West Brom 0 Liverpool 6

Last updated : 26 April 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Owen took his Premier League career goal tally to 102 with an amazing four-goal blast as Liverpool raced to their fourth successive Premiership win in emphatic fashion.

Sorry Albion crashed to their ninth defeat in the last 10 games and their dismal day was perfectly summed up in the last minute.

Danny Dichio forced a wonder save from Liverpool goalkeeper, Jerzy Dudek, before Jason Roberts saw his follow-up shot cleared off the line by Sami Hyypia.

Owen has laid the foundations for Liverpool's one-sided success when he showed his class after just 15 minutes to fire the Anfield side into the lead.

While he was released by a through ball from John Arne Riise, Owen still had plenty of work to do. But he simply waltzed past Neil Clement before steering his shot beyond goalkeeper Russell Hoult.

Owen's strike looked set to signal an avalanche of goals from a dominant Liverpool side.

But some desperate defending and poor finishing ensured that Liverpool's goal-hungry strikeforce was left frustrated until the second half.

Milan Baros squandered three golden chances. Once he was denied by Hoult, but two last ditch challenges by Clement and Sean Gregan were enough to put him of as he prepared shoot.

When Liverpool did breach the Albion defence, Derek McInnes was on hand to clear a Danny Murphy free-kick off the line in the 20th minute.

Owen was then frustrated by Hoult in the 31st minute as Albion struggled to break out of their own half for long spells. When they did, Ronnie Wallwork squandered their one real chance, shooting narrowly over the bar from 14 yards in the 33rd minute.

But that proved to be a false dawn for Albion as Liverpool proved to be more clinical at the start of the second half with a goals avalanche.

Baros made amends for his earlier failings in front of goal two minutes into the second half. He pounced from close range after Owen had seen his shot from a Steven Gerrard cross beaten away by Hoult.

The strike from Baros signalled the start of a four-goal blast in a 20-minute spell as Albion were simply blown away.

Owen completed his century after 49 minutes, forcing home a cross from Gerrard, and then grabbed his hat-trick just after the hour when he raced on to a centre from Baros.

He then scored his fourth when he was released by Murphy in the 67th minute, giving Hoult no chance with another well placed low drive.

Baros set the seal on the rout six minutes from time following another exquisite pass from the impressive Gerrard.