Happy Carra Day: Carra,Cole,Garcia Score In Testimonial Win

Jamie Carragher was on target
at both ends as a Liverpool XI
beat an Everton XI 4-1 in the
defender's testimonial at
Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
The Reds stalwart converted a
penalty on the stroke of half-time
to add to Luis Garcia's opener.
Joe Cole extended Liverpool's
lead with a well-worked goal on
the hour - his first for the club -
before Carragher put through his
own net via the penalty spot
shortly after.
But Nathan Eccleston restored
the home side's three-goal
cushion with a cool finish on an
afternoon to remember.
A whole host of Kop stars past
and present turned out to help
celebrate Carragher's 15 seasons
in the first team at Anfield, over
the course of which he has firmly
positioned himself not only
alongside the finest defenders to
have represented the club, but
also as one of the world's very
best.
Treble winners Emile Heskey and
Michael Owen led the attack from
the off, while there were also
places for Istanbul heroes Garcia
and Jerzy Dudek.
And further swelling the feel-
good factor, Steven Gerrard
made a dash back from London
to participate in the opening 11
minutes - the Liverpool skipper
granted special permission by
England coach Fabio Capello to
return having last night played
the whole game for the Three
Lions against Bulgaria at
Wembley.
He was joined in the starting XI
by Cole, while summer signings
Brad Jones and Paul Konchesky
were named amongst the
substitutes.
Meanwhile, Everton's squad
included the likes of Tony
Hibbert, Francis Jeffers, Leon
Osman, Yakubu, Lee Carsley,
Leighton Baines, Mikel Arteta and
Jermaine Beckford.
A crowd of 35,361 gathered
inside Anfield, helping to bolster
funds for Carragher's 23
Foundation.
And Carra couldn't have wished
for a better start to the afternoon
as Garcia curled home an
opening goal inside two minutes.
Collecting Heskey's layoff on the
right corner of the box, the
Spaniard cut inside before
clipping a fine effort beyond the
reach of Iain Turner to bring
Anfield back to its feet.
Moments later, Owen drew a
good stop from the Blues'
goalkeeper before the striker
saw a goal-bound effort blocked
on the line by Aristote Nsiala.
Gerrard was withdrawn from the
action shortly after the 10-
minute mark, with Danny Murphy
his replacement. Both were
naturally afforded a warm
reception.
Despite the relaxed feel to the
contest, there was a good flow
about the game with the football
pleasing on the eye.
Liverpool were the only team
threatening, however, and after
Garcia had stabbed a volley wide,
Cole struck straight at Turner
after being fed by Owen.
Meanwhile, at the other end, a
mis-kick by Yakubu when in a
promising position inside the
box drew ironic cheers from the
Kop.
And they were cheering again
soon after as Carragher
produced the sort of interception
that has established him as one
of the finest defenders in the
club's history as he prevented
Jeffers from going through on
goal.
Play quickly swung to the other
end and Heskey's sublime control
of a long-ball forward presented
him with a clear shooting
opportunity. Unfortunately the
finish did not match.
The striker did help carve out a
chance for Murphy on 34
minutes, playing a neat one-two
with Owen before releasing the
ball into the path of the Fulham
man, who prodded narrowly
wide of the post.
Even Carra himself was trying his
luck as he struck wide from 25
yards after Garcia's corner had
been cleared to the edge of the
box.
He was soon back patrolling the
defence, however, and a
challenge on Lee Carsley inside
the area led to the Everton
midfielder dramatically collapsing
in a heap before kicking the ball
away in comedy fashion after
failing to win a spot kick, for
which a yellow card was issued
by referee Mark Halsey.
However, Liverpool were
awarded a penalty when Shane
Duffy blocked Owen's shot with
his hand on 44 minutes.
There was only ever going to be
one taker, and Carragher
dispatched his effort into the top
corner with aplomb to send the
Reds in with a two-goal
advantage at the break.
A raft of changes were made
during the interval, with some of
Liverpool's most promising
youngsters handed an
opportunity to impress.
Only Carragher, Cole and Spearing
remained on the field from the
first half with Eccleston, Jonjo
Shelvey, David Amoo, Andre
Wisdom and Daniel Ayala
entering the fray.
There were also Reds debuts for
Jones and Konchesky, while Ryan
Babel was introduced to the
action for the second half.
Shelvey almost made an instant
impact as he arrowed an
attempted clearance inches wide
of the upright.
But Liverpool did further their
lead on the hour mark when Cole
fired home his first goal for the
Reds.
Meeting Babel's measured cross,
the No.10 expertly dispatched a
low volley into the Kop end goal.
However, Everton were given the
chance to reduce the arrears
when they were awarded a
penalty for shirt pulling inside
the box.
With Yakubu poised to take the
kick, Carragher took everyone by
surprise by surging ahead of the
Everton forward and hammering
the ball into his own goal - cue
much laughter inside the
stadium.
It was to be his last playing act of
the afternoon, with youngster
John Flanaghan promptly
replacing him.
Cole then stung the palms of
Turner before Babel outstripped
Duffy for pace and teed up
Eccleston, whose shot was
hacked off the line by Zac
Thompson.
The youngster did not have to
wait long to find the target,
however, as he drove low into
the bottom corner after being
found in space inside the box by
Babel.
Former crowd favourite David
Thompson took the place of Cole
in the aftermath, moments prior
to Gary McAllister and Jason
McAteer returning to the
hallowed L4 turf - the former
greeted by cries of 'shoot' every
time he collected possession in
reference to his unforgettable
derby winner at Goodison in
2001.
Babel's sublime skill to put the
ball through the legs of Baines
almost garnered a fifth goal for
the Reds, but the Dutchman's
strike was beaten away by
Turner, while Ross Barkley's snap
shot for Everton was blocked by
Jones and Anfield's newest
custodian produced an even
better save to deny Beckford late
on.
But the afternoon belong to one
man - and Carragher was given a
thunderous reception as he
returned to the field at the end of
a contest that proved a fitting
tribute to Liverpool's legendary
No.23.
Liverpool XI: Jerzy Dudek,
Stephen Wright, Steve Finnan,
Stephen Warnock, Joe Cole,
Steven Gerrard, Emile Heskey,
Michael Owen, Luis Garcia, Jamie
Carragher, Jay Spearing, Brad
Jones, Paul Konchesky, Ryan
Babel, Jonjo Shelvey, Andre
Wisdom, Nathan Eccleston, Daniel
Ayala, Gary McAllister, Suso,
Raheem Sterling, Conor Coady,
David Thompson, Jason McAteer.
Everton XI: Iain Turner, Tony
Hibbert, Shane Duffy, Aristote
Nsiala, Jose Baxter, Francis
Jeffers, Luke Garbutt, Magaye
Gueye, Leon Osman, Yakubu, Lee
Carsley, Leighton Baines, James
Wallace, Hope Akpan, Mikel Arteta,
Nathan Craig, Adam Davies, James
Vaughan, Jermaine Beckford, Zac
Thompson, Ross Barkley.