Ngog sends Liverpool´s stand-ins into fourth round

David Ngog guided Liverpool into the League Cup fourth round as Rafa Benitez’s under-strength side ground out a 1-0 win at League One leaders Leeds United.

Benitez made nine changes from the side which triumphed at West Ham on Saturday, yet his fringe players failed to sparkle until Ngog struck with a low right-foot shot past Leeds goalkeeper Shane Higgs.

However, Simon Grayson’s impressive outfit emerged with their pride intact and their reputation enhanced after pushing Liverpool all the way in front of a raucous Elland Road crowd of 38,168.

For the fallen Yorkshire giants, the significance of a first meeting with Liverpool since February 2004 ran deep.

This was about regaining lost pride, of letting the football world know about the steady renaissance taking at Elland Road under Grayson’s astute guidance.

And, perhaps above all, of daring to dream about facing teams like Liverpool on a weekly basis once again.

Traumatic does not do justice to Leeds’ plight in recent years.

In a nutshell they flirted with financial meltdown, lost all their best players and finally hit rock bottom in 2007, suffering the ignominy of relegation to the third tier for the first time in their illustrious history.

To make matters worse, two successive play-off failures have condemned them to a third consecutive season in the relative abyss of League One.

Between 1965 and 1974, Don Revie’s Leeds never finished outside of the top four, won two titles, one FA Cup and a League Cup.

How times have changed.

Still, former Elland Road trainee Grayson has steadied the ship and his men went into the game on the back of 15 successive home league wins.

Leeds, seemingly inspired by the raucous home crowd, fashioned the better goalscoring opportunities during the opening exchanges.

In the 11th minute, the impressive Robert Snodgrass reached the right-hand byline and flighted in a delightful cross which Michael Doyle headed wide from 10 yards.

Moments later Leeds had the ball in the back of the net when defender Lubomir Michalik headed goalwards from a corner and Jermaine Beckford buried the ball from close range, only for the strike to be disallowed for an offside infringement.

Liverpool looked to Jay Spearing and Javier Mascherano to knit the midfield together but Ngog and Ryan Babel largely flattered to deceive up front.

In the 14th minute, Frenchman Ngog flashed a low shot wide at the near post and then Ryan Babel fired straight at Higgs after a neat turn of pace.

Liverpool looked far from secure at the back and in the 32nd minute Beckford’s delightful flick sent Snodgrass free down the right flank.

His teasing cross had Diego Cavalieri at full stretch and his desperate palm away was far from convincing.

Liverpool continued to probe and only a fine reflex save from Higgs denied them the opening goal when Albert Riera connected with Fabio Aurelio’s inswinging free-kick.

Leeds went close again four minutes after the restart when Beckford fired a low shot goalwards from six yards, but Jamie Carragher, skipper for the night, made a vital block to avert the danger.

Beckford showed outstanding dexterity to arch himself into position to hook a right-foot shot narrowly over the crossbar in the 63rd minute as Leeds sought the breakthrough they doubtless felt they deserved.

Yet the goal came at the opposite end of the field three minutes later when Mascherano’s high ball was expertly controlled by Ngog, who swiftly turned and dispatched a low right shot into the bottom corner.