Liverpool 2 West Ham United 2

by Richard Tanner for "The Sunday Express"

One point and two goals at Anfield would normally be the cause for great celebration by West Ham given
their appalling record in Liverpool's backyard. 

But Harry Redknapp's depleted team travelled back to London last night with a sense of disappointment
because they could and should have won. 

Trevor Sinclair will have nightmares over a late miss which cost the Hammers their first Anfield win since
Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters scored in a 2-1 victory back in September 1963. 

And substitute Gavin Holligan, plucked from non-league football with Kingstonian, was denied a goal on
his Premiership debut by David James. 

Since 1963 Hammers have lost 20 and drawn nine of their league visits , but they can rarely have played
better than yesterday when they put another huge dent in Liverpool's hopes of securing a European
qualification ticket. 

It looked an all too familiar story when Robbie Fowler put the home side ahead after 22 minutes but from
the moment Frank Lampard equalised with a penalty two minutes later, Hammers sensed there was
something for them. 

Michael Owen's goal in first-half injury time might have signalled a collapse by the East Enders in
previous years. But Redknapp's team showed determination, commitment and no mean skill to scare the
life out of Liverpool. 

Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier was dismayed by his team's sloppy performance, which followed the
back of their shock defeat at Charlton and leaves them struggling to clinch fourth place, let alone a spot in
the top three. Their passing and movement was unusually poor and their defending lack conviction. 

Liverpool had the better of a scrappy start with Rigobert Song making an early impact with some solid
tackles and adventurous forays forward. 

Fowler showed why Kevin Keegan is so keen to give him more international caps with a crisp finish to put
Liverpool in front. 

Jamie Redknapp, captain in the absence of the suspended Paul Ince, sent over a teasing cross, Vigard
Heggem got the better off Scott Minto and cleverly back-heeled for Fowler to net his 99th goal at Anfield. 

But Hammers were soon level with their first penalty of the season. Heggem showed his tendency for
defensive naivety with a clumsy challenge on Minto and Lampard converted. 

The game became scrappy again before Liverpool regained the lead. McManaman found Owen who
declined the opportunity to feed the overlapping Heggem and instead made enough space for a shot which
took a deflection off Rio Ferdinand. 

Owen was denied early in the second half when, after leaving Ferdinand for dead on a run from the halfway
line, Steve Potts got back to make a superb tackle. 

Hammers then went close from a Steve Lomas free-kick when Ian Pearce headed towards the corner but
Jamie Carragher managed to back head the ball over the bar. 

The visitors took the game to Liverpool and found their hosts vulnerable. Mind you, the equaliser was a
comic cuts affair that will have angered Houllier. 

Marc Keller's first telling contribution after coming on as a substitute was to swing in a corner that
appeared to be heading for the sidenetting but squeezed through a cluster of players on the near post and
over the line. It was a dreadful goal to conceded even by Liverpool's erratic standards. 

And it could have been worse. Sinclair looked set to clinch an historic win for West Ham when put
through by Eyal Berkovic but lifted his shot over the bar. Then Holligan burst through and saw his shot
saved by James. 

The Mersey side nearly clinched an undeserved win when Shaka Hislop parried a Phil Babb shot, Owen
turned the ball back across but Fowler just failed to turn it in. 

Liverpool (5-3-2): James 6; Heggem 6, Song 7, Staunton 6, Babb 6, Bjornebye 6 (Riedle 77, 5); Redknapp
7, Carragher 6, McManaman 6 (Berger 66, 6); Owen 6, Fowler 6. Booked: Carragher. Goals: Fowler 22,
Owen 45. 

West Ham (5-3-2): Hislop 7; Lomas 7, Pearce 6 (Lazaridis 82, 6), Ferdinand 7, Potts 7, Minto 5 (Keller
71, 5); Lampard 7, Foe 8, Berkovic 6; Sinclair 6, Cole 6 (Holligan 80, 6). Booked: Potts, Sinclair. Goals:
Lampard 24 (pen), Keller 74. 

Referee: N Barry (Scunthorpe).