2002–03 Football League Cup

The 2002–03 Football League Cup (known as the Worthington Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 43rd staging of the Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs.

2002–03 Football League Cup
Worthington Cup, League Cup
Tournament details
Country England
 Wales
Teams92
Defending championsBlackburn Rovers
Final positions
ChampionsLiverpool (7th title)
Runner-upManchester United
Tournament statistics
Top goal scorer(s)Nathan Ellington
(5 goals)

The competition began on 20 August 2002, and ended with the final on 2 March 2003. The holders were Blackburn Rovers, but they were eliminated in the semi-finals by Manchester United.

The tournament was won by Liverpool, who beat Manchester United 2–0 in the final, thanks to goals from Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard.[1]

Preliminary round

edit

A preliminary round was necessary to reduce the number of teams by one, because of the extra UEFA Cup place awarded to newly relegated Ipswich Town through the Fair Play league.

Tie no Home team Score Away team Date
1 Bristol Rovers 0–2 Boston United 20 August 2002

First round

edit
Tie no Home team Score Away team Date
1 Boston United 1–5 Cardiff City 11 September 2002
2 Brighton & Hove Albion 1–1 Exeter City 11 September 2002
Brighton win 2–1 after extra time
3 Coventry City 3–0 Colchester United 11 September 2002
4 Macclesfield Town 1–1 Barnsley 11 September 2002
Macclesfield Town win 4–1 after extra time
5 Nottingham Forest 4–0 Kidderminster Harriers 11 September 2002
6 Preston North End 1–1 Scunthorpe United 11 September 2002
Preston win 2–1 after extra time
7 Sheffield Wednesday 1–0 Rochdale 11 September 2002
8 Swansea City 2–3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 11 September 2002
9 Swindon Town 0–0 Wycombe Wanderers 11 September 2002
Wycombe Wanderers win 2–1 after extra time
10 AFC Bournemouth 3–3 Brentford 10 September 2002
3–3 after extra time — Brentford win 4–2 on penalties
11 Bristol City 0–1 Oxford United 10 September 2002
12 Burnley 3–0 Blackpool 10 September 2002
13 Bury 1–0 Stoke City 10 September 2002
14 Crystal Palace 1–1 Plymouth Argyle 10 September 2002
Crystal Palace win 2–1 after extra time
15 Cambridge United 3–1 Reading 10 September 2002
16 Grimsby Town 0–1 Chesterfield 10 September 2002
17 Hartlepool United 1–2 Tranmere Rovers 10 September 2002
18 Huddersfield Town 2–0 Darlington 10 September 2002
19 Hull City 1–1 Leicester City 10 September 2002
Leicester City win 4–2 after extra time
20 Leyton Orient 3–2 Queens Park Rangers 10 September 2002
21 Lincoln City 1–3 Stockport County 10 September 2002
22 Mansfield Town 1–3 Derby County 10 September 2002
23 Northampton Town 0–1 Wigan Athletic 10 September 2002
24 Norwich City 0–3 Cheltenham Town 10 September 2002
25 Oldham Athletic 3–2 Notts County 10 September 2002
26 Port Vale 0–2 Crewe Alexandra 10 September 2002
27 Portsmouth 2–0 Peterborough United 10 September 2002
28 Rotherham United 3–1 Carlisle United 10 September 2002
29 Rushden & Diamonds 0–0 Millwall 10 September 2002
0–0 after extra time — Rushden & Diamonds win 5–3 on penalties
30 Sheffield United 1–0 York City 10 September 2002
31 Southend United 1–4 Wimbledon 10 September 2002
32 Torquay United 0–1 Gillingham 10 September 2002
33 Walsall 1–0 Shrewsbury Town 10 September 2002
34 Watford 1–2 Luton Town 10 September 2002
35 Wrexham 2–1 Bradford City 10 September 2002

Second round

edit
Tie no Home team Score Away team Date
1 Aston Villa 3–0 Luton Town 2 October 2002
2 Bolton Wanderers 0–1 Bury 2 October 2002
3 Crystal Palace 7–0 Cheltenham Town 2 October 2002
4 Coventry City 8–0 Rushden & Diamonds 2 October 2002
5 Derby County 1–1 Oldham Athletic 2 October 2002
Oldham Athletic win 2–1 after extra time
6 Leyton Orient 2–3 Birmingham City 2 October 2002
7 Nottingham Forest 1–2 Walsall 2 October 2002
8 Sheffield Wednesday 1–1 Leicester City 2 October 2002
Leicester City win 2–1 after extra time
9 Southampton 6–1 Tranmere Rovers 2 October 2002
10 Wigan Athletic 3–1 West Bromwich Albion 2 October 2002
11 Brentford 1–4 Middlesbrough 1 October 2002
12 Cambridge United 0–7 Sunderland 1 October 2002
13 Charlton Athletic 0–0 Oxford United 1 October 2002
0–0 after extra time — Oxford United win 6–5 on penalties
14 Chesterfield 1–1 West Ham 1 October 2002
1–1 after extra time — West Ham win 5–4 on penalties
15 Huddersfield Town 0–1 Burnley 1 October 2002
16 Macclesfield Town 1–2 Preston North End 1 October 2002
17 Manchester City 3–2 Crewe Alexandra 1 October 2002
18 Portsmouth 1–3 Wimbledon 1 October 2002
19 Rotherham United 3–3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 October 2002
4–4 after extra time — Rotherham United win 4–2 on penalties
20 Sheffield United 4–1 Wycombe Wanderers 1 October 2002
21 Stockport County 1–1 Gillingham 1 October 2002
Gillingham win 2–1 after extra time
22 Tottenham Hotspur 1–0 Cardiff City 1 October 2002
23 Wrexham 0–3 Everton 1 October 2002
24 Ipswich Town 3–1 Brighton & Hove Albion 24 September 2002

Third round

edit
Tie no Home team Score Away team Date
1 Arsenal 2–3 Sunderland 6 November 2002
2 Blackburn Rovers 1–1 Walsall 6 November 2002
2–2 after extra time — Blackburn Rovers win 5–4 on penalties
3 Burnley 2–1 Tottenham Hotspur 6 November 2002
4 Crystal Palace 3–0 Coventry City 6 November 2002
5 Chelsea 2–1 Gillingham 6 November 2002
6 Fulham 3–1 Bury 6 November 2002
7 Ipswich Town 3–1 Middlesbrough 6 November 2002
8 Liverpool 3–1 Southampton 6 November 2002
9 Newcastle United 2–2 Everton 6 November 2002
3–3 after extra time — Everton win 3–2 on penalties
10 Oxford United 0–3 Aston Villa 6 November 2002
11 Sheffield United 2–1 Leeds United 6 November 2002
12 West Ham 0–1 Oldham Athletic 6 November 2002
13 Birmingham City 0–2 Preston North End 5 November 2002
14 Wimbledon 1–3 Rotherham United 5 November 2002
15 Manchester United 2–0 Leicester City 5 November 2002
16 Wigan Athletic 1–0 Manchester City 5 November 2002

Fourth round

edit
Aston Villa5–0Preston North End
Vassell   44', 55'
Dublin   80'
Ángel   84'
Hitzlsperger   87'
Report
Attendance: 23,042
Referee: Clive Wilkes

Blackburn Rovers4–0Rotherham United
Yorke   12', 39'
Cole   16'
Duff   43'
Report
Attendance: 11,220
Referee: Matt Messias

Chelsea4–1Everton
Hasselbaink   26', 71'
Petit   44'
Stanić   69'
Report Naysmith   80'
Attendance: 32,322
Referee: Paul Durkin

Liverpool1–1 (a.e.t.)
5–4p
Ipswich Town
Diouf   54' (pen.) Report Miller   14'
Attendance: 26,305

Wigan Athletic2–1Fulham
Ellington   20', 28' Report Boa Morte   86'
Attendance: 7,615
Referee: Mark Halsey

Burnley0–2Manchester United
Report Forlán   35'
Solskjær   65'
Attendance: 22,034
Referee: Neale Barry

Crystal Palace2–0Oldham Athletic
Black   11', 74' Report
Attendance: 7,431
Referee: Chris Foy

Sheffield United2–0Sunderland
Murphy   54'
Allison   56'
Report
Attendance: 27,068
Referee: Alan Wiley

Quarter-finals

edit
Aston Villa3–4Liverpool
Vassell   23'
Hitzlsperger   72'
Henchoz   88' (o.g.)
Report Murphy   27', 90'
Baroš   54'
Gerrard   67'
Attendance: 38,530
Referee: Graham Barber

Manchester United1–0Chelsea
Forlán   80' Report
Attendance: 57,985
Referee: Steve Bennett

Sheffield United3–1Crystal Palace
Asaba   35'
Peschisolido   86', 88'
Report Page   82' (o.g.)
Attendance: 22,211

Wigan Athletic0–2Blackburn Rovers
Report Cole   16', 80'
Attendance: 16,922
Referee: Andy D'Urso

Semi-finals

edit

First leg

edit
Sheffield United2–1Liverpool
Tonge   76', 82' Report Mellor   35'
Attendance: 30,095
Referee: Mike Dean

Manchester United1–1Blackburn Rovers
Scholes   58' Report Thompson   61'
Attendance: 62,740
Referee: Uriah Rennie

Second leg

edit
Liverpool2–0 (a.e.t.)Sheffield United
Diouf   9'
Owen   107'
Report
Attendance: 43,837
Referee: Alan Wiley

Liverpool win 3-2 on aggregate.


Blackburn Rovers1–3Manchester United
Cole   12' Report Scholes   30', 42'
Van Nistelrooy   77' (pen.)
Attendance: 29,048
Referee: Jeff Winter

Manchester United win 4–2 on aggregate

Final

edit

The 2003 Football League Cup final was played on 2 March 2003 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The game was contested between Manchester United and Liverpool. Liverpool won the game 2–0.

Manchester United0–2Liverpool
Report Gerrard   39'
Owen   86'
Attendance: 74,500

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Liverpool lift Worthington Cup". BBC Sport. 2 March 2003. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
edit