| TEN-MAN REDS CRASH OUT OF FA CUP Liverpool are out of this season's FA Cup after crashing to a 1-0 extra-time defeat against Everton at Goodison Park. The Reds endured a torrid evening against the Blues and went down to a Dan Gosling goal on 118 minutes after Lucas Leiva was sent off for a second bookable offence in normal time.
Having drawn the first two matches of this Merseyside derby trilogy, Rafael Benitez's men went into the final clash against their neighbours with the rallying cry of skipper Steven Gerrard ringing in their ears.
The inspirational number eight urged his teammates to build on the momentum of Sunday's last-gasp win over Chelsea by securing a place in the fifth round; but it became somewhat of an uphill battle as the night wore on, especially when the club captain was forced off with a hamstring strain after just 16 minutes.
It was a huge blow for the Reds who had started brightly, with Xabi Alonso fizzing a 25 yarder just wide on eight minutes.
Rafael Benitez's men were the more dominant in possession but the enforced substitution of Gerrard for Yossi Benayoun seemed to disrupt their flow and from that moment on the game developed into a tough battle.
The Blues knew their best hope would once again come from set pieces and their first sight of Pepe Reina's goal came when Leon Osman volleyed well over after latching on to an up-and-under from a half-cleared corner.
It seemed to boost the home side's confidence and they nearly grabbed the opener just shy of the half hour mark, but Tim Cahill mis-kicked following an almighty scramble in the visitors' penalty area.
Unfortunately, that was as good as it got in the first 45, with any trace of goalmouth incident overshadowed by the type of full-blooded challenges that had been something of a missing ingredient in our previous meetings this campaign.
The Reds tried to inject some urgency into their play in the second period but as the half wore on the game remained tense and scrappy.
It looked more and more likely that one goal was going to settle it and the Reds nearly got it on 61 minutes. Alonso picked the ball up midway through the Everton half before delivering a sublime defence-splitting pass for Albert Riera whose low shot was brilliantly blocked by Howard.
Everton responded and 10 minutes later Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill combined to tee up Osman but the midfielder saw his drilled strike crash back off the near post.
With extra-time looming Liverpool suffered another huge body blow when they were reduced to 10-men after Lucas was handed a second yellow card for a foul on Joleon Lescott.
It instantly handed the advantage to David Moyes' side and as the match moved beyond the 90 minutes they took the game to the Reds with Cahill inches away from turning home Leighton Baines' inviting cross.
Osman then fired straight at Reina before the Spaniard pulled off a stunning double stop to keep out both, the midfielder's long range strike, and substitute Gosling's follow-up.
It was all Everton at this point and from the resulting corner Cahill flashed a flick header just past the far post. Arteta then saw a deflected free-kick arrow just wide as the Blues ended the first period of extra-time well on top.
Liverpool's best hope appeared to be a penalty shoot-out but just when that looked likely Everton put together the move that would win them the match.
Substitute Andy Van Der Meyde picked up the ball on the right and sent a cross to the far post that Gosling took down, and after initially hesitating, he curled an effort beyond Reina into the far post to sink the Reds. Teams Liverpool: Reina, Dossena, Carragher, Skrtel, Arbeloa, Riera, Alonso, Leiva, Kuyt, Gerrard (captain), Torres. Subs - Hyypia, Mascherano, El Zhar, Cavalieri, Babel, Agger, Benayoun
Everton: Howard, Baines, Lescott, Jagielka, Hibbert, Osman, Arteta, Neville (captain), Pienaar, Cahill, Fellaini. Subs - Yobo, Rodwell, Castillo, Jacobsen, Nash, Gosling, Van der Meyde
Referee: Alan Wiley
Conditions: Mild
Attendance: Unknown
Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Jamie Carragher
Breakdown 20:11 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Liverpool get the game underway at Goodison
2 mins : Fellaini concedes an early free kick for a foul on Arbeloa
3 mins : Pienaar has the ball by the corner flag but Liverpool crowd him out and win the ball back
4 mins : Poor tackle from Osman on Dossena gives us a free kick in a good area on the left
4 mins : It's a good delivery from Gerrard but there's a foul in the box and Everton have a free kick
6 mins : Torres wins a corner off Lescott and limps away from the challenge
6 mins : Terrific effort from Alonso who fizzes a right footed shot just wide from distance
9 mins : Good start to the game by us. We're dominating possession and playing in the Everton half of the field
14 mins : Benayoun is getting ready to come on
15 mins : It's going to be Gerrard coming off when the play stops
16 mins : Substitution: Yossi Benayoun for Steven Gerrard:
17 mins : Fellaini is all over Alonso and concedes a free kick. He probably deserved a booking
19 mins : First Booking: Tim Cahill:
23 mins : Benayoun has space to run into down the right but the resulting shot is poor and Howard gathers comfortably
25 mins : Osman blasts a volley over from outside the box
26 mins : News coming through that Gerrard was forced off with a hamstring injury
27 mins : Good run by Dossena down the left forces Everton into conceding another free kick
28 mins : Lucas gives away a dangerous free kick which Arteta drives into the wall
33 mins : Kuyt has space but delays his pass and eventually Riera is flagged offside
37 mins : Lucas is down and needing treatment after a tackle from Pienaar
43 mins : First Booking: Steven Pienaar: Booked for a dreadful tackle on Lucas
21:00 GMT : Half Time Reached
21:16 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Everton get the second half underway
47 mins : First Booking: Phil Neville:
48 mins : First Booking: Lucas Leiva:
53 mins : Skrtel and Benayoun combine well down the right but Everton defend well again
53 mins : Substitution: Dan Gosling for Marouane Fellaini:
55 mins : Hibbert swings in a cross from the right which is easily held by Reina
60 mins : Substitution: Jack Rodwell for Steven Pienaar:
61 mins : Best chance so far falls to Riera who is fed the ball brilliantly by Alonso but Howard is out quickly to smother
68 mins : Good spell of pressure by us ends with Kuyt's header looping into Howard's arms
71 mins : Osman smashes a shot against the post as Everton go close to taking the lead
72 mins : First Booking: Mikel Arteta:
76 mins : Sending Off: Lucas Leiva: Sent off for two bookable offences
80 mins : Substitution: Javier Mascherano for Albert Riera:
82 mins : Rodwell tries from distance but doesn't trouble Reina
85 mins : Time ticking away - we're heading for extra time and maybe penalties
88 mins : First Booking: Xabi Alonso:
22:06 GMT : 90mins over -> Extra Time Pending
22:11 GMT : Extra Time 1st Half Begins
91 mins : Everton kick off the first period of extra time
96 mins : Gosling is foiled by Reina as Everton win a corner
97 mins : Cahill comes within inches of scoring as his header flies just wide
101 mins : Substitution: Ryan Babel for Fernando Torres:
22:27 GMT : End of 1st half of extra time
22:27 GMT : Start of 2nd half of extra time
115 mins : Substitution: Andy Van der Meyde for Phil Neville:
112 mins : First Booking: Tony Hibbert:
117 mins : GOAL! Dan Gosling: Gosling curls the ball past Reina to open the scoring
120 mins : Two minutes left to play
22:46 GMT : Match Over
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