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The FA Cup Final 2006 was the final and deciding match of the FA Cup 2005-06. It took place on Saturday 13 May 2006 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and saw the 2001 cup winners Liverpool beat London club West Ham United after a penalty shoot-out.

Liverpool have won the FA Cup on six previous occasions (1965, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992 and 2001) - four of those coming since West Ham last won the trophy. As well as 1980, West Ham also won the Cup in 1964 and 1975. The Hammers took part in the first FA Cup final to be played at the newly-built Wembley Stadium in 1923, and it was expected that the newly-rebuilt Wembley Stadium would be ready for this final. However, delays in building meant that the final would take place in Cardiff again, as it has done during Wembley's period of rebuilding. Coincidentally, Liverpool played in the first FA Cup final in Cardiff, which was in 2001.

In the week before the Final, there was a major crisis when a block of 1600 tickets in the Liverpool supporters' seating area was stolen in the postal system. The stadium authorities refused to reissue the tickets on crowd safety grounds, and threatened to eject anyone found sitting in the block from the stadium and possibly prosecute them for receiving stolen goods. Liverpool F.C. arranged for most of the affected fans to receive tickets from an allocation that had been held back for a lottery among their supporters.

In the Premiership in 2005-06, Liverpool finished third and West Ham came ninth.

Staffordshire referee Alan Wiley officiated the match.

Before the match, uncertainties existed over the both teams' lineups - injuries had prevented West Ham striker Dean Ashton from playing for 12 days and Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso limped out of the club's final league match of the season. Both started, but there was no place for Hayden Mullins or Luis Garcia, who were both sent off in the 26 April league match between the two clubs, and were suspended.

West Ham took an early lead without having a shot on goal. Alonso gave away possession to Ashton, who passed to Lionel Scaloni, who had space on the right wing. His low, driven cross was clumsily dealt with by Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, who bundled the ball past his keeper José Reina. 21 mins: 1-0 to West Ham.

Following some skilful dribbling, West Ham's Matthew Etherington unleashed a shot which Reina failed to hold properly. Dean Ashton raced in to tuck the loose ball beneath Reina's body, the ball trickled over the line. Two shots, two goals for West Ham. 28 mins: 2-0 to West Ham.

From a free kick taken on the wide right by Steven Gerrard, Liverpool's Peter Crouch had a close decision for offside go against him, and saw his scoring effort disallowed. A minute later, Liverpool captain Gerrard delivered a similar ball to Djibril Cissé who volleyed the ball past Shaka Hislop in the West Ham goal. 32 mins: 2-1 to West Ham.

Shortly after half-time, with the score at 2-1, Harry Kewell limped out of the game, just as he did in Liverpool's Champions League final of 2005. Fernando Morientes replaced him.

Within ten minutes of the restart, Liverpool equalised through Gerrard. Crouch's knockdown is volleyed in by Gerrard from outside the penalty area. 54 mins: Liverpool 2, West Ham 2.

On 67 minutes, a frustrated Alonso was replaced by Jan Kromkamp.

In the middle of an attacking move, Paul Konchesky swung in a cross which none of his teammates could reach. It sailed over Reina in the Liverpool net to effect a stunning goal. 64 mins: 3-2 to West Ham.

Despite trailing, Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez brought on midfielder Dietmar Hamann for striker Peter Crouch. West Ham, over the following 15 minutes, made their three permitted substitutions; Bobby Zamora on for Ashton, Christian Dailly on for Carl Fletcher, and Sheringham on for Etherington.

Wasting chances from Morientes and Gerrard, who had picked up a knock, Liverpool battled in vain until injury time, when the ball fell to Steven Gerrard, some distance out. His spectacular 35-yard strike stunned everyone. 90 mins + stoppage time: Liverpool 3, West Ham 3.

Extra-time passed without much incident, except for a succession of injuries, due to fatigue or cramp. Both sides were affected, notably West Ham's Marlon Harewood. With West Ham unable to substitute him, he required extensive treatment for a foot injury, and ended up hobbling around the pitch for the final minutes of extra-time.

The final dramatic twist came from a West Ham corner in the final moments of extra-time. Flicked on by captain Nigel Reo-Coker, the ball was destined to sneak in at the far post, but an athletic dive by Reina provides the save of the match, as the ball bounces onto the post. Sami Hyypia tried but failed to clear the ball from his Liverpool goal, but the ball fell to Harewood. Unfortunately for him, his close range volley span wide from his injured left foot.

Just as they did in their famous Champions League victory in Istanbul in 2005, Liverpool have taken the match to penalties after a 3-3 draw. In Istanbul, their keeper Jerzy Dudek was the hero, but in Cardiff it was Reina, who had played poorly until his dramatic late save. Reina saved three penalties to win the cup for Liverpool.

Penalty shootout

Liverpool 3 - 3 West Ham
Liverpool won the toss and went first:

Liverpool win 3 - 1 on penalties.

Road to Cardiff

• Home teams listed first.
• Both clubs received a bye to round three.
• Square brackets [ ] represent the opposition's division

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