Liverpool 2 Stoke City 1

Like all football fan’s I was totally stunned by Fabrice Muamba’s tragic collapse in the FA Cup tie at Spurs last night. Managing Director Ian Ayre’s statement on behalf of Liverpool Football Club struck the right chord, "The thoughts of everyone at this football club are with Fabrice, his family, friends and teammates. Everyone who was watching the game was shocked and upset by the scenes on the pitch and we all hope he can pull through this terrible ordeal.

"We're all praying for him tonight." We all concur with his statement and are praying for Fabrice Muamba’s recovery.

Liverpool Football Club joined in as other arena’s with a round of applause following an announcement, in support of the young Bolton midfielder courageous fight for life before the FA Cup tie against Stoke City.

The game itself marked a returned to the starting line-up for Maxi in for Jordan Henderson and Spearing after receiving good reviews in dispatches from his captain keeping out Charlie Adam following Tuesday’s Merseyside Derby. Liverpool managed an early chance, with Gerrard swinging over an inviting cross from a free-kick which Maxi’s back header diverted by the far-post. Albeit, that early chance, it was Stoke that settle and looked decidedly more comfortable in possession in the first twenty minutes.

The dead-lock was broken by the mercurial Suarez after picking up the ball 15 yards into the Stoke half from Gerrard, he played a one-two with Maxi before side-footed the ball deliciously into the corner from 20 yards past the despairing dive of Sorenson. The lead lasted barely four minutes. Stoke’s equaliser when it came was fortunate with the referee (Kevin Friend) giving a corner when the ball patently came off Shawcross. The goal from the resultant corner was disappointing with Carroll standing by while Crouch ran past to head past Reina claiming he was impeded by Shotton.

  Downing celebrates put Liverpool ahead

It may have been fortunate, but Stoke’s refusal to sit back and let Liverpool play firmly kept Liverpool midfield shackled, thus the team relied on Suarez individual brilliance and with Downing a major disappointment and Maxi both failing to provide the expected supply-lines and drifting far to much off the touch line the lack of width enabled to stifle Liverpool's attacks  Stoke had a further chance with a break-up field on a counter-attack, Whitehead played a sumptuous ball inside Spearing tracking back to cover Enrique, only for Walters to screw his shot past the near post.

An early shot from Gerrard in the second-half was comfortably saved,  but at least showed Liverpool’s intention to match Stoke’s intensity and inject some fluency into their play. Suarez came close to regaining his team the lead when his glanced header from Downing’s free-kick flashed past the post. Drifting off his line has been a major problem for Liverpool , but for once in allowed Downing to collect the ball in the inside-right position where he ghosted by the first defender, before playing the ball into Gerrard driving into the area, and for once he miscontrolled, which inadvertently fell into the path of Downing who scythed past two more defenders before lashing the ball home and releasing the frustration of almost an entire season.

Liverpool’s began to eek out more chances and Suarez flushed with his first half strike, latching on to Gerrard’s pass and with a swerving drive which Sorenson hung onto. The control which Liverpool’s increased work rate brought to bare could be judged by the fact that Reina was barely worked in the second-half and even a late flurry by Stoke failed to give Liverpool any undue problems with Gerrard moving out to right-back to finish the game as cover for the injured Martin Kelly.

So back at Wembley for the second time this season to play Sunderland or be apart of another Merseyside Derby at Anfield South. The signs are positive, but the aim must be to keep the the run going with victory over QPR. There is still a lot to work on, the service into the front men, specifically Carroll, was deplorable and despite his goal Downing ‘s end product from open play was as poor as it has been for most of the season and Maxi, apart from his interchange with Suarez for the opening goal, was for all intents and purposes a spectator.

Looking ahead these are things which Dalglish and his team can look to work on with Downing and with new incumbents either homegrown or from outside. The positive aspects at this precise moment is recognising that devoid of creative wide-men, cover in the striking areas and a lack of top quality midfielders we are the 2012 Carling Cup Winners and are within a hair’s breath of another cup final. Who said the season has been a complete failure...?

Kop-Post Man of The Match: Martin Skrtel: A man mountain of a performance from Liverpool's player of the season.  Takes charge and snuffs out impended danger.