Five Favourite Wins – A series where Pete Spencer looks back at his five favourite wins by Liverpool against their upcoming opponents.
Continuing the series where I look back at my five favourite wins against Liverpool’s next opponents. This weekend Liverpool travel across Stanley Park for the Merseyside derby to meet Everton and here are my five favourite wins from past encounters.
27th March 1982
EVERTON (1) 1 (Sharp 24)
LIVERPOOL (1) 3 (Whelan 21, Souness 57, Johnston 81)
EVERTON: Southall; Borrows, Higgins, Wright, Ratcliffe; Irvine, McMahon, Ross, Richardson; Heath, Sharp
LIVERPOOL: Grobbelaar; Neal, Lawrenson, Thompson, Kennedy; Lee, Johnston, Souness, Whelan; Rush, Dalglish
Liverpool arrived at Goodison Park in March 1982 having suffered defeat in the League there only once since 1971. As defending League Champions they were sitting well placed in the League, 4pts behind the leaders, Southampton but with 4 games in hand. Everton were back in 12th and on a run of 1 defeat in their last 6 league games, although they’d also only won 1 of those matches too. Liverpool had won the derby 3-1 at Anfield in November and were in good form having won 4 of their last 5 league games, conceding just twice.
The game was played at a typically frenetic pace, with tackles flying in everywhere in an era when challenges like that were still allowed. 20 minutes in and Liverpool attacked with Johnston’s header coming back off the bar. Rush was unable to convert the chance but it fell to Ronnie Whelan to hit a shot through a crowd of players and past Southall for the opening goal. Everton were determined to get back into the game immediately and their pressure forced a corner taken on the left by Kevin Richardson.
Grobbelaar’s punch failed to clear the danger and Graeme Sharp stabbed the ball home for the equaliser barely 3 minutes after Whelan’s goal. Adrian Heath then had a chance he should’ve hit the target with and then a good move on the right from Liverpool, saw Dalglish and Whelan combine to give Phil Neal a chance to convert but the England right-back was reluctant to use his left foot and his shot went wide. Rush finished off the chances in the first half after a good bustling run from Alan Kennedy, but he dragged his shot wide of the post.
Early in the second half Graeme Souness had a shot from outside the area go just over the bar after Brian Borrows had failed to clear a Dalglish cross. But then as the hour approached, Lee found Dalglish on the right edge of the area and his customary shielding of the ball allowed Souness to fire a right foot shot into the Everton net to restore the visitors lead. The game was still being played at a blistering pace and in one moment, Liverpool turned defence into attack with three great passes from Kennedy to Dalglish to Rush, who put Johnston through but his shot went over.
Everton were trying to force their way back into the game as Grobbelaar was called upon to save well from Trevor Ross and then Graeme Sharp, who both had long range efforts denied. Then as the game entered the final 10 minutes, Souness played Rush in on the left of the area and his ball into the area was turned in by Craig Johnston who floated his shot over Southall’s despairing outstretched left hand. That effectively killed off any threat the home side could muster and Liverpool had done the double over their nearest rivals. This game became the 3rd in a run of 11 straight wins as Liverpool powered their way to another title. Everton ended 8th as Howard Kendall was beginning to have the makings of a side which would become dominant in English football in years to come.