Manchester City v Liverpool FA Cup 6th Round 1987/88

CITY 0 LIVERPOOL 4

FA Cup 6th Round

13th March 1988

attendance 44,047

Scorers Houghton(33), Beardsley(52 pen), Johnston(77), Barnes(85)

Ref A Gunn

City Stowell, Gidman, Hinchcliffe, Lake, I Brightwell, Redmond, White, Stewart, Varadi, McNab, Simpson – subs Scott(unused), Seagraves(unused)

Liverpool Grobbelaar, Gillespie, Ablett, Nicol, Spackman, Hansen, Beardsley, Johnston, Houghton, Barnes, McMahon – Watson(unused), Molby(unused)

FROM JIMMY FRIZZELL’S COLUMN IN THE CITY PROGRAMME 19TH MARCH 1988
At the end of the day we had to admit that the better team won Sunday’s F.A. Cup quarter final at Maine Road. But when two important decisions go against you and you find yourselves two goals down against the best club side in the world, it’s like trying to climb Mount Everest without oxygen!
We had the toughest draw of all the sixth-round games and it became even tougher. I have seen the video of Sunday’s game and I still believe the referee might have given handball against John Barnes before Liverpool scored their first goal. And I still believe Paul Lake’s tackle on Craig Johnston was a good one and that we shouldn’t have had a penalty given against us.

Referees have to make decisions and we have to accept them. But it’s very difficult at times to swallow your disappointment. However, although I made my disappointment obvious to the officials after the game, I was not booked, as reported in some
newspapers. Nor was there any reason for there to be.
Liverpool are a great side. And it’s easy to say we were thrashed because of a final scoreline of 4-0. But our players came out of the game with tremendous credit. For the young players it was an experience that should stand .them in good stead for a long time. And there is no need for them to hang their heads.
They did the club proud with their efforts. For an awful lot of the game I felt we matched Liverpool not only in enthusiasm but also in ability. If you look at the whole ninety minutes, really only Bruce Grobbelaar was called upon to make any saves. We had chances
that, on another day, we might have put in the back of the net.

And when you consider how experienced Liverpool are and how well we played, plenty of good came out of the game from our point of view. I feel that had we given that performance against any of the other teams playing in the sixth round, we could have been looking forward to a semi-final appearance ourselves.
Instead, Liverpool go on to meet Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough and, on their current form, I can’t see them doing anything other than lifting the FA. Cup at Wembley on May 14th.
We got off to a tremendous start and were doing so well and playing with increasing confidence when Liverpool, typically, produced a goal out of nothing. We were matching them, taking the game to them and responding to magnificent support from the stands and terraces.
Then came the first debatable incident when I felt John Barnes used his arm to control the ball. The referee didn’t think so, Barnes made a great run to the line and Ray Houghton provided the perfect finish.
Even after that unlucky break, I felt we were in with a shout at the start of the second half. The confidence was still there. And the determination. Unfortunately, another decision went against us when Liverpool were awarded a penalty. I accept that Paul Lake did have a hand on ]ohnston’s back but he played the ball and it was the tackle that sent the Liverpool player sprawling
It was too much to hope that we could come back from two goals down and all credit to Liverpool for the professional way they finished the job. But there’s no disgrace losing to a team of their calibre…