Third-choice Jones set for semi-final outing
Reuters - Thursday 12 April 2012, 12:57
Liverpool's third-choice goalkeeper
Brad Jones looks set to start Saturday's FA Cup semi-final
against city rivals Everton after the club's appeal against
second choice Doni's suspension was rejected.
Jones, whose young son Luca died of leukaemia late last
year, was thrust into the spotlight at Blackburn Rovers in
midweek when Doni was dismissed for bringing down Junior Hoilett
in the penalty area with Liverpool leading the Premier League
game 2-0.
The Australia international's first job was to save Yakubu's
spot-kick, after which he raised a finger to the sky.
While he was twice beaten later in the 3-2 victory, once
from the spot after he escaped a red card after a fumble, his
performance and composure so soon after a personal tragedy
impressed manager Kenny Dalglish.
"You can only guess what it must be like to go through what
he's been through, but he has done and I'm sure he enjoyed his
first bit of action on Tuesday night, saving a penalty,"
Dalglish said of Jones, who was signed from Middlesbrough in
August 2010 but has rarely featured.
"We know that to do what he's done has shown a great deal of
strength of character."
Doni's appeal was rejected by the FA, a statement from the
English governing body said on Thursday.
With regular keeper Pepe Reina also suspended following a
recent sending off against Newcastle United, Liverpool have
recalled youngster Peter Gulacsi from a loan spell at Hull City
as backup for the semi-final at Wembley.
While it will be an emotional day for Perth-born Jones, it
will also be a poignant occasion for the club on the weekend of
the 23rd anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy in which 96
Liverpool fans died at an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham
Forest.
Dalglish was manager on that occasion in his first stint in
charge and said it was fitting Saturday's semi-final was against
Everton, the team Liverpool beat to win the FA Cup final in 1989
just weeks after the shocking events in Sheffield.
Saturday's match will be preceded by a minute's silence.
"A minute's silence at Wembley - it's ironic that it's
Liverpool and Everton at Wembley again because that was the
final that year," Dalglish told a news conference on Thursday.
"It's going to be very emotive for everybody. The
Evertonians were affected by Hillsborough as well as the
Liverpool fans, with family members who never came home.
"It will be poignant and I'm sure both sets of fans will
grace the minute's silence with the dignity they've shown since
1989."
Liverpool, who won the League Cup earlier this year but are
eighth in the Premier League, parted company with Director of
Football Damien Comolli earlier on Thursday.