27 January 2005	Thursday	16 Zilhaj 1425

WATFORD, Jan 26: Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard emphatically drew a line under his club's recent problems by firing them into the League Cup final at the expense of Championship side Watford on Tuesday.

The England midfielder, who was only playing after passing a late fitness test on a hamstring injury, demonstrated exactly why Liverpool are so desperate to hold on to him with a superbly taken goal to give his side a 1-0 victory that sent them into the final with a 2-0 aggregate victory.

Gerrard, who also scored the winner in the first leg, insisted afterwards that the win was proof that Liverpool are on the right track under new manager Rafael Benitez. Despite trailing from the first leg, a determined Watford side managed to maintain the suspense until 13 minutes from the end before Gerrard killed them off.

After flicking on a ball out of defence just inside the Watford half, the Liverpool captain ran on to collect a return pass from John Arne Riise before beating Paul Jones with a low shot from just outside the area.

Gerrard's ninth goal of the season represented the perfect tonic for a club that was dumped out of the FA Cup last week by Burnley and has seen its Champions League ambitions buffeted by back-to-back defeats at the hands of Manchester United and Southampton in the Premiership.

Liverpool named the strongest available side as he attempted to tie up a final meeting with either Manchester United or Chelsea, who conclude their own semi-final at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Efficient as they were, the reality for Liverpool was that, prior to Gerrard's crucial strike, they did little to suggest they were playing a side ranked a whole division below them in the hierarchy of English football.

Watford's spirited approach to the match ensured the contest was largely bogged down in midfield and both sides struggled to create genuine chances. Fernando Morientes threatened for Liverpool in the 27th minute when he collected a pass from Gerrard on the edge of the area and unleashed a fierce drive that, after a deflection off a defender, skidded narrowly wide of Jones's right-hand post. -AFP