CROWNING GLORY
Cummings strikes ‘dream’ double to earn Anfield replay
SHREWSBURY...2 LIVERPOOL.........2
Jason CUMMInGs was crowned King of shrewsbury last night after his double strike clinched a money-spinning replay at anfield for the League one side.
Cummings, a second-half sub, said: ‘It was a dream come true against the best team in the world. I know it wasn’t their first team but it’s still good. Take the replay, go to anfield, it’s what the Cup is all about.’
SHREWSBURY...2 LIVERPOOL.......2
So the champions of the world on a near flawless procession towards the Premier League title finally faltered in Shropshire, of all places.
And in a town where the football club rallies behind the peculiar war-cry of ‘Breathe on ’em Salop’ the spirit of the FA Cup was revived and the drums beat out a song of celebration which rumbled long into the night.
Hundreds of jubilant Shrewsbury supporters spilled on to the pitch and danced in front of the BBC television box as they prepared for their first visit to Anfield.
And, more than an hour after the final whistle, goal hero Jason Cummings was still padding around on the touchline in his match kit posing for photographs with the famous old trophy.
Jurgen Klopp (right) returned to Merseyside to plan for West Ham on Wednesday, bemoaning yet another game to clutter his fixture list and promising to field his youth team for the fourth-round replay which falls in what was supposed to be the winter break. Liverpool have not won the FA Cup since 2006 but the focus is elsewhere and Shrewsbury, having beaten Bristol City of the Championship in the third round, are daring to dream about a place in the last 16.
No- one would have predicted such an outcome with an hour gone when Liverpool were two goals to the good and the prospect of any Cup romance had been extinguished when a man called Love scored in his own net.
The League one team were about to get going, however, and the fightback was sparked by Scotland striker Cummings, who came off the bench on the hour and scored twice in 10 minutes.
His first was a penalty awarded by referee Simon Hooper and disputed by Liverpool, who thought any offence by teenager Yasser Larouci on Josh Laurent had originated outside the penalty area.
Hooper did not make his decision immediately, but looked across to his assistant with the flag — there was no VAR in play — and then pointed to the spot.
Cummings tucked the penalty away and was still bubbling when he seized on a flick, turned past Dejan Lovren and slammed an equaliser past Adrian. Klopp must have seen the collapse on its way. At 2-1, with his young team wobbling, he sent on
Alex oxlade-Chamberlain. At 2-2 he sent on Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino in the hope of finding a late winner. There were chances at both ends in a breathless closing few minutes and Shrewsbury came as close as their visitors to winning it. Cummings thought he might have completed a hat-trick, leaping at the far post as a corner was flicked on. His header flashed over and a flag went up for offside, so it might not have stood. Max o’Leary made a terrific late save to deny Divock origi and Shrewsbury survived. Seven of their last
nine FA Cup ties have required replays and, here, they deserved their draw against a team 59 places better off in the english pyramid.
They were bold and courageous and all those things long since associated with upsets.
Of course, it might have been different against Liverpool’s strongest team but Klopp’s cup kids have been on a serious learning curve this season with an epic Carabao Cup win against Arsenal and another in the FA Cup against everton.
And they opened with confidence when Curtis Jones, scorer of the winning goal against everton in the previous round, found the target again. Fifteen minutes had gone when Pedro Chirivella split the Shrewsbury defence with a pass from midfield and Jones advanced to produce a clinical finish, sliding the ball past keeper O’Leary.
Jones, who will be 19 on Thursday, went close to a second when he fired another fierce effort narrowly wide before the home team showed they were not about to roll over and created a wonderful chance to level.
Ollie Norburn won the ball and released Shaun Whalley, who was too quick for Liverpool’s centre halves. Whalley sprinted clear but Adrian closed down the angles and made a block with a boot.
The boisterous home crowd were encouraged by this glimpse of promise and Shrewsbury pressed on despite losing captain Norburn to injury before half-time.
Liverpool’s new recruit Takumi Minamino fired over before another chance came to Whalley, who dashed clear again, this time on to a pass from Callum Lang but was unable to finish, dragging it across goal and wide.
Another opening fell to Aaron Pierre before the interval when
Liverpool failed to clear a corner. Centre half Pierre took the ball down on his chest and went for a volley on the turn but failed to connect cleanly and Adrian saved easily.
Shrewsbury manager Sam Ricketts can be proud of the reaction as his players engaged in midfield and took risks on the ball. Although half-time bombast would have been soon punctured as they gifted Liverpool another goal within 28 seconds of the restart.
Liverpool right back Neco Williams delivered a cross from the right which was drifting to nobody in particular when wing- back Donald Love tried to tidy it away for a corner at the far post.
Love was under no pressure but made a horrible misjudgment and simply toe-ended the ball into his own goal from six yards.
In a sorry way it seemed as though it might make an appropriate end to a day when Manchester City and Manchester United proved the power of the Premier League but Shrewsbury, it turned out, were only just getting started.
Salop breathed and Liverpool stumbled.