Grimsby win stuns Anfield

Liverpool 1 Grimsby Town 2 aet; score at 90 min 0-0

Phil Jevons, a Liverpool fan who was released by them as a boy, put the holders out of the Worthington Cup in this third round tie at Anfield last night.

Jevons, who joined Grimsby from Everton for £150,000 in the summer, repaid that minor outlay with a sensational 35-yard shot eight seconds from the end of extra time to break Liverpool's grip on the first of the three trophies they won last season. Marlon Broomes. on loan from Blackburn, had put Grimsby level only seven minutes earlier after Gary McAllister had given Liverpool the lead from the penalty spot in the first half of extra time.

Liverpool gave England Under-21 goalkeeper Chris Kirkland his debut, while Stephen Wright came into a shuffled back four because Stéphane Henchoz has picked up an Achilles injury.

Grimsby gave it a go from, the start, putting in fierce tackles and giving Liverpool's strikers, the usually deep-lying forwards Jari Litmanen and Vladimir Smicer, no room to manoeuvre. Only once in the first half was Grimsby's goalkeeper, Danny Coyne, in difficulty, rushing from his line after Danny Murphy's pass had sent Nick Barmby clear.

Liverpool were disrupted again when they lost Gregory Vignal with an injured left leg on 21 minutes, allowing Frode Kippe to come on at left-back.

Without the target of Emile Heskey, Liverpool were very much dependent on a quick-fire, inter passing approach, and the First Division side constantly broke up their flow.

Grimsby did have to thank Butterfield for a block on a Litmanen shot, a clearance off the line from Kippe and then a timely header over his own bar from another clever piece of Litmanen play. Then Coyne had to make a string of saves in the second half that kept Grimsby in the game and the frustration forced Liverpool to turn to Heskey, who replaced Hamann after 61 minutes.

Jamie Redknapp came on for Litmanen with 15 minutes left, but Grimsby's defence still held firm. A Heskey header from a McAllister corner was hooked off the line by Butterfield as Liverpool really turned the screw.

Coyne continued his heroics, saving point blank from Smicer, but he was finally beaten in the 101st minute when McAllister netted the penalty after David Beharall handled on the edge of the box.

Grimsby then battled even harder if that was possible and got their equaliser seven minutes from the end of extra-time when Broomes turned in a right-wing cross. But they were not finished, Jevons crashing his 35-yard shot past past Kirkland.

Liverpool: Kirkland; Wright, Hyypia, Carragher, Vignal (Kippe, 21); Murphy, Hamann (Heskey, 64), McAllister, Barmby; Litmanen (Redknapp, 77), Smicer. Substitutes not used: Dudek, Berger.

Grimsby Town: Coyne; Beharall, Groves, Broomes, Gallimore; Pouton, Butterfield, Campbell, Chapman (Allen, 103); Jevons, Rowan (Boulding, 81). Substitutes not used: Coldicott, Ford, Ermes.

Referee: E Wolstenholme (Blackburn).