Liverpool makes Luton see Red in FA Cup thriller
Soccer roundup | Rally from
3-1 deficit to avoid tournament ouster
Jan. 8, 2006. 01:00 AM

European champion Liverpool defeated Luton 5-3 in the FA Cup yesterday, rallying from a 3-1 deficit in one of the most riveting comebacks in soccer's oldest cup competition.
Xabi Alonso scored two long-range goals — one from 60 yards into an unguarded net — and substitute Florent Sinama Pongolle added the other two to stop the league championship team from registering one of the Cup's biggest upsets.
Alonso's second goal came deep into injury time with Luton goalkeeper Marlon Beresford in the Liverpool half of the field trying to score the equalizer at 4-3.
His first goal was a dipping shot from 35 yards.
The comeback was reminiscent of Liverpool's rally from a 3-0 deficit at halftime to AC Milan in the Champions League final in May.
The Reds went on to beat the Italian club on penalty kicks.
"At 3-1 down things were pretty tough but we've had another comeback," Alonso said. "We'd prefer to do the job from the beginning but we're still glad to get through."
Non-league club Nuneaton Borough held Premier League Middlesbrough to a 1-1 tie thanks to a last-minute penalty kick by Gez Murphy. Nigel Clough's Nuneaton, which is 103 places behind Middlesbrough in English soccer's pyramid of leagues, now has a lucrative replay.
All 20 Premier League teams managed to avoid each other in the third-round draw. The 16 that played yesterday stayed in the competition.
Chelsea, the Premier League champion and runaway standings leader, beat League Two Huddersfield 2-1.
The winning goal was scored by Eidur Gudjohnsen.
Birmingham City was held to a 0-0 tie by Torquay, which is next to last in League Two. Everton needed Leon Osman's goal for a tie 1-1 with Millwall, which is next to last in the League Championship.
SPAIN: Samuel Eto'o scored his 18th goal of the season and leader FC Barcelona won its 11th straight league game, 2-1 over crosstown rival Espanyol as La Liga resumed after a 16-day winter break.
Midfielder Deco opened the scoring for the defending champion, which extended its advantage in the standings to five points with a club-record 15th straight victory in all competitions.
Deco was taken to the hospital for tests following a 58th-minute collision of heads with teammate Thiago Motta, which caused him to briefly lose consciousness.
The report added the Portugal international was suffering from a slight concussion and was not believed to have been seriously hurt.
"It was a very tough game and that's why I'm particularly happy with the victory, it was a very important win,'' said Barcelona's coach Frank Rijkaard, a former Dutch international.
ITALY: Adrian Mutu scored twice to rally Serie A leader Juventus to a 2-1 victory at Palermo yesterday as Italy's top league resumed after a 2 1/2-week winter break.
Its 16th win in 18 league matches gave the Turin club 49 points, moving it 11 points ahead of Inter and 12 in front of AC Milan. Inter Milan plays Siena today while AC Milan takes on Parma.
SCOTLAND: Tommy Boyd scored three times in his Rangers debut, helping his new team rout Division Two Peterhead 5-0 yesterday to reach the last 16 of the Scottish Cup.
GREECE: Fanis Gekas scored two goals and Alexandros Tziolis added another to lead Panathinaikos Athens over Larissa 3-0 yesterday, moving it within six points of Greek first-division leader Olympiakos Piraeus.