a home international, according to the commentator.

What they witnessed was a Second Division team owned, managed and in no small part staffed by their countrymen being humiliated by eight goals, three from Robbie Fowler, as Liverpool ran riot.

After being knocked out of the FA Cup recently by Nuneaton Borough these are not good times for for Stoke.

Barely four minutes had elapsed when Peter Thorne made himself the simplest chance. Chasing down a short back-pass he came out of a 50-50 tackle with Pegguy Arphexad with the ball at his feet and the goal empty. Somehow he hit the post.

Within 90 seconds Liverpool were ahead. Breaking quickly, Robbie Fowler made space on the left and drove in a low cross. Christian Ziege, closing unmarked on the six-yard line, sidefooted high into the net.

Determined to make a game of it but unable to rely on Thorne, Liverpool's defence handed Kyle Lightbourne an immediate chance to square it up, St?phane Henchoz slicing the ball to the big striker with no one but Arphexad to beat.

Unfortunately for Stoke Lightbourne's first touch was criminally wooden, allowing the goalkeeper enough time to block at his feet. Suddenly you began to see how it was they had failed to score in two games against Nuneaton.

Having laid siege to Liverpool's goal for 10 minutes, Stoke immediately conceded twice. First they failed to clear a Gary McAllister hoof clear, allowing Markus Babbel, slightly fortuitously, to find Vladimir Smicer, who duly scored.

Within a couple of minutes the tie was completely over. Fowler was allowed to return a half-cleared corner into the area with a scissors-kick and, with Stoke's defence admiring that, Babbel smacked home.

Liverpool made it four before half-time. McAllister sent over a corner, Sammi Hyypia flicked on and Fowler nodded in.

Hyppia delivered the fifth goal on the hour, prodding home Danny Murphy's cross after Brynjar Gunnarsson slipped; Murphy himself hit the sixth, courtesy of Fowler, both striking in less than splendid isolation.

Fowler completed his hat-trick, first seizing on a Ziege through ball and then burying a penalty. Then as the highest football crowd the Brittannia Stadium has ever drawn began to empty, the diehards sang the club anthem Delilah, laying emphasis on the line: "I just couldn't take any more."

Worthington Cup

Wednesday November 29, 2000
Stoke (0) 0 - 8 (4) Liverpool
Ziege (6)
Smicer (26)
Babbel (28)
Fowler (39)
Hyypia (59)
Murphy (65)
Fowler (82)
Fowler (84) pen

Stoke City
Muggleton; Clarke, Dorigo, Gunnarsson, Hansson (Petty), Mohan; Kavanagh, Risom; Gudjonsson, Lightbourne (Thordarson), Thorne (Goodfellow).

Liverpool
Arphexad; Babbel (Wright, S), Carragher, Henchoz, Hyypia, Ziege; McAllister, Murphy, Partridge (Barmby); Fowler, Smicer (Hamann).

Referee: A. P. D'Urso (Billericay)

Attendance: 27,109

Bookings
Stoke City: None
Liverpool: Ziege (19) Henchoz (79)

Sent off
None

Free-kicks

Stoke City: 6
Liverpool: 9


Corners

Stoke City: 1
Liverpool: 3


Goal attempts

Stoke City: 9
Liverpool: 18


On target

Stoke City: 2
Liverpool: 10


Hit woodwork

Stoke City: 1
Liverpool: 0


Offsides

Stoke City: 10
Liverpool: 5


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