SUPER REDS STAY ON TREBLE COURSE

With the win, The Reds stay on track for a cup treble after beating Portuguese giants Porto 2-0 on aggregate, finding themselves in the semis of both the Uefa and FA Cup and having won the Worthington's Cup.

Owen looked in his best form for months, but it was the play of Portugal's number two goalkeeper in Euro 2000, Pedro Espinha that abetted the home side's progression.

A fairly dull first half was brought to life just after the half hour, when Murphy got the opener.

Up until then the game had been full of endeavour and commitment, especially from the home side, but with little in the way of an end result.

However, all was to change when a cross from the impressive Stephen Gerrard was controlled by Murphy, despite suspicions of a handball, the forward hit a weak shot that beat Espinha. 

Porto would feel with Ricardo Silva on the line the defender should have kept the ball out, but he somehow managed to contrive to hit the ball against the post and into the net, for a 33rd minute opener.

Just five minutes later and it was Gerrard again who was the provider as his cross was met well by Owen who headed into the ground. 

Espinha was slow to react and the ball bounced awkwardly and reared up into the net, avoiding a desperate lunge by the keeper to keep it out.

The fully committed start to the game saw Sami Hyypia lucky to escape a sixth minute booking when he slid through the back of Jesus Pena and this seemed to set the tone for both teams.

Considering the type of tackles going in, it was not a surprise when eventually someone was booked and it was the largely disappointing Silva that was first into Kim Milton Neilsen's notebook in the 13th minute for a cynical foul on Owen.

The closest the opening quarter of an hour saw to a goal was Espinha's tip-over from a dipping Gerrard shot.

Indeed the most interesting moment of the first half hour was the 26th minute stand-off between referee Neilsen and Secretario after the Portuguese international had flattened Owen.

Neilsen was waiting to book Secretario, who lay on the ground, claiming a shoulder injury.  After three minutes the St John's Ambulancemen were allowed onto the pitch along with a doctor.

Secretario came back onto the pitch after a couple of minutes to a chorus of jeers.

This seemed to spark the game into life and Hyppia had to have treatment after a clash in the box, that also saw Fowler go sprawling during a battle with Pena.

After Murphy's goal, Porto briefly lurched into life and had their best chance to get into the match when a great ball from Dimitri Alentichev played in Clayton.  The winger's touch was poor and he allowed Sanders Westerveld to spread himself to block the chance, which came just three minutes after the opening goal.

Gerard was booked for a studs-up challenge and Espinha pulled off a good save from Owen as the first half ended with the same stop-start action that had pervaded through the opening period.

Liverpool started the second looking to kill the game off, but eventually settled for stifling the opposition.

Murphy beat two defenders before firing a shot that Espinha saved just two minutes into the second period, whilst Owen and Fowler both went close, but blazed over the bar when well placed.

Porto's best period came with about 20 minutes to go, with Liverpool failing to get the killer third goal, it seemed the visitors woke up to find they had a chance to win.

However, this brief period fizzled out as soon as it started and the home side ended the game on top, although with nothing more to show than their first half goals.