Ruthless Reds punish Baggies

Liverpool put ten-man West Brom to the sword with a 5-0 stroll at The Hawthorns.

John Arne Riise had given The Reds the lead after Steven Gerrard's superb pass found him ghosting in on the left.

Cosmin Contra was then sent off for handball on the line but Milan Baros missed the resulting penalty kick.

The respite was not to last long, however, and Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Gerrard made it 3-0 soon after the interval with Riise hammering in his second late on and Luis Garcia adding the finishing touch just before the final whistle.

Gerrard blasted an early shot just over the bar, as he again tried to get his side going.

Jamie Carragher made an early mistake on 14 minutes to gift Geoff Horsfield a great opportunity as he galloped into the Liverpool box.

However, with Robert Earnshaw completely unmarked six yards out, Horsfield took too much time and Carragher recovered to get in a challenge.

Baros almost made West Brom pay immediately as he burst forward but his shot after cutting in from the left was blocked.

Liverpool did take the lead on 17 minutes when Riise was expertly picked out by a sublime left-footed pass from Gerrard, and the Norwegian volleyed past Russell Hoult.

Jerzy Dudek had to be alert to come racing out of his box to head the ball away as Jason Koumas tried to set Earnshaw through.

Things went from bad to worse for Bryan Robson's men when Contra's moment of madness saw him sent off for handling the ball on the line.

Antonio Nunez's header looked to be creeping in at the far post but Romania international Contra stuck up his hand to palm the ball away, despite Hoult having a chance of saving it behind him.

Baros' poor penalty let the home side off the hook as Hoult easily saved his spot kick- and the rebound was cleared off the line by Darren Purse.

West Brom's ten men came out for the second half with a mountain to climb, and it got even bigger when Sinama-Pongolle made it 2-0 five minutes after the break, starting and finishing a good move.

The young Frenchman sprayed a great ball wide to Riise on the left, and raced into the box to connect with the Norwegian's cross with a well-taken volley that bounced past Hoult.

The goal seemed to kill The Baggies' spirits and a third soon came when Gerrard fired in a low free kick after Dietmar Hamann's lay-off that bounced in off the post.

The Reds' skipper was soon taken off with the game well and truly buried, and replaced by Xabi Alonso.

Riise was still searching for a second goal, and he fizzed a couple of efforts just wide of the target, while Hoult had to thrust out a strong hand to palm over another vicious effort.

Riise had been getting closer and closer and he duly got his second as another thunderous effort this time rocketed into the top corner after Alonso's fine ball to Hamann deflected to the Norwegian on the edge of the box.

Riise was involved again in the fifth goal two minutes from time when his shot across the face of the goal was slotted in from close range by substitute Luis Garcia.

West Brom v Liverpool - Player Ratings

West Bromwich Albion	Team Name	Liverpool
41%	Possession	59%
0	Goals	5
1	Shots on target ( Inc Goals )	8
1	Shots off Target (inc woodwork)	8
0	Blocked Shots	0
4	Corners Won	11
13	Total Fouls Conceded	13
10	Offsides	1
0	Yellow Cards	0
1	Red Cards	0