Eight-goal thriller as Hatters scare Reds

The threat hanging over us from the millennium bug seems like only yesterday, but here we are approaching the end of the first decade of the 21st century.

In the last days of the 'noughties' we look back at ten of the best matches from The FA Cup over the last ten years...

Luton Town 3-5 Liverpool
The FA Cup Third Round
7 January 2006

Liverpool won The Cup for the seventh time in 2006, beating West Ham United on penalties in the last Final to be played at Millennium Stadium, but their prospects of lifting the trophy had looked less than rosy an hour into their Third Round tie at Kenilworth Road.

They were 3-1 down, had missed a penalty, and were clearly struggling against a Championship side that was committed to playing football rather than using spoiling tactics.

Steven Gerrard had put Liverpool ahead with an early swerver before goals by Steve Howard (31 minutes), Steve Robinson (43) and a Kevin Nicholls penalty (53) gave spirited Luton a real chance of causing an upset.

But the European Cup holders shook off some of their complacency to quickly draw level through Florent Sinama-Pongolle and Xabi Alonso. Sinama-Pongolle, a substitute, then headed Liverpool in front at 4-3 with his second and Alonso memorably found an unguarded net from all of 60 yards to seal the win.

Luton boss Mike Newell said: “I didn’t want to stifle Liverpool and not show people what we are capable of."

“We have always been thinking about this competition this year”, said Benitez.

Luton Town
Beresford, Foley, Coyne, Heikkinen (Barnett 74), Underwood, Edwards (Feeney 81), Nicholls, Robinson, Brkovic (Showunmi 81), Howard, Vine
Subs not used Morgan, Brill

Manager Mike Newell

Goals Howard 31, Robinson 43, Nicholls 53

Liverpool
Carson, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Kewell, Gerrard, Sissoko (Sinama Pongolle 57), Alonso, Crouch (Kromkamp 79), Cisse (Warnock 89)
Subs not used Hamann,Reina

Manager Rafa Benitez

Goals Gerrard 16, Sinama Pongolle 62, 74, Alonso 69, 90

Referee Mark Clattenburg

Attendance 10,170

Log on to TheFA.com tomorrow for a reminder of Barnsley's 1-0 win over Chelsea in 2008