| Saturday 9 January 1988 15:00
FA Cup 3rd Round |
| |
 |
|
 |
| "Stoke
City" |
0 - 0 |
"Liverpool" |
| |
(0-0) |
|
| |
| GOAL |
| |
|
|
| |
1 Scott Barrett
- Lee Dixon
- Cliff Carr
- Brian Talbot
- Steve Bould
- George Berry
- Tony Ford
- Tony Henry
- Nicky Morgan
- Simon Stainrod
- Steve Parkin
Subs:
- Graham Shaw |
|
1 Mike Hooper
2 Gary Gillespie
3 Mark Lawrenson
4 Steve Nicol
5 Ronnie Whelan
6 Alan Hansen (c)
7 Peter Beardsley
8 John Aldridge
9 Ray Houghton
10 John Barnes
11 Steve McMahon
Subs:
12 Craig Johnston
14 Nigel Spackman |
| |
| SUBSTITUTIONS |
| Stainrod (Shaw 75) |
|
|
| |
| OFFICIALS & BOOKINGS |
| Referee: T Mills |
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|
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| VENUE |
|
MANAGERS |
Victoria Ground (capacity )
Attendance: 31,979 |
|
Mick Mills (Stoke C)
Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool) |
 Price: 70 pence
|
|
Shaw comes within a leg
glance of stopping the show
This was almost the perfect Cup tie; Stoke City, from the lower reaches of the
second division, slugging it out in the mud with the best team in England and a full house
of almost 32,000 responding passionately. What it needed, though, was that moment when one
player - preferably from the underdogs - takes matters into his own hands and achieves
glory.
Six minutes from the end of a towering match at the Victoria Ground on Saturday
this is exactly what should have happened. The player in question was Graham Shaw, Stoke's
20-year-old substitute, who had been on the field for 10 minutes. Shaw was unmarked and
standing about 10 yards into the Liverpool half of the field when Dixon, the Stoke right
back, hoisted a long ball forward. Momentarily, Shaw hesitated, thinking he might be
offside. But the linesman did not raise his flag.
Hooper, taking the injured Grobbelaar's place in the Liverpool goal, sensed the
danger long before Shaw sensed his opportunity. He came charging out of the penalty area,
a move that would have cost him dear had Shaw possessed just enough presence of mind to
take the ball round the goalkeeper before shooting.
By the time Shaw had gathered the ball, Hooper was almost on him, at which point he
unleashed his shot. Hooper's gamble was rewarded, for the ball ricocheted off his legs to
safety and Shaw was left to agonize over what might have been.
The Stoke youngster cut as dignified a figure as was possible when he spoke
afterwards, saying his team-mates had been very sympathetic and told him to try to forget
what had happened. "But I shan't sleep tonight," he added. "I thought I
might have been offside but I looked across to the linesman and he had his flag down. I
knew exactly what I was doing. I just thought 'it's a chance to shoot, so shoot'."
Mick Mills, the Stoke manager, could hardly blame poor Shaw. It was a day to feel
proud of his men, who had looked as if they might be swept aside by Liverpool in the
opening 10 minutes but recovered to give them as hard a game as they can have had in their
all-conquering season.
Stainrod was a forceful presence up front and Parkin and Morgan had chances to put
Stoke ahead but were foiled by the admirable Hooper. And if Barnes, Houghton and Beardsley
put together the more threatening attacks for Liverpool - at times their speed and skill
on the cloying surface was quite remarkable - they were also required to do a huge amount
of tackling back. In the end it all went to Liverpool's plan. Shaw's moment of glory will
have to wait until another day.
By Simon O'Hagan of "The Times"
Copyright - The Times |
