Sport 14-12-2000 Fulham Fight Till The End At Anfield who: Fulham FC what: Knocked out of Worthington Cup in extra time where: Anfield, LIVERPOOL when: Last night snippet: "It is not a position he relishes," remarks Matt Lawton on the revamped Telegraph Sports site, "but Michael Owen is proving rather good at stepping off the bench and scoring crucial goals this season". Last night at Anfield, First Division high-rollers Fulham held Liverpool to a 0-0 draw for the first 90 minutes of their Worthington Cup quarter-final tie before Owen opened the floodgates for a 3-0 home win in extra time. "Not even the most blinkered Liverpool supporter could deny that their team was outplayed" in the first 104 minutes, says Oliver Kay in The Times, until Liverpool`s "superior physical strength and determination finally saw them through". The goal came when Owen, who celebrates his twenty-first birthday today, headed "a deep cross from Vladimir Smicer, who had been outstanding down the Liverpool right flank," reports The Independent`s Tim Rich. "Maik Taylor saved with his feet but the rebound trickled back to Owen who smashed his shot home". "I was pleased for Michael because strikers need goals," said Liverpool boss Gérard Houllier afterwards. "Nick Barmby also made a short but outstanding contribution. I`m always stressing the importance of substitutes and they certainly played their part." [... more]

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