Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish says that the FA Cup Final defeat to Chelsea was valuable learning experience for his players.

"They were excellent for the last half hour but the game lasts for 90 minutes," he said after the game. "If you're playing against the quality of Chelsea, you cannot give them a two-goal start and expect to give yourself an opportunity to get something from the game.

"I don't think the first hour was a true reflection of the quality we had out there. Whether it was a lack of experience in the situation or maybe they just had more experience than us. Maybe they were just a wee bit nervous. A lot of them are just youngsters, or relatively young and inexperienced at this level.

"Chelsea are thoroughbreds, they've been through the course before. Maybe that was it. The way they finished the last half hour should give them the belief and confidence that they are better than they think they are.

"It's a hard lesson. The same group of players will be better for the experience they had there, and the experience they've had from the previous part of the season."

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