FERGIE’S FUMING AT DRAW
Beardsley 38 Gillespie 41 Mcmahon 46 Division 1, Anfield, April 4, 1988 Att: 43,497
Robson 3, 66 Strachan 77
MANCHESTER UNITED came from 3-1 down with 10 men to snatch a point on a memorable afternoon – and still Alex Ferguson fumed!
Fergie was raging at the officials after seeing Colin Gibson sent off and claimed managers left Anfield “choking on their own vomit, biting their tongue, afraid to tell the truth”.
Reds boss Kenny Dalglish responded by saying: “People would get more sense out of my six week-old daughter Lauren.”
Liverpool went into the match well on their way to lifting the title for the sixth time in nine years – 11 points clear of United with eight games left.
But United took the lead in the third minute. Peter Davenport got round Alan Hansen to tee up Bryan Robson for a close-range finish.
Liverpool drew level in the 38th minute, Ray Houghton picking out Peter Beardsley, who put his left-foot shot into bottom corner.
Three minutes later, Beardsley helped create the goal that saw Gary Gillespie head into the roof of net.
Liverpool went further clear after the break, Steve Mcmahon finding the top corner from 25 yards.
Fergie (below) brought on Norman Whiteside and Jesper Olsen.
Whiteside put himself about in midfield and Olsen struck the bar before United were dealt a huge blow when Gibson was sent off.
Booked four minutes earlier for kicking the ball away, he was shown the red card for hacking down Steve Nicol.
United were back in the match after 66 minutes. Robson tried his luck from 25 yards and his shot took a deflection off Gillespie and bounced past keeper Bruce Grobbelaar.
Then United went on to grab an equaliser in the 77th minute.
Davenport lifted a pass over the Liverpool defence that left Gordon Strachan with only Grobbelaar to beat and he coolly slotted home for a share of the spoils.