Liverpool 6 Brighton 1

LIVERPOOL warmed up for next week's Carling Cup final by thrashing Brighton to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.

And they were helped by THREE own goals from the sorry Seagulls — including two from Liam Bridcutt.

It is the first time in FA Cup history that three own goals have been scored by the same team in a match.

Martin Skrtel set the hosts on their way with a near post header from Steven Gerrard's corner before Kazenga LuaLua levelled with a long-range thunderbolt.

But it was one-way traffic after that with Bridcutt's first own-goal coming just before the break as Sam Vokes' clearance from a Glen Johnson header went in off the Brighton midfielder.

Andy Carroll lashed in on 57 minutes after good work by Stewart Downing on the left before Bridcutt's unfortunate double was complete when he bundled in Gerrard's cross.

Highly-rated centre-back Lewis Dunk then scored the third Brighton own goal with a howler as he attempted to clear in his six-yard box but ended up kneeing the ball into his net instead.

Suarez had a penalty saved with 10 minutes remaining after Dirk Kuyt was chopped down in the box by Craig Noone.

But the Uruguayan made up for it by nodding in from close range after Carroll's knock back to complete the rout.

The hammering sets up another home tie for Liverpool with Stoke travelling to Anfield in the quarter-finals.

And it was the perfect build-up ahead of next Sunday's showdown with Cardiff at Wembley.

Today's match was the first time that Gerrard, Suarez and Carroll had all started a game together.

And the Reds skipper was quick to praise the performance of striker Carroll.

Gerrard said: "(Carroll) has been getting better and better in training and he was our man of the match today.

"We believe that the more we play together, the more we'll click. We're all good players and good players like playing with other good players.

"We're all on the same wavelength now."

Carroll added: "Every goal feels good, but it couldn't get any better today with the result as well and now we're through to the next round.

"We haven't played many games all together but we've been playing well in training and we put it into the game today."

For Brighton, they must now regroup in their push for a place in the Championship play-offs.

Manager Gus Poyet said: "It's difficult to analyse because I think it was always a matter of holding them and making sure we didn't concede any silly goals.

"For long periods in the first half I think we were in the game, but the second goal changed it.

"If we had gone to half-time at 1-1 the message from the opposition changing room would have been very different, but then in the second half three or four of the goals were comic.

"I think we were naive, but welcome to the world of the Premiership.

"People think we are ready for the Premiership but we are not. If you want to one day get to the Premiership as a team or as a player you need to learn.

"The quality, the strength, the power the players have got is amazing.

"This is a top six team, but I don't think anyone likes to go to places in the top six and finish the game 6-1."

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Jose Enrique, Henderson (Kuyt 76), Gerrard (Shelvey 76), Adam, Downing (Maxi 76), Suarez, Carroll. Subs Not Used: Doni, Coates, Spearing, Kelly.

Goals: Skrtel 5, Bridcutt 44 og, Carroll 57, Bridcutt 71 og, Dunk 74 og, Suarez 85.

Brighton: Brezovan, Calderon, Greer, Dunk, El-Abd (Vicente 69), Buckley (Noone 46), Bridcutt, Navarro, LuaLua, Vokes (Mackail-Smith 69), Barnes. Subs Not Used: Ankergren, Harley, Vincelot, Agdestein.

Booked: Navarro.

Goals: LuaLua 17.

Att: 43,940

Ref: Andre Marriner (W Midlands).