FROM THE BOLTON EVENING NEWS Thursday, January 14, 1993

Gordon Sharrock’s verdict

Liverpool 0 Wanderers 2

A COMPREHENSIVE victory gave Wanderers – heroes to a man – one of the greatest nights in their history, humbling the mighty Reds to set up a fourth round FA Cup tie at Wolves.

BEN-HB AWARDS

* KEITH BRANAGAN 10

* PHIL BROWN 10

* DAVID BURKE 10

* DAVID LEE 10

* MARK SEAGRAVES 10

* MARK WINSTANLEY 10

* SCOTT GREEN 10

* TONY KELLY 10

* ANDY WALKER 10

* JOHN McGINLAY 10

* MARK PATTERSON 10

Subs David Reeves and Alan Stubbs.

LIVERPOOL: Hooper, Marsh, Jones, Stewart, Pichnik, Bjornebye, Walters, Redknapp, Rosenthal, Barnes, Thomas. Subs Hutchison (for Thomas 53 mins) and Fowler.

Attendance: 34,700

 

MATCH REPORT

by Gordon Sharrock

Anfield salutes Bolton

 

THE date will be forever red in the Bolton Wanderers Calendar.

It will go down in history as the night 8,500 Bolton fans, a magnanimous beaten manager and the famous Kop saluted each and every one of Bruce Rioch’s heroes.

Bolton Wanderers, the club that in days long gone revelled in FA Cup glory, became true giant-killers for the first time last night.

Every player outstanding in his own right, they outplayed the proud holders, who knew they’d survived a fright at Burnden in the first game but didn’t for one minute think they’d be so humiliated in the replay.

Yet Wanderers were in charge from start to finish, even before John McGinlay headed them in front so spectacularly in the third minute. When Andy Walker headed the second 11 minutes from time it merely confirmed their overwhelming dominance of an amazing cup tie.

They controlled the game, played the better football and quite ruthlessly embarrassed the most successful club side of modern times.

This was no fluke. There were no hard luck stories for Graeme Souness to relate as he reflected on the effective end of Liverpool’s season – in mid January would you believe!

No Anfield manager has been in that position for more than 30 years.

True, Liverpool are not the side they were – even before being ravaged by injuries. Nevertheless they were still able to field seven internationals.

Take nothing away from Wanderers. Last night they damaged the bedrock of Merseyside football. They might even have signalled the end of an era – although not a single Bolton player would delight in that.

What they will delight in is a richly deserved win – one of the most remarkable victories in their history, which includes four tremendous FA Cup triumphs.

They tried to milk the occasion for all it was worth but the celebrations in front of their vast army of ecstatic supporters were all too brief. Each Bolton player would have embraced every fan, if time had permitted.

The scenes were fantastic.

Those who saw it witnessed a famous victory, the biggest upset of the season. But, to those who have seen this revitalised Bolton side set standards higher than anything seen in more than a decade, the performance was no real shock.

Maybe others will now start to wonder why David Lee didn’t make it at Southampton. We all continue to be puzzled by Liam Brady’s opinion that Andy Walker was surplus to requirements at Celtic.

What people might now start acknowledging is that Wanderers can be a force in the game.

But that is for the days to come. The night that mattered saw Lee, in breath-takingly menacing mood, set up one of the most comprehensive demolition jobs ever effected on a Liverpool side.

He left Mike Marsh for dead before delivering the perfect early cross for McGinlay to head home at the back post to give Wanderers a dream start.

They’d had a similar early tonic, also from mcGinlay, in the first game. But the difference was that this time they weren’t going to waste it.

They had their scares. Keith Branagan came to the rescue when Ronnie Rosenthal got the better of Mark Winstanley. then Winstanley atoned for that clumsiness and his own goal in the dramatic second half of the Burnden game with three magnificent saving tackles, first on Rosenthal then twice on Mark Walters.

Mark Seagraves got away with a dangerous back-header when Rosenthal shot wide and David Burke survived strong appeals for a penalty when he bundled Walters off the ball.

All the time Lee was causing mayhem at the other end, bamboozling the Liverpool defence with a remarkable display. One run took him from inside his own half, past three defenders and into the penalty area, where his final shot was deflected off target by Jamie Redknapp’s last ditch tackle.

In fact had his finishing been better, he might have had a hat-trick.

But wasn’t that the story of the first game?

Strangely, the 1-0 half-time lead at Anfield didn’t seem as precarious as the 2-0 lead at Burnden. Such was Wanderers control of the proceedings. The back four magnificent, midfield over-running the Liverpool quartet and the strikers always menacing.

The confidence was not misplaced.

Wanderers never looked like surrendering what they had worked so hard to achieve.

Branagan had to save well from Redknapp and the switch of full-backs (Rob Jones giving Marsh a break from the awesome tack of marking Lee) kept things quiet for a while. But it said everything about Wanderers dominance when the bewildered Kop began to pleads “Attack, Attack!”

There were even signs that Wanderers, who knocked the ball around confidently throughout, were actually taking the Mickey with some sweet, sweeping, even arrogant passing play!

When John Barnes, almost as anonymous as in the first game, headed Marsh’s corner into the side-netting, it was a reminder of the vulnerability of a one goal lead. But the doubts lasted only until McGinlay skipped past Stig Bjornebye and supplied another early cross for Walker to head his 18th goal of the season.

The contest was over and suddenly the penny dropped that Wanderers have a fourth round date at Molineux on January 24.

 

 

BACK PAGE LEAD

Kop That!

Rioch’s raiders night of glory

by Gordon Sharrock

BOLTON Wanderers rapped out a message to their league and cup rivals today.

“If we can win at anfield we can win anywhere!” said John McGinlay, one of the heroes of the most amazing nights in the club’s history. “And I’m not being over-confident saying that.”

Wanderers will take on First Division Wolves in the fourth round at Molineux on Sunday, January 24, brimming with confidence after pulling off one of the greatest cup shocks of modern times.

Their cup odds were immediately slashed from 500-1 to 125-1 after their demolition job on a Liverpool side that was subjected to a damning post-match indictment from shamed manager Graeme Souness.

The angry Reds boss admitted: “We were outplayed and outfought by the better team. They deserved to win. They were better than us in all departments.

“This club’s history is based on and steeped in passion. The vast majority of my players tonight played as if they have never been told what passion and Liverpool Football Club is all about.”

Wanderers win has robbed Wolves of a £96,000 windfall from live TV coverage. the BBC will now show only highlights of the all-ticket tie, which will be a guaranteed sell-out and will kick off at 2pm.

Tickets will be in short supply with Molineux, currently undergoing a £10 million development, holding just over 19,000. Wolves have already sold most of their tickets, which went on sale on Monday while Wanderers will receive an allocation of just 2,400 – all standing.

Andy Walker, who headed the second goal 11 minutes from time, said in a BBC Radio Five interview this morning: “It was a big surprise that we played so well – but we realised before the game that Liverpool aren’t the side that they were.

“We played some great football. We produced so many good performances on the night – and the backing we received from our supporters was quite incredible.”

Asked how he had celebrated the victory, Walker added: “I had a couple of belters – but the kids needed their Weetabix this morning, so there was no chance of a lie in. They bring you right back down to earth and I was up at 7am.”

 

 

INSIDE PAGE STORY

 

Rioch sings Lee’s praises

 

BRUCE Rioch paid tribute to Wanderers wonder winger David Lee for paving the way to last night’s amazing FA Cup triumph.

Lee’s outstanding first half performance put Wanderers on their way to a well-deserved, if surprising, 2-0 victory over the holders Liverpool in a thrilling third round replay.

Less than a month ago the Wanderers boss persuaded his Burnden directors to stump up £200,000 for the first instalment of Lee’s £300,000 transfer from Southampton – cash they have almost recoupled already.

Lee, who was quiet in the 2-2 draw at Burnden 10 days earlier, set Anfield alight with his first half performance, prompting Rioch to rave: “He made it happen for us early in the game.

“That motivates and stimulates players and supporters. When you get yourselves ahead the extra adrenalin keeps you going.”

John McGinlay and Andy Walker cash in on weaknesses in the Liverpool defence and recalled: “I said after the first game that if we got chances we had goalscorers who could take them. Both goals were good, goalscorers goals.”

Delighted with the triumph, however, the Wanderers boss turned his thoughts to Liverpool, praising the Kop for the ovation they gave his team at the end and paying tribute to the Anfield club. “They have been the most successful club, domestically, for 25 years. They have given us all so many great memories.

“This club has a magnetism about it that is special. They are having a difficult time at the moment and they will need as much support as they have ever had.”

Then Rioch turned his thoughts to his own players and their fans, acknowledging: “They have played their hearts out and they have played well.

“This will be a memorable night for my players and for the fans.”

McGinlay, whose third minute goal put Wanderers on their merry way, only got the go-ahead to play after passing a morning fitness test on a thigh injury and even then feared he might not be fit enough to start the game.

“I was close to not making it,” he revealed.

“There was a little bit of doubt in my mind. I was, maybe, a wee bit selfish in playing but I wasn’t going to miss the game if I could help it.”

The Scots striker sympathised with Liverpool and said he spoke for all the Bolton players in hoping they quickly regained their place at the top of the domestic tree.

“For us it’s been a great night, for them it’s been a sad one. I hope they pull through because football isn’t the same without a good Liverpool side.”

But he refused to accept that Liverpool’s injury problems devalued Wanderers win. “Don’t take anything away from our performance. They were missing a few players but they still had a good side out.”