FA Cup

By Mike Collett

LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Mighty Liverpool were given the fright of their lives by tiny Havant & Waterlooville before beating the non-league side 5-2 in an astonishing FA Cup fourth-round tie at Anfield on Saturday.

The part-timers from Hampshire, six divisions and 123 places below Liverpool in England's football pyramid, twice led against the seven-times FA Cup winners.

But a hat-trick by midfielder Yossi Benayoun denied Havant the biggest upset in the competition's 137-year history.

Holders Chelsea reached the last 16 with a 2-1 victory at Wigan Athletic while Arsenal won the other all-Premier League tie, beating Newcastle United 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

Premier League clubs Middlesbrough and Portsmouth also advanced but Derby County were crushed 4-1 at home by Championship (second division) strugglers Preston North End.

Only eight Premier League sides are still left in the competition, with at least one certain to be eliminated after Sunday's Manchester United-Tottenham Hotspur tie.

If Manchester City lose at Sheffield United on Sunday, only six top-flight teams will be in Monday's fifth-round draw.

The most dramatic match of the day was at Anfield where Havant left the field as heroes despite being beaten.

Havant, who included a refuse collector, a trainee taxi driver, a teacher and security officer in their team, normally play in front of about 600 fans.

They stunned the 42,000 crowd at Anfield when Richard Pacquette, who once played in the same Queens Park Rangers youth team as Liverpool's England striker Peter Crouch, put the visitors ahead after eight minutes.

It took Liverpool until the 27th minute to equalise when Brazilian Lucas scored with a 30-metre shot but the part-timers went back in front four minutes later after a shot from Alfie Potter took a deflection off Martin Skrtel.

Benayoun put Liverpool level again in the 44th before producing a well-taken shot on the turn after 56.

The Israeli international completed his hat-trick to give Liverpool a 4-2 lead before a late goal from Crouch made the game safe.

PROUD MANAGER

Havant manager Shaun Gale said he was a proud man.

"You have dreams and beliefs and we came here today and thought we might get something. We knew the enormity of the task but to be twice in front at Anfield takes some beating and not too many teams have done that," he told Sky Sports News.

"It would have been nice to go in 2-1 ahead at halftime but my lads have been magnificent today and I am proud of them. It has been a fairytale. It will be a long time before anyone else does anything like this."

The only upset of the day came at Pride Park where Preston won 4-1 at the Premier League's bottom club Derby, who had Wales defender Lewis Nyatanga sent off late in the game.

Arsenal, coming back from their 5-1 League Cup semi-final defeat by arch-rivals Tottenham on Tuesday, beat Newcastle with two goals from Emmanuel Adebayor and an own goal by Nicky Butt.

After two games in charge, new Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan has yet to see his team score.

Nicolas Anelka volleyed his first Chelsea goal since joining from Bolton Wanderers two weeks ago and set up the second for Shaun Wright-Phillips as the holders won at Wigan.

Antoine Sibierski scored with a stunning late volley for Wigan and Marcus Bent hit the bar for the hosts in added time.

Portsmouth came from behind to beat Championship side Plymouth Argyle 2-1 while Middlesbrough won 2-0 at League Two club Mansfield Town in the day's early kickoff.