Wembley cracker on cards

Former Liverpool striker Ian Rush hopes Saturday's all-Merseyside FA Cup semi-final can live up to their previous encounters at Wembley.

The ex-Wales international has fond memories of meeting their near-neighbours at the national stadium as on two occasions, in 1986 and 1989, he scored twice as the Reds lifted the trophy. After a period of 23 years the two will come together again, albeit in a last-four clash, and Rush is relishing the prospect. "It will be a great occasion. It is nice for these two clubs to be doing it again," he told Press Association Sport. "I have only faced Everton at Wembley in finals. The semi-finals being there is still not quite like being in the final but they will treat it as a final - one team has to lose and it is going to be so emotional there. "It is great for Merseyside and I am looking forward to the rivalry. I lived my dream by scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup final. I wanted to score in the final and I scored two. "Playing-wise 1986 is without doubt my favourite but in 1989 (just weeks after the Hillsborough disaster which claimed the lives of 96 fans) walking out all you could hear was 'Merseyside' and there was red and blue all the way around the stadium. I have never heard an atmosphere like it. The city came closer together because football was secondary."