WALK ON WALK ON

[JLC]

LIVERPOOL ARE WALKING ONTO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!!!!!!!!!!!!


HAT-TRICK HERO OWEN LEAVES FINNS ROCKING AND REELING
FC Haka 0-5
Liverpool
Heskey 31
Owen 56, 66, 88
Hyypia 86
Champions League Qualifying third round first leg.


Teams

A superb hat-trick from Michael Owen all but confirmed Liverpool's return to European football's premier club competition for the first time in 16 years as Gerard Houllier's men swept to a comfortable 5-0 win over Haka.

Haka - last-minute replacements after Maccabi Haifa were kicked out for fielding an ineligible player - were simply no match for the UEFA Cup holders.

Former Newcastle favourite and Haka coach Keith Armstrong admitted before the match that his side were no better than an English Third Division team and that proved to be the case as Liverpool warmed up for their Charity Shield clash with Manchester United on Sunday with a comfortable victory.

Emile Heskey and Finland international Sami Hyypia also chipped in with the goals that make the second leg of this third qualifying round clash in a fortnight at Anfield nothing more than a formality.

Liverpool got off to a slow start, but Heskey eased their nerves when he opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark.

The former Leicester City striker connected brilliantly with Steven Gerrard's right-wing cross to power home a header past Haka keeper Andras Vilnrotter.

Haka could have equalised a minute later when Peter Kovac's header cleared the bar from Ville Vaisanen's cross, but Liverpool were soon back on the offensive with a Litmanen strike which was saved.

That was all the Premiership side had to show for a dominant first-half performance until Owen decided to put on a one man show and destroy the Finns single-handedly.

The England international opened his account on 56 minutes when he collected Jari Litmanen's through-ball before drawing Vilnrotter and then chipping the ball over the Haka keeper.

That was Litmanen's last involvement as he was replaced by Gary McAllister two minutes later and within minutes Liverpool had scored again.

Patrick Berger's clever ball over a flat defence sent Owen scurrying away and he swept round Vilnrotter before walking the ball into the net.

It was no doubt fitting that skipper and Finnish hero Hyypia should get the fourth, hooking home from 10 yards after Owen had mishit a ball back into the box.

There was still time for Owen to grab his hat-trick after a Berger pass was deflected into his path and he made no mistake by shooting under Vilnrotter's body.


FC Haka: Vilnrotter, Karjalainen (Ivanov 83), Makela (Pasanen 72), Allto, Vaisanen, Popovits (Ruhanen 71), Torkelli, Kovacs, Wilson, Okkonen, Kangaskorpi.
Subs Not Used: Toivonen, Bajic, Koivuranta, Pogioli.
Booked: Makela.

Liverpool: Arphexad, Babbel, Henchoz, Hyypia, Carragher, Berger, Hamann, Gerrard (Murphy 66), Litmanen (McAllister 59), Owen, Heskey (Fowler 72).
Subs Not Used: Nielsen, Riise, Barmby, Traore.

Att: 33,217
Ref: Arturo Ibanez (Spain).





EVERYONE IS A COLLINGWOOD SUPPORTER ITS JUST THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE IN DENIAL

[rash]

Another piece of silverwear for the cabinet. We beat those scumchester wankers 2-1 in the charity shield. Roy Keane is the biggest dick head I have ever seen. Why would you chop somebody down in the penalty area when he has his back to goal? He is a whinging git....