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| April 28, 2006 | Friday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 29, 1427 |
Liverpool win cup final dress rehearsal
LONDON, April 27: Striker Djibril Cisse scored twice and Liverpool beat West Ham 2-1 to keep the pressure on second-place Manchester United in the English Premier League on Wednesday.
Liverpool attacking midfielder Luis Garcia and West Ham defender Hayden Mullins are likely to miss the FA Cup final on May 13 after both were shown straight red cards in the 81st minute.
Garcia had only been on the field for two minutes as a substitute when he clashed with Mullins, who pushed the Spaniard over.
Referee Howard Webb sent them off and both can expect three-game bans.
Liverpool stays third with 76 points, three behind Manchester United, which has played a game less but is at leader Chelsea on Saturday.
West Ham retains 10th spot with 49 points.
In a meeting of the two clubs which will contest the FA Cup final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, West Ham and Liverpool rested many of their first-choice players.
Cisse opened the scoring in the 19th when he collected a pass from midfielder Mohamed Sissoko to shoot inside the far post.
The Hammers leveled in the 46th after striker Bobby Zamora swapped passes with 40-year-old striker Teddy Sheringham, who provided the final ball for captain Nigel Reo-Coker to score.
But Liverpool regained the lead in the 54th when Cisse collected a 30-meter (yard) through ball by striker Robbie Fowler to net past goalkeeper Jimmy Walker.
West Ham has qualified for the UEFA Cup next season even if it loses the FA Cup final because Liverpool is assured of a Champions League berth.—AP
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