How queer. In keeping with much on view this weekend in the FA Cup, a game of almost baffling curiosity unfolded beneath the low hills of West Yorkshire yesterday. While it ended with an emphatic scoreline in Liverpool's favour, Huddersfield Town's overriding emotion was of regret at tossing aside the opportunity of a first victory against the Reds since November 1959.
In the first 41 minutes alone, with Liverpool lackadaisical, Huddersfield created seven excellent openings. Yet when Steve Bruce came to reflect on the first half the most damning statistic was that Sander Westerveld was forced to save only two of those efforts; one from Kenny Irons after three minutes, the other from Ben Thornley after 11.
On the other occasions Clyde Wijnhard was usually the culprit. The Dutchman cost £1 million from Leeds in the summer and has scored 12 of the goals that have taken Huddersfield to the top of the first division, but yesterday, when presented with seasonal gifts, Wijnhard promptly dropped them.
His worst miss came in that 41st minute when he found himself unmarked and onside in the Liverpool area. Wijnhard was 10 yards out in front of goal; his shot was also 10 yards out.
Given that Titi Camara had given Liverpool an undeserved lead five minutes earlier, the Dutchman's error was particularly galling for the capacity crowd. They roared their disapproval.
Seven minutes into the second half, Wijnhard wasted another chance, this time from a Jamie Vincent in-swinging corner. Soon after Liverpool substitute Dominic Matteo ended the contest.
However, all but the most one-eyed of Reds would concede that it was hardly a convincing Liverpool display. The notion of a newly-acquired resilience in the Anfield defence felt more like a scurrilous accusation than a statement of fact.
With Steven Gerrard installed at right back and both Sami Hyypia and Stephane Henchoz hesitant, Town sensed an upset. Thornley was running past Gerrard a little too easily and in midfield Scott Sellars's influence was dominant; only Dietmar Hamann came close.
Despite Hamann's poise, Liverpool were disjointed and were grateful to Camara's acrobatic volley from Vladimir Smicer's low cross for the lead.
That erased many of the "little concerns" Gerard Houllier admitted to afterwards. Those disappeared altogether when Matteo, a replacement for Steve Staunton, roamed forward to collect a Camara pass 14 minutes after the interval. Irons slipped at the crucial moment, allowing Matteo to drill the ball sweetly through Nico Vaesen's grasp.
For Huddersfield, that was that, but for Liverpool and England still to come was the unappealing sight of Michael Owen joining the trend of squandering chances. Free in the Huddersfield area, Owen dawdled for an age when faced by Vaesen and gave Vincent the time to get in a recovering tackle. It was embarrassing. Other than that, Owen was anonymous.
HUDDERSFIELD: Vaesen, Jenkins, Gray, Armstrong, Vincent, Gorre, Irons, Sellars, Thornley (Donis 72), Stewart (Schofield 83), Wijnhard. Subs Not Used: Margetson, Dyson, Horne. Booked: Gray.
LIVERPOOL: Westerveld, Gerrard (Newby 88), Hyypia, Henchoz, Staunton (Matteo 35), Smicer (Song 72), Hamann, Carragher, Murphy, Owen, Camara. Subs Not Used: Meijer, Friedel. Goals: Camara 36, Matteo 59.
Referee: R Harris (Oxford).
