Kelly silenced the Kop by ‘nutmegging’ Grobbelaar
In an article first published in 2010, ANTHONY MUNDAY recalls the night Stoke bagged a memorable draw at Liverpool
IT WAS described by many as ‘mission impossible’ when Stoke came out of the hat against mighty Liverpool, but Lou Macari’s men gave them a hell of a scare before bowing out 5-4 on aggregate.
The first leg was particularly memorable for Potters’ fans, with more than 9,000 of them in party atmosphere as they travelled to Merseyside on an unusually mild September night.
Macari’s side didn’t disappoint as they played without fear and came from behind twice, on both occasions to goals from the great Ian Rush.
Rush’s first was a typical flashing header as he met a whipped in cross from full-back David Burrows in the 16th minute.
But Stoke refused to buckle and Ian Cranson netted a 28th-minute equaliser in front of the Kop, burying a header into the roof of Grobbelaar’s net from a corner by Ian Scott.
Liverpool turned up the heat in the second half, but Stoke’s sweeper system held firm until Rush swooped with another predatory strike 19 minutes from time.
A 2-1 deficit would have been a decent result to take back home for the second leg, but substitute Tony Kelly made it even better.
Liverpool were pressing for a third on 88 minutes when Lee Fowler lobbed a long ball forward and Kelly, seizing on a mistake by Gary Ablett, nipped in to poke the ball through Grobbelaar’s legs.
Two goals by Wayne Biggins meant Stoke pushed the Reds all the way in the return leg at the Victoria Ground, but Graeme Souness’ team were never behind in the match and scored three times themselves.
Liverpool, who beat Port Vale after a replay in the next round, bowed out with a shock reverse at Peterborough in round four.
However, Souness’ team had the consolation of beating Sunderland in the FA Cup final that season and they finished sixth in the First Division.
Stoke’s consolation was that a new era, under Macari’s stewardship, was now underway. His team won the Autoglass Trophy final at Wembley that season and then promotion as Third Division champions a year later.
Lee Ravensdale, a training and recruitment co-ordinator at Stoke College, remembers the game as a major sign of the club’s resurgence.
The 39-year-old, who lives at May Bank, says: “It was Lou’s first season in the hot seat after Stoke’s fall from grace had been both rapid and spectacular.
“We had been in the doldrums, but Lou soon set about restoring some pride.
“It was a shame Mark Stein couldn’t play in the Liverpool tie because he was cup-tied after signing from Oxford. Who knows what difference he might have made.
“I remember Stoke taking the field in our change kit of yellow shirts with a black sash, and the feeling among a huge travelling contingent was of excitement and anticipation.
“The volume of noise from the Stoke fans, who must have made up nearly half the crowd, was something really special. We had been starved of occasions like this and we were determined to enjoy every second.
“Liverpool started the better of the two teams, but Stoke certainly weren’t overawed and refused to panic after Rush scored the first goal.
“We didn’t give them any time to settle on the ball and I particularly remember how well Carl Beeston, Mick Kennedy and Ian Scott were coping against a very strong Liverpool midfield.
“Stoke started to exert some pressure and Ian Cranson’s goal was a stunner. He rose majestically to power in his header and the away section just exploded into scenes of wild celebration.
“We were playing so well that
Liverpool became frustrated in the second half. We kept them at arms length until Rush scored his second, which felt like a crushing blow.
“But Lou kept waving his troops forward in the hope of an equaliser and Tony Kelly came up trumps.
“Ablett should have cleared the ball, but he made a complete mess of it and Kelly darted in from nowhere and sprinted towards goal.
“Grobbelaar came off his line to narrow the angle, but Kelly nutmegged him and the ball rolled into the net. It was just fantastic. The goal sparked pandemonium among the Stokies with one of the all-time great mentals, which seemed to go on for minutes.”
Ian Cranson, left, says: “It was a big draw for the club and always a great experience to play at Liverpool. This was extra special because we had nearly 9,000 fans there.
“It was a typical performance from a Lou Macari side. We set ourselves up to be hard to beat and worked exceptionally hard for the result.
“We played three centre-halves, with Vince Overson and Lee Sandford marking and myself as sweeper. I know Rushie scored twice, but we managed to frustrate Liverpool for a lot of the time.
“My goal was one of the most memorable I ever scored. Ian Scott floated in the corner and I just reacted a bit quicker than my marker Steve Nicol. I got a good clean contact with my header and the ball flew in over Bruce Grobbelaar’s head.
“Somebody taped the goal off the television and put it on Youtube. The lads at the Sixth Form College, where I do some coaching, don’t half rib me about it.
“Tony Kelly’s second equaliser ended a great night and all the lads were buzzing in the dressing room afterwards.
“We didn’t get back to Stoke until the early hours but, typical of Lou, we trained the next day. We had drawn at Liverpool and were all knackered and he didn’t give us a day off. That was Lou’s way of keeping our feet on the floor.
“I also played at Anfield for Ipswich and got a 2-2 draw in one of my first games for the first team as a 19-yearold. But on another occasion we got thrashed 5-0 to show just how special it is to get a result at a place like that.”
The manager Lou Macari says: “When we conceded an early goal I wondered if we might buckle and get a hiding, but the players responded superbly.
“Not many teams go to Anfield, concede an early goal and then fight back to draw 2-2.
“I must admit, with a handful of minutes to go I would have taken a 2-1 defeat, so to equalise for a second time made it a great result.”
Liverpool: Grobbelaar, Ablett, Burrows, Nicol, Marsh, Tanner, Saunders (Rosenthal 65), Mcmanaman, Rush, Walters, Mcmahon. Substitute not used: Harkness.
Stoke: Fox, Butler, Sandford, Scott, Overson, Kennedy, Cranson, Beeston, Ellis (Kelly 77), Biggins, Fowler. Substitute not used: Blake.
Attendance: 18,389.