Liverpool advances to FA Cup final, will face either Chelsea or Tottenham

WEMBLEY, England — Liverpool striker Andy Carroll headed the winner in the 87th minute to clinch a 2-1 comeback victory over Everton at Wembley on Saturday and secure a place in the FA Cup final. Everton, meeting its local rival at Wembley for the first time since Liverpool won the 1989 FA Cup final, took the lead in the 24th minute after Nikica Jelavic took advantage of a mix-up between Liverpool defenders Daniel Agger and Jamie Carragher. The lead held up through a closely contested first half that lacked any clear-cut chances for either side. Liverpool started the second half the better of the two teams and its dominance was rewarded in the 62nd minute when Luis Suarez equalized after intercepting a poor back pass by Everton defender Sylvain Distin. With the game seemingly headed for extra time and a possible penalty shootout, Carroll headed in a freekick from Craig Bellamy to secure Liverpool's passage to its first FA Cup final since 2006. The goal marked a turnaround for Carroll, who early in the second half was left hiding his head in his shirt after missing a straightforward header to get Liverpool on level terms. Carroll, who also scored Liverpool's winner in a midweek Premier League match against Blackburn, had struggled to live up to his 35 million pound (then$56 million) transfer from Newcastle last year. "It's the best feeling ever," Carroll said. "We worked hard and getting the goal right there at theend was great." The match between the neighborclubs was played a day before the23rd anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster in which 96Liverpool fans died. It was the first Wembley encounter betweenthe teams since the 1989 FA Cup final, which Liverpool won just weeks after Hillsborough. Liverpool has already twice beaten Everton in the league this season. Liverpool will play the winner of the second semifinal Sunday between Chelsea and Tottenham.