CITY 2 LIVERPOOL 2
League Division 1
26th April 1971
attendance 17,975
scorers
City Ross(32 og), Carter(80 pen),
Liverpool Graham(30 & 34)
Ref Pat Partridge
City Healey, Towers, Donachie, White, Booth, Heslop, Carrodus, Johnson, Bowyer, Mann, Carter – sub Mellor(10)
Liverpool Lawrence, Fagan, R Evans, Ross, Yeats, McLaughlin, Arnold, A Evans, Graham, Whitham, Boersma – sub Thompson(unused)
AN ICONIC PHOTOGRAPH OF JOE MERCER AND BILL SHANKLY IN THE CORRIDORS OF MAINE ROAD
FROM THE PRESS BOX
CHRIS JAMES WRITING IN THE LIVERPOOL ECHO 27TH APRIL 1971
…City, like Liverpool, threw what was virtually their reserve team into last night’s match. Of the 12 players stripped for the match nine were teenagers, the only exceptions were Tommy Booth, George Heslop and Arthur Mann.
Only Yeats of the Liverpool side that played against Nottingham Forest turned out, and Liverpool should have won last night as they did twice against City reserves in the Central League this season.
In the end Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw by the gallant youngsters from Maine Road.
Yet Liverpool should have had at least five goals in the first half. Graham, admittedly scored two. but Evans missed one and failed to provide the chances when unmarked colleagues were screaming for the ball in front of an open goal; a Ron Yeats header hit the bar, and Jack Whitham had the misfortune to see a neat back-heel ripple the netting on the wrong side of the post.
Liverpool, with Ross and Yeats completely subduing any threat from the City attack, and the thoughtful McLaughlin, the skilful Graham and the strong Arnold making sure of midfield command, should have been well ahead at the interval.
But they failed to cash in on City’s vulnerability in the air and, against a 1o man team in the second half, failed to even consolidate their position.
It was a golden opportunity for Liverpool to move up into third place in the League.
… City whose cup of woe is full enough with injuries this season had the misfortune to lose Tommy Booth after only 10 minutes with fluid on the knee and Howard White at half time with a broken bone in his ankle.
But fortune smiled on them with 10 minutes left were awarded a penalty … Carrodus chased a through pass, but as he entered the penalty area seemed to lose control. He was caught by Ross who got his foot to the ball to turn it back to the advancing Lawrence.
Carrodus ran on, fell over Lawrence;s grounded body and referee Pat Partridge, almost unbelievably pointed to the spot for Carter to score comfortably.
The near-farcical occasion had become almost more so in the four minutes between the 30th and 34th minutes, as the score switched from 0-0 to 2-1 for Liverpool.
Graham opened the scoring with a neat flick, after a good looking left wing move between McLaughlin, Roy Evans and Alun Evans, but two minutes later City were level with an own goal from Ian Ross.
Mellor rose at the far post to nod down a left wing centre and Ross trying to head the ball for a corner turned it into his own net.
Straight from the restart, Liverpool were ahead again as Graham rose to Roy Evans’ free kick to send a back header lobbing over Healey.