Houllier hails special support

Despite bitterly cold conditions and the fact that the game was televised live by Sky, over 7,500 Kopites made the trip to Lancashire to swell an Ewood Park crowd of just 16,000.

Houllier said: "It was practically half the crowd were Liverpool supporters. The players and myself want to thank them for their support.

"It was a cold night, but they were there cheering us on. The players gave a wonderful performance, but the fans made it special."