The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Early Lucas goal enough to ease Liverpool past
Lucas header is enough to see off challenge of plucky Plymouth
Liverpool booked their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup as Lucas Leiva proved the unlikeliest of goalscoring heroes in a 1-0 win at Plymouth.
The Brazilian had not scored since finding the net in a Europa League tie against Steaua Bucharest in October 2010, but he provided the decisive touch of this third-round replay with an 18thminute header.
League Two Plymouth – whose assistant manager is former Dundee United cup winning hero and gaffer Craig Brewster – came agonisingly close to an equaliser when Jake Jervis volleyed against the post 15 minutes from time.
Although Divock Origi saw his late penalty saved by Luke McCormick, Liverpool move on to a home tie with Wolves in the next round.
The Premier League side chose to omit Joel Matip as the row over the defender’s eligibility rumbles on.
Boss Jurgen Klopp felt he could not risk playing Matip, with Fifa unable to say whether he is free to play after Cameroon tried to call him up for the African Nations Cup.
But Origi, Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho all started in a formidable looking frontline as Klopp named a stronger line-up than the one held by their Devon opponents on Merseyside 10 days earlier.
Plymouth only had 23% possession at Anfield, and the tie quickly developed a similar pattern as Liverpool set up camp in the Pilgrims’ half.
Liverpool saw penalty appeals waved away after Sturridge fell under Oscar Threlkeld’s clumsy challenge, but the visitors were ahead after 18 minutes.
Plymouth would have been bitterly disappointed by the nature of the goal, while few – if any – could have predicted the identity of the scorer.
Lucas had scored only six goals in nearly a decade at Liverpool, and none for more than six years, but it was the Brazilian who stole in unmarked at the near post to head home Coutinho’s corner.
Moments later Lucas, the Liverpool captain for the night, stopped Ryan Donaldson from claiming an equaliser after Loris Karius had pushed out Graham Carey’s well-struck drive.
It was a sign Plymouth were determined not to slip quietly from the FA Cup, and the hosts played their best football of the entire tie as the Liverpool defence had to scramble on more than one occasion.
Klopp was relaxed enough to withdraw Coutinho and send on Harry Wilson for a Liverpool debut more than three years after he eclipsed Gareth Bale to become Wales’ youngest player.
But Liverpool had an almighty scare when Jervis was left unattended from Sonny Bradley’s knock-down to volley against the post with Karius beaten.
Origi failed to double Liverpool’s lead after Yann Songo’o had fouled Alberto Moreno in the penalty area, sending his spot-kick straight at McCormick.