Liverpool 2 - 1 Newcastle United

Liverpool 2-1 Newcastle

Updated: January 24, 2004, 7:58 PM UK

Bruno Cheyrou has been almost a joke figure at Anfield such has been his struggle to come to terms with life in the Premier League.

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Gerrard sets sights on Cardiff

But the Frenchman grabbed two goals in this pulsating FA Cup fourth round to send Liverpool's confidence soaring and book them a place in the last 16.

Cheyrou must have at times left boss Gerard Houllier in despair, but the Anfield chief has stuck by the misfit midfielder and seen him reward Liverpool with four goals in the last five matches.

And it could just turn around Liverpool's fragile, erratic season.

Criticised by Houllier for lacking nerve in a worrying draw at Wolves in midweek, the Reds' response was emphatic and they produced their best home display of the season.

Newcastle, behind after just 71 seconds to Cheyrou's first effort, fought back with a stunning free kick equaliser from Laurent Robert and then took the game to their hosts to underline their own current form that had seen them come into the game beaten only once in 12 and with five successive away games undefeated.

Those sort of statistics may have un-nerved the home support, who have witnessed so much indifferent form this term, but Liverpool's stars answered their boss' criticism and grew in confidence by the minute to claim what could be a watershed victory.

Liverpool's side was no surprise, with Croatian defender Igor Biscan axed.

He had been heavily criticised for his performance in last weekend's defeat at Tottenham but held his place, until half-time, at Wolves on Wednesday.

It meant Stephane Henchoz was finally restored to central defence, while Newcastle retained the side that were so impressive in beating Fulham on Monday, Jonathan Woodgate recovering from a groin strain.

The Kop were roaring after just 71 seconds when Liverpool stormed ahead. Cheyrou and Michael Owen to release Emile Heskey into the box and, although his shot was saved by the diving Shay Given, Cheyrou followed up to score with an angled shot into an empty net.

Newcastle's response was emphatic, and the Kop was silenced two minutes later.

Newcastle gained a free kick some 35 yards out on the left, and Robert lashed an astonishing left footer high into the far top corner.

Cue uproar at the Geordie end even though Jerzy Dudek seemed slow to react.

Robert is in sensational form at the moment, it was his fifth goal in nine games and he is certainly specialising in the spectacular.

The pace dipped for a spell, but Jermaine Jenas was next to go close, powering in on a Nolberto Solano corner to send a header flying just wide.

Liverpool hit back. Owen had a half chance saved by Given, then almost jinked his way past Andy O'Brien before Gerrard saw a 20 yarder deflected wide.

But it was Newcastle's better, quicker, more inventive midfield play that began to give them control. Jenas, neat and alert, Gary Speed, competitive and reliable, plus Solano's work on the right, always threatened a further breakthrough.

The excellent Jenas tested Dudek from 18 yards, as Newcastle maintained a grip on possession that forced Liverpool deep, something they need little invitation to do.

And while Liverpool needed more awareness from Harry Kewell, Newcastle had the roving menace of Kieron Dyer in support of Alan Shearer.

Liverpool replaced Heskey with the youthful talents of Anthony Le Tallec at the break, the Frenchman out on the right but clearly allowed to roam and support a hard pressed midfield.

Liverpool were now trying to compete on the deck by playing the ball into Owen's feet and slowly the tide began to turn.

Gerrard's break on the left needed a better pass to set up Owen, although the England striker rescued the ball and provided Dietmar Hamann with a chance to test Given, as did Steve Finnan as he battled his way into the box.

And that avenue for Gerrard to attack down the left produced another goal for Cheyrou on 61 minutes. He checked onto his right foot to deliver an inviting cross and Cheyrou raced in to power a header past Given.

Liverpool had clearly decided to attack the Newcastle full backs, who can both be over-ambitious at times and leave space to exploit.

On 68 minutes Newcastle took off Solano and sent on Shola Ameobi to give Shearer greater support.

Le Tallec saw a flicked header from Gerrard's corner go wide, with Newcastle sagging a little.

Jamie Carragher from distance and Sami Hyypia with a flying header maintained the pressure on Newcastle.

But Newcastle were never going to lay down and in injury time Shearer turned brilliantly and produced a powerful shot on the turn that forced a great save from Dudek.

Gerrard sets sights on Cardiff

Steven Gerrard set his sights on another Liverpool visit to Cardiff after Bruno Cheyrou's double sent Newcastle tumbling out of the FA Cup.

The England midfielder had a hand in Cheyrou's early opener, swiftly cancelled out by Laurent Robert's equaliser, and then provided the cross for the Frenchman to head a 61st-minute winner.

'We were up for it and into the last 16 we go,' Gerrard said.

'Everyone knows that we are a good cup side and we want to get back to Cardiff.

'Whoever gets us in the next round knows they will be in for a tough match.'

Two-goal hero Cheyrou, who was Liverpool's matchwinner at Chelsea and was on the mark again against Wolves in midweek, made it four goals in five games.

He said: 'It was a great night and a good win. I thought we'd done the most difficult thing by getting the first goal but they equalised soon after and we had to keep going.'

Anfield boss Gerard Houllier savoured a pulsating cup tie and was delighted to see Cheyrou performing as he did back in France.

'It was a wonderful cup tie and I enjoyed every minute of it,' Houllier said. 'At times the pace of the game was fantastic.

'It was just unfortunate that we couldn't go a bit longer ahead after Bruno's goal because that would have boosted confidence but Robert's free-kick immediately knocked that out of us.

'But I was pleased with the second half performance we produced and we didn't give a lot of chances to Newcastle, who are normally a side that produces lots of chances.

'Bruno seems to have got all sorts of criticism from people on TV, but that is unfair because when he has not been in the side he has been injured.

'He damaged his back and then had a broken toe. He was doing OK before that, but since he has had to get his match fitness playing in games.

'Now he has started showing what he can do. I signed him to score goals, he had got 15 or so in France before he came here, and now he is started to find his feet, scoring and making goals.'

And the Liverpool chief added: 'We took the game to them in the second half, young Anthony Le Tallec came on and made a difference when Emile Heskey had to go off with a hamstring injury.

'I am pleased and proud of the lads, when Newcastle had space and time they showed what a good team they are. But we restricted them and got at them.'

Newcastle boss Sir Bobby Robson, now 71, has seen maybe his last chance of winning the FA Cup for Newcastle slip away despite a stunning free-kick from Laurent Robert which cancelled out Cheyrou's first.

He said: 'I certainly will not be winning it this year! I am gutted to be out, the Cup means so much to me.

'We scored a wonderful goal, an incredible strike, and I felt we were comfortable at the break, I certainly did not think we were going to lose the game. But after they came out and started to attack us, we started to drift.

'They took control too easily and we let them do it. We did not do enough in the second half to win the game, Alan Shearer's effort in injury time was our only shot in the second period. That was just not good enough.

'We just did not seem ready for it. They got the ball behind our full backs and we did not do that to them. Gerard Houllier had a lot of his best players back, and it showed.

'Stephane Henchoz looked much better at centre back than full back, and young Le Tallec did well for them.