AS the FA Cup Semi-final looms large both Liverpool and Everton will be very deep in preparation for what could be the biggest game of either side’s season so far (League Cup final aside).
For Everton, the semi represents the result of a season that has seen an upturn in the past few months and a final berth would mean enough, as it was, if there wasn’t the prospect of dumping their more successful rivals out on-route.
For the Reds, the tie represents a possible reprieve from a period of stagnation and poor form since January. Despite the League Cup already in the bag, there is no doubt that an FA Cup final appearance at the expense of Everton would improve the situation drastically.
A Merseyside derby is a big enough occasion on its’ own but throw it into the context of a cup tie and you have the potential for an explosive, entertaining and historical piece of footballing history, as we’ll see as I look back over 5 of the most entertaining, tense and epic Merseyside derby cup ties in our illustrious history.
5. Everton 1, Liverpool 0 (Goodison Park), FA Cup 4th Round Replay, 2009 – Perhaps a slightly biased choice for myself, as I was in a packed the Flute with friends at the time and remember it vividly, but nobody can deny that this was an emotional (and emotionally draining) cup tie. What, at the time, appeared to be a relatively routine replay for a Reds side that was sitting comfortably in 2nd in the league and about to embark on a run of 1 defeat in their final 14 league games to push Manchester United all the way, turned out to be anything but that, for the Reds side.
Rafa Benitez opted to go with a strong side, despite initially being expected to rest Torres and Gerrard but with 15 minutes gone that started to look like a grave error, as our captain struggled off the field with a hamstring injury. Once Yossi Benayoun replaced him we struggled throughout the rest of a fairly scrappy first half. But within 15 minutes of the restart the game really kicked in to gear and the tackles started flying and mistakes started being made and this game became a perfect example of why the Merseyside derby is one of the most dramatic and anticipated around. On 76 minutes Lucas Leiva was sent off for his second bookable offence and Liverpool had to cling on for dear life. Everton came in to their own as the remainder of normal time wore on and started dominating possession, prompting an impressive rearguard action from Liverpool who coped admirably but made for some compelling viewing, as the tables turned after what had been a fairly dominant derby decade for Liverpool. With Riera sacrificed for Javier Mascherano, the Reds set out their stall to take the game to penalties, as the Blues’ goal started to seem further and further away.
In to extra-time and Everton continued to dominate and with 110 minutes on the clock, Torres was withdrawn after being left isolated for most of the second half and extra-time. But with barely 2 minutes remaining, Blues outcast Andy Van der Meyde crossed for youngster Dan Gosling and the tie was buried [Editor: that is if you actually caught the goal whilst watching the TV, thanks to ITV’s incompetence in switching to an ad-break whilst the Blues scored! See ITV’s finest work below – and no, that is not a Google ad at the beginning, it happened LIVE during the match!] Having been forced on to the back foot for so long – and with so little time remaining – Liverpool had no time to get a goal back and Everton’s fans celebrated wildly in to the night. I quietly slipped out of the pub and went home.
4. Liverpool 3, Everton 1 (Wembley), FA Cup Final, 1986 – The first all-Merseyside FA Cup final was a great occasion for all and came at a time when both clubs were at the height of their powers. Liverpool had wrapped up the league title mere days before whilst Everton had finished runners-up and were in the process of constructing probably their best ever side.
In an atmosphere of camaraderie and family, this derby cup tie marked perhaps one of the last times that fans of both clubs came together with good-hearted banter and were able to mix together in a crowd of close to 100,000 at the old Wembley.
Coming less than a year after the Heysel tragedy, the game was also notable for the fact that Liverpool became the first side to not field an Englishman in their starting line-up; the first time this had ever happened in an FA Cup final. And, typically, it was an Englishman who started the scoring with Gary Lineker giving Everton the lead mid-way through the first half. The Blues controlled the first half and reached half time in relatively easy fashion.
The second half, however, was a totally different story and showed Liverpool at their absolute best. Goals from Rushie and Craig Johnston, either side of the hour mark, turned the final in Liverpool’s favour before the Welsh poacher finished Everton off with just under 10 minutes remaining.
3. Liverpool 2, Everton 2 (Maine Road), FA Cup Semi-Final, 1977 – Perhaps – at least partly – famous for some highly contentious refereeing, there is no doubting that this had all the hallmarks of a ‘big’ game between the two clubs, with Liverpool dominating at home and in Europe and Everton having lost out in the League cup final to Villa. Much like the Cup finals that the clubs would contest in the 80’s, this game wasn’t short of goals either.
With goals from Terry McDermott and Jimmy Case interspersed with goals from Duncan McKenzie and Bruce Rioch, the tie was end to end and with the scores level, the Semi-final was tightly poised for a thrilling finish when, with Everton slightly in the ascendancy the curse of Clive Thomas struck. A man closely associated with controversy throughout his career, he would etch his name deeply into Evertonian folklore (and probably scrub his name from many a Christmas card list) when he disallowed a Bryan Hamilton goal that would surely have seen the Blues go on through to contest the final with Manchester United.
But with Liverpool bossing all comers on several fronts luck appeared to be with them and they would hold out for a replay, in which Everton would be put to the sword by 3 goals to nil.
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2. Liverpool 4, Everton 4 (Anfield) – FA Cup Fifth-Round, 1991 – It was always going to be a tough choice for my 1 and 2 but in the end it came down to what the games meant to me (and the club) and the importance of each respective game.
Many people would’ve chosen this 5th round tie as it was Kenny Dalglish’s last game in charge of the club, as he would resign two days later and that would more-or-less signal the end of the dominant Liverpool sides of the 70’s and 80’s.
Arriving at Goodison, Liverpool were in the midst of a thrilling title race with Arsenal and were clearly the side to beat at that time, whilst Everton would go on to finish 9th, after a pretty average season. But, as we’ve found over the years, league position and/or form are in no way indicators of how a derby will finish up and that proved to be the case here, as the tie raged like a hurricane.
Four times the Reds took the lead and four times the Blues equalized. At 3:2, Liverpool looked like they were just about to slip through before Howard Kendall sent on Tony Cottee with just over 5 minutes remaining. As the seconds ticked down (remember, there was no ‘Fergie-time’ way back then), the tie looked over before Cottee nicked a goal in the 89th and would send the tie in to extra-time.
With just over 10 minutes of added time gone, John Barnes slipped in from the left and weighed up a shot with his ‘weaker’ right foot. When he swung through, he would hit a shot that would go down in Liverpool folklore; true and perfectly struck, Barnes curled a ball into Southall’s top corner and would start a debate for years to come over whether he meant to cross or shoot.
But what he intended meant little 12 minutes later, as sub Cottee would again sneak an equalizer and earn the Blue-half a replay, which they duly won. But the true drama that would cement this tie in Liverpool history came 2 days later when Liverpool legend and manager Kenny Dalglish stepped down, citing pressure and stress, which no doubt began a couple of years earlier.
1. Liverpool 3, Everton 2 (Wembley) – FA Cup Final, 1989 – And at number one is the game that I would’ve gone to 9 times out of 10, having watched it many times in my early teens in the 90’s, when Liverpool were not having the best of times under Souness and Evans. This was always my ‘go to’ for what a Liverpool team should play like. It was a tough call between this and the 4:4 draw in 91′ but in the end the actual Cup Final game won through.
As games go, they don’t come much more epic than this: two of the games heavy-weights; the two best sides in the country and a collection of some of the best British players to grace the game came together for English footballs’ most historical prize. What made this game more important, perhaps, is that it came just 5 weeks after the tragic events at Hillsborough, making the tie all the more crucial to the club and fans alike.
Having spent the previous 5 weeks debating whether the final should even go ahead, the FA voted ‘Yes’ and so all eyes were on Wembley and players and fans alike showed their class. Prior to the game both teams lined up wearing black arm-bands and both sets of fans honoured the minutes silence before Gerry Marsden led the crowd in an emotionally charged rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone.
When the game eventually got under way, it wasn’t long before Liverpool got back to business, with John Aldridge giving the team the lead with just 4 minutes gone. While the game was not as spectacular as the cup tie from ’91 in terms of action, both sides had their moments and there was always a tangible ‘crackle’ beneath the surface, no doubt caused by the occasion and the context in which it was being played. Both sides contributed to a highly entertaining game and all looked set to play out as planned for the Reds before – again – Everton snuck a goal in the 89th minute, via Stuart McCall, which would move tie in to a hectic and draining period of added time.
Into extra-time and Liverpool introduced perhaps one of the most deadly subs imaginable: Ian Rush. Just back from his brief stint at Juve the previous season, Rush had struggled to get games whilst Aldo and Beardsley had been in such good form but he came off the bench to give Liverpool a bit of extra punch and within minutes of the start of added time Liverpool were back ahead, courtesy of Ian Rush. 7 minutes later and Everton were again back level, thanks to a spectacular goal, again by Stuart McCall before again Ian Rush popped up, two minutes later to put Liverpool 3:2 in front. With that goal, the side would cling on after a physically and emotionally taxing game and see the final out to claim the club’s only trophy of that season and provide some small solace to Liverpool fans all over the world.
With the anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy taking place on Sunday, it is perhaps fitting that Liverpool be playing an FA Cup semi-final the day before, particularly against our rivals from across the way. We can only hope for the same level of respect to be paid at the new Wembley, as at the old back in ’89 but regardless of events off the pitch, a good performance and result on the pitch will act as a bit of catharsis on the eve of the anniversary of the Liverpool Football Clubs’ most tragic day.
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Oh those memories.