Comeback kings are at it again

Luton Town - 3 Liverpool - 5: With an hour gone a Luton Town victory looked as much an inevitability as a shock. They not only led 3-1 but had also been more deft than Liverpool. Steve Robinson's touch was so delicate as he gathered a Carlos Edwards pass to score the second that Jamie Carragher was left stumbling behind him. It is no surprise that there should be plenty of spirit in an FA Cup third-round tie but most of it needed to be exhibited by the Premiership club.

Liverpool, for instance, had to wrest the midfield control from the excellent Kevin Nicholls and Robinson. Some Anfield players took longer than others to get over their complacency and Sami Hyypia was caught in possession during an attack that ended with the penalty that brought a third goal for Luton.

"I didn't want to stifle Liverpool and not show people what we are capable of," said manager Mike Newell, but it was late on Saturday evening before he was tempted into the briefest admission that his side should have presented a greater barrier to a fast and forceful comeback.

Whether they had drained themselves emotionally and physically while shaking the Champions League holders to the core or were simply far less fit, Luton certainly subsided. Even so they will be admired for the extended phase of this tie in which they were uncontainable.

Steven Gerrard had put the visitors ahead after 16 minutes with a drive from the edge of the area on the right that swerved into the far corner of the net but Luton levelled 15 minutes later. The offside trap was sprung by a Robinson through-ball and Steve Howard went round the goalkeeper Scott Carson before hitting a composed shot that made any goalline clearance impossible. Robinson himself then scored his exquisite goal to give the home side the lead.

After the interval came the squabbles over penalties. Harry Kewell's cross in the 48th minute had eluded Gerrard before Paul Underwood bumped into him from behind and that may explain why, to the disbelief of Rafael Benitez, there was no dismissal for the left back. Djibril Cisse's spot kick was then saved comfortably by Marlon Beresford.

Five minutes later Rowan Vine went clear after Hyypia had been dispossessed. A penalty was awarded as Carson appeared to bring him down. The goalkeeper was presumably spared a red card by Mark Clattenburg because he was moving slightly towards the left and it is just about conceivable that a covering defender such as Carragher might have prevented a clear goalscoring opportunity.

It is as well, in any case, that the official had been tolerant because replays indicated that in an incident that had actually taken place just outside the box the Luton striker may have gone down because he lost his balance after treading on Carson's ankle. Nicholls dispatched the penalty nervelessly.

After being denied earlier goals by misses, saves from Carson and Steve Finnan's clearance from the line of a Howard header, Florent Sinama-Pongolle came on in attack, Cisse moved to the right and, most devastatingly, Gerrard took up a central midfield position.

Luton could not cope with the speed and movement of Sinama-Pongolle, who scored from Gerrard's pass after 62 minutes. Xabi Alonso then equalised with a 35-yarder that Beresford ought to have tipped over the bar before Sinama-Pongolle struck again, with a fine header from Finnan's cross, to put Liverpool in front.

In stoppage-time Beresford came up for a corner and was trapped in the opposition's half when Alonso sidestepped him to record his second goal by finding the unattended net unerringly from some 60 yards. "We have always been thinking about this competition this year," said Benitez, as managers do when the Premiership is out of reach. It had been a thrilling afternoon and, if this is to be classed as a Liverpool comeback to compare with Istanbul, then Luton were brilliant understudies in the Milan role. Guardian Service