Liverpool 5 Fulham 1

Last updated : 15 March 2006 By Footymad Previewer
Anfield legend Robbie Fowler celebrated his first homecoming goal for Liverpool to start a 5-1 thrashing of Fulham.

Visiting keeper Tony Warner must have been cursing his return to receive such a hammering from his former team. Warner, who spent 90 consecutive matches on the bench at Anfield must been wishing he was still there instead of facing the blaze of goals.

Liverpool were hungry for a win after a bitter defeat at the hands of Benfica last week.

Despite their Champions League exit and their recent goal drought the Reds were determined to prove their worth in domestic football and threw everything forward.

The crowd erupted when Luis Garcia netted within three minutes but the Spaniards early charge was chalked off. The disallowed strike was a slap in the face for Fulham who responded with stifling defence, breaking up Liverpool's midfield play.

But they soon folded under the pressure and failed to contest a Harry Kewell corner. The Aussie star crossed to Garcia who headed past Warner towards the far post. Fulham's white shirts could do nothing against Fowler's intervention and stayed rooted to the floor as he headed home on 16 minutes.

Anfield erupted again as the man they call "God" scored his first goal in a Red shirt since his return from Manchester City.

Their joy was short-lived as Fulham, who have never won at Anfield in any competition, dug their heels in. Collins John levelled with a well-taken goal on 24 minutes.

Luis Boa Morte provided an excellent through ball with Steven Gerrard helpless to give John a one on one against Jose Reina and he cheekily nutmegged him with a low shot.

But the Gods were truly smiling on Anfield as Michael Brown's own goal handed the lead back to Liverpool barely 10 minutes later. Brown's blunder came from Kewell's cross which should have easily been cleared.

The goal left the Londoners red faced and it was only Boa Morte, Zat Knight and Wayne Bridge who came out from Chris Coleman's half-time talk with renewed energy.

It's not surprising Fulham haven't won away since last May if they give up the fight so easy.

Liverpool continued to create chances and Garcia was unlucky not to score with a sweeping shot which struck the bar.

Knight gave Fulham their only chance of the half and drew a gasp from the Kop with a powerful header from a Bridge free-kick.

But Liverpool hammered the nail in Fulham's coffin on 70 minutes with a scrappy goalmouth strike. Captain Gerrard provided a byline cross which Warner couldn't handle and after two efforts Fernando Morientes tucked it away.

Rafa Benitez must have been desperate to see his strikers join the goal rush and brought on Djibril Cisse and Peter Crouch. It paid off as Liverpool grabbed a further two goals.

The first came from a Cisse cross which fell at Gerrard's feet on the opposite touchline and he clinically struck it past Warner for Crouch to stick out his long legs to tuck it home.

Then Stephen Warnock got in on the act in the final minute of the game. Steve Finnan shot straight at the keeper's chest and rebounded perfectly to Warnock who buried it with his left foot.

But the drama didn't end there, Fulham's scorer John lost the plot as he tried to defend the Reds last free-kick. He was ordered to retreat by the ref and amid taunts from the Kop launched himself at Finnan and Gerrard.

After the final whistle John was still arguing with the officials and needed a police escort from the pitch.