With less than three minutes left on the clock, the Dutchman raced onto Andy Carroll’s flick on and planted an emphatic strike past David De Gea at his near post.
The north-west rivals had looked set for a replay after Daniel Agger and Ji-Sung Park had traded first-half goals. But as United sat back late on, Kuyt was on hand to settle the tie at the first time of asking.
The visitors to Anfield were without two of their most potent goal threats in Wayne Rooney and Nani who both missed out through injury. But it was Sir Alex Ferguson’s side who controlled the early exchanges and almost opened the scoring through Antonio Valencia who struck the post with a 16th-minute effort.
But, after 21 minutes, Liverpool took the lead through Agger. The Danish defender took advantage of some hesitancy from visiting goalkeeper De Gea to nod Kenny Dalglish’s side ahead. There were suggestions that the Spanish 'keeper was struggling with a side injury and the manager sent Anders Lindegaard to warm up on the sidelines.
But it was his opposite number Pepe Reina who was next to pick the ball out of his net. It was Park who finished well, but he owed a lot to Rafael who had outmuscled Jose Enrique and then cut the ball back for him to finish with a crisp, low effort.
The strike ensured the two sides were level at Mark Halsey’s half-time whistle, and it was the least the visitors deserved for a decent first-half performance.
However, they, and their hosts, struggled to create much in a fiercely-competitive second half and the prospect of an Old Trafford replay was looming large.
But up-stepped Kuyt, who had replaced Jamie Carragher after 63 minutes, to make it 2-1 in front of the Kop.
Carroll climbed highest to flick on Reina's long goal kick and Kuyt, who has struggled in front of goal all season, took the chance like a striker brimming with confidence, hammering fiercely past De Gea.
And he went within inches of a second shortly afterwards when Carroll’s back-post header came back off the woodwork but his follow-up trickled just wide of the post.
p/s: Bravo...bravo...see ya in the final !!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment