1978-79 Liverpool v WBA

Today's foreign pitch is reflected both in The Terraces and on the pitch, with a capacity of around 52,000 with the gate closed shortly after two and the lucky ones inside are aware that for Liverpool this is the toughest test of the season when it comes to the first division championship, thanks to the team there, Liverpool choosing the 12 players who beat Blackburn in the FA Cup in midweek. Phil Thompson is in reserve after his knee injury and is just one of eight Liverpool players. the other seven are in that title and have been selected by England and Scotland for next week's internationals.

The foreigner also has his followers here. They're on Anfield Road, at the opposite end of the police force, of course, and on the Albion News, well, them. We have three players picked for England next week, Laurie Cunningham in the full England squad, number 11 and two in the under-21 group, Derek Stadium, number three, and Brian Robson, number seven, and because that team He is playing very well in a Run Dayton through 19 games. The replacement remains David Mills despite his half a million pound price tag. Bob Paisley's concerns about the field have eased with today's better weather, although it is going to be more difficult on the far side than the near side, but all the players wear cleats.

Of them, referee Keith Butcher did a morning inspection before deciding the match could go ahead and how good is it now, after all the fractured fixture lists, we have had to see Liverpool in red and Albion in the stripes returning to Serious Business. in the first division championship Tony Gordon, the Albion goalkeeper with a lot to prove, today made a disastrous mistake in the game at the Hawthorns against Liverpool earlier in the season when Dalglish scored Alan Hanson Alistair Brown is on the ball now Cunningham is to his left tackling back by Jimmy case Phil Neal completed the clearance McDermott case and again McDermott oh good play by Liverpool case that was a good combination between the two on the right side it was Emilyn Hughes Regis free kick against Liverpool playing with Joe Gleason Faircloth striker and the others Coming from midfield, here is Neil Albion, very anxious as his current form has improved his confidence week on week.

Tony Brown, a little ambitious. Alan Kennedy, cut it very well away from Robertson. Oh and a good save from Gordon, he has restored the balance now with delglish. but it's still Liverpool with exciting football, there Douglas let loose and Gordon was up to the task, so Grace looked very intelligent in the first minutes. Laurie Cunningham has so much natural ability. The case returns now is Statham Watson football. Batson addresses the kind of tight start to the Test we have. might have expected Regis to be Neil's header and now it's Sunes McDermott is in his right case just inside us again McDermott Neal has progressed well in this attack this is fair Club Ray Kennedy Liverpool examining Albion and now it's Algin's turn of examining Liverpool with Cunningham oh and Neil has slipped and Cunningham is away here, oh and Clements for a moment I thought I had lost him, an awkward serve and Cunningham's cross gave Clements a little trouble.

Ray Kennedy as soon as Alan Kennedy McDermott, far forward in the center, ended up godless and untouched. it's from Alan Kennedy Rory Cunningham who came out from Alan Kennedy go kick hello a damage anyway Robertson is now Statham Albion well aware that Liverpool have only allowed two goals at anfield this season in the league, one was scored by Leeds and the other by Queen's Park In fact Rangers Lee are the only team to have taken a point at Anfield against Liverpool this season, as soon as McDermott is here Douglas Albion's bodies are everywhere in the goal and Liverpool I note.

McDermott made it possible, but in one of his family careers he found space. Inside the area the ball moved back and Joe Gleesh scores his first goal in the League since October 21 and he does it appropriately in the 21st minute, well done by McDermott and Anfield sings to foreigners, he makes the first breakthrough and now the test is very big. Albion's character, meanwhile, in the Anfield Road finale, someone's little fire, Tony Brown, tracks down McDermott and will have to do that. Neil is next to Brown, again it's Alistair Brown, who is Robertson, very well played by him to stop them.

Tony Brown begins another career. but the ball didn't go that far, now another run just in front of him and again the ball didn't come and Liverpool had a break on Faircloth that I'll miss to the right of him and Alan Kennedy to his left number four and a bounced favour. Liverpool and Fair Cloth miss what would be number two, they are doing their sums wrong in their own 18 yard area, clearing against their own man there Alan Kennedy headed the ball in and Fair Club well by Liverpool standards, that is a disgrace Brian Robson in midfield is from Liverpool but it was a free kick Kennedy hit the referee too hard during the break a police chair an applause for Liverpool who deserve their lead at the break with the only goal in the minute 21 marking a very good first half and Albion discovered that at the fortress of Anfield it is a very different job to extend their unbeaten run than at most other grounds.

Ron Atkinson, the leather-jacketed Albion manager, simply sits on the bench at the start of the second half and I imagine his chat to the team would have been quite inspired because one or two Albion players seem quite general to me in the first half, maybe that's what happens when playing Liverpool at Anfield on the big occasion when Liverpool won a record 10. championships Albion have only won one which is a foul on Brian Robson by Souness who he's been told to call him John Wall is beyond the second post coming in from a wide position with that Cunningham gets up Regis is there and Ray Kennedy walks away alone as as far as Batson is concerned, Neil is well led by Brown Alistair Brown is say Alan Kennedy the shot has been given to Albion Robertson John Wilde's right knee is bandaged at the moment oh dog leash brilliantly Fair Club just inside it actually wasn't the perfect pass for I think he thought it was going to come in front of him , not behind him, but they got a corner and Joe misses again.

He was born in Liverpool to Albion, although he is ready to make a substitution before or after the corner. Jimmy's case is coming up and Steve Highway replaced him. Tony Brown was that image there with the authorization. Look at the way Dal Glacier is handling this match. McDermott ler looks at how happy he is. Pushed towards Fairclough, quick shot in the corner. Liverpool led by two goals to zero. 52 minutes in and very, very rarely do you see Liverpool push back from this type of position. Albion's task was always difficult now, it's still close to impossible if you want. to be a championship team you have to find a way back even from positions like this Robson Regis good functioning Robson Tony Brown Hanson's appearance Immaculate at times Alan Kennedy Bear Club well now Liverpool can play the game more in their place because have got a two goal lead and they're worth it, they've been in charge almost from the start, they caught one more though Kennedy, oh look, so much space, Kennedy, what a run, oh that was brilliant and no wonder it got hold the head.

Helen Kennedy. that he is in an inspired game, he went through them all, ran 30 yards and only the shot was not quite right and that is symptomatic of the way Liverpool have played today so much confidence and inspiration, the news of Jimmy Case, by the way , who was? It was noted that he had a slight leg strain and Liverpool took the precaution of removing him and replacing him with Highway Anderson. Brian Rodson has pushed forward here and they have overcome the offside trap and Tony Brown is in, but Clements and one of The many qualities of Ray Clement, arguably the best goalkeeper in the country, coming off his line and reading when to come in and how to get out of offside.

Steve Highway has a point to prove because he was recently left off the team and he had to play the backup role. Ola on McDermott Albia are now forced to take risks because they are two down and they have a flex and they risk things, but here is Highway on the counterattack and this is where Liverpool could catch them again. Fair Club McDermott once downplayed the Here he is and after doing so he found himself offside for a slightly angry challenge firstly for a mistake by Dale on Robertson, there's Batson Cantella, oh and they're in trouble here so soon As they play with Alan Kennedy, here's Speckler and me.

She'll play, she's in the middle, so now it's Highway and Albion didn't know where they were. Highway Exploder's shot nearly broke the crossbar in two. The cop with a first class view of that. Here comes Phil Neal. Well, Albion haven't had to defend. So for many weeks they have won eight away games at West Brom in the first division, but when you get to Anfield, because you are facing both the crowd and Robertson's team, it is Tony Brown who tries to pass again and Mr Brown Cantello. cut him off, that's good water Batson, oh and Adam Kennedy, everything went well for him today, everything cantella, stay, that was exactly what Hanson intended, he may still be struggling a little with the injury, he certainly gave away a corner there , which is Albion's first in the match.

I think John Wilder came in Owen Brown Ali Brown the goalscorer and Albion are back at 2-1 Aleister Brown came in behind John Wilde scoring the header and 67 minutes later it's 2-1 now and Albion are back in the hunt for Liverpool, so just when Liverpool look completely in control, Alistair Brown gets a goal for Albion as soon as Bob Paisley knows it's by no means over. Highway Ray Kennedy and just for the last few minutes Liverpool haven't been breaking so freely and Tony Brown is Here, oh and Clement's clearance came from Tony Brown and he slipped why, well, Albion will remember that and think maybe there could have been a tie there.

Tony Brown cleared after one of those good runs from a deep position and Albion looked like although they are going to bring in David Mills, now Mills is coming in for his first top flight appearance for Albion having played for Middlesbrough before that and Cantello is the man who left, but the substitution was made before referee Eliza was satisfied that uh the player had been given permission to come on. Cantello is already out and I think David Mills was so keen to make his first appearance there that he was pushed onto the field before getting permission from the referee.

George writes to the coach and now he can continue. £500,000 in transfer money and it is his first appearance for Albion and the referee will restart the match by dropping the ball on the center line. Well, Mills has eight minutes to make a difference. There's Robertson Tony Brown again. Fire is Tony Brown never. giving up until it's lost and has been Albion's biggest threat in the second half recovery Cunningham runs and gets to the other side oh if that ball had been crossed the lead would have been lost Cunningham recognizes Alistair Brown at the far post and Albion there wasted a great opportunity to draw level with Alistair Brown with Cunningham coming down the left.

Alistair Brown was completely free at the far post, all he wanted was a cross and it would have been 2-2 and Albion would have regained the lead, but Cunningham decided to shoot and now Liverpool can win the game with two and a half minutes left Liverpool Robertson to McDermott Ray Kennedy ran through the middle, so as soon as he crossed paths with Douglich, still Douglas, he can now finish and in the end he went wide. He still got his cross early, as an Albion competed much better than in the first half, they had a break, it was over and in the end it was close.

Liverpool overtook the Albion in the top flight with that victory and it also ended Albion's great run of 19 unbeaten games Doug Leash in Faircloth for Liverpool Alistair Brown for West Bromwich Albion the scorers but the story of the game surely, but if Albion He played as well in the first hour as he did in the last 20 minutes or maybe a little more, but it could have been very different. Liverpool were in complete control until Ali Brown scored the goal and then in the end, particularly in the last 10 minutes, they might even have lost a point, but as the crowd applauded the players.

Liverpool v West Brom1 Well Ron, from Albion's point of view, a two-leg game, really yes, I think Liverpool certainly for an hour made it very, very different, very, very difficult for us to play. They closed us down very, very well in the midfield. We came back really hard and didn't really have as many opportunities as we would have liked to take advantage of in the lesser stages of the game. We started putting our game together and it looks like we might even pull it off. At the end of the day I snatched something I thought actually when Laurie Cunningham came down the left there at 2-1 and Alistair Brown was in the middleThere was a tie, wasn't it there?

Yes, possibly, obviously I would have done much better. I faced him through the goal, but you know, I think the potential situation is only 30 pucks for broken ones. You know, we would have been happy if he ever played it in the first half, especially if one or two of your guys were a little bit. overwhelmed by the occasion at Anfield, I don't think anyone was blown away because I felt like we came out for the first 10 minutes, the first 15 minutes. I was really happy with the way we calmed down, we looked, uh, we weren't. We were comfortable at the back.

We had one or two little situations where I thought we were going to affect them. It's with our forwards um, I think I'll tell you what I think happened. I think one or two of our players looked a little early and looked a little Rusty, you know, that little half yard where they would have been Snappy just didn't happen. It looks like we're pretty much there um now, if that's down to the fact that Liverpool were very, very positive and maybe we came in a little bit second. I don't know about the last one, Ron, you put David Mills on for the first time today, is that a case?

Now, to find a place in the team for him, we will have to sit down and think about it. Obviously, as you know, the team has done tremendously well and there is no way that just because of what happened today we are going to change. go overboard with anything, um, the funny thing was with David, he was about to bring it up and we scored, so we're sitting and waiting and reconsidering, oh, very good, we're very happy with one, two, one, I think it was. just a typical clash between two teams going through the league uh I think they must have enjoyed it because it seemed more like a cocktail party than a league at one point it's too null, you seem to be in charge and it must have been a bit surprising.

The way Albion got even, well, it's good to go from the corner, but then I don't think it really created any change throughout the game. Lori Cunningham hit in a direction from the left. hand side in a box, yeah, and there's a couple of scrambles, a bit of golden mouth, that Phil Neil, one of the other guys, just got a Touchback today, but I don't think they created any really clear-cut opportunities. I imagine you must have been satisfied. With your form today, well, it's more important than the team, John, than any personal performance. I'm happier, I'd be happy to win the league than anything else, but you feel like you're playing well, the team, no, you well. "The mind just chose me, so it must be happy if I keep it happy.

I'm fine. What about your form in Scotland compared to your form in Liverpool? Now people have said before that you play tremendously well for your club and You've done it". That didn't always happen for your country now, would you accept it? And if so, why does it happen? Well, they must be bad managers and if we say defend so that I can't print so badly and, in fact, I am always looking to improve. but there's no way I'm joining some scumbag for any place or anything and then they put out their own opinion on some things that they don't think they expressed much, maybe they won't come out and see it, the manager still by choosing me, I will do the best I can for the coach and I will do the best I can for my country, just like anyone else does.

That's the youngest lineup. Coventry City have had three teenagers, four 20-year-olds and, as captain, Tommy Hutchinson. Let's say it's the first time I play in the youth team. There are six changes since we last saw Coventry against Forest and seven from the beaten side and four nil from Liverpool at Anfield in September. Paul Dyson keeps his place though Jim Holton. he is now back from suspension and Ian Wallace is playing after missing the last four games and among the teenagers is Mark Hate, the son of Tony Hatley, who included both Carpenter City and Liverpool among his clubs; that is Liverpool's familiarity lineup that demands respect, in fact, unchanged for the 15th time in a row and they have already played 16 League games since they were last beaten and as a maturity comparison it is worth noting that only Alan Hansen from that lineup is under 25 years old.

It's good to see Joe Mercer looking so good. What country is polyethylene? quite a bit of central heating under the pitch has done its job it looks wonderfully green the grass is still growing in fact it was trained yesterday and on a gray afternoon we are all ready for a version of the generational game Liverpool in their usual all red attack goal on the left Jimmy case Neil on the first run off him trial start this here's Ray Kennedy first touch for Jim Blythe just taking everything off the injured man except City it's his second game in a row Bobby McDonald who made his debut for Coventry against Liverpool well that was at Anfield after sign from Aston Villa.

People keep entering the field and we are here. It's the best crowd of the season in Coventry. by Blair. Neil's lack. I'm Tom English. McDonald will find three Coventry players just inside box three. just outside eight is Wallace, seven is English. Dyson has also turned up and there's Dyson with a really good move to put them all away from Clementon in the corner and Coventry scoring almost before they get into the game if See what I mean, it was a very, very quiet opening. McDonald's free kick and Dyson's pass off Clements, the ball. Landing under the pole.

Six minutes later Coventry were ahead and that woke up the crowd well. I guess at this point it's worth remembering that Liverpool. lost the point at home last week to Southampton and when they lose a point at home it's almost a crisis, so unusual is Gillespie English, it's not a ground where Liverpool have had too much success, the bottom tier will play with a score here in the league. The game was Kevin Keegan Hanson takes it out, this thing was taken away by Thompson's deflection. Hopefully this afternoon it's Ken Salmon or Barnett in Hertfordshire. Johnson and Dyson, we, Douglas, marked by Gillespie.

Ray Kennedy. It's time to look up and try to pick a quick spot for the dog's leash. again with the corner and here it is McDermott Douglas missed it because he would have liked a little lesson there shortly for Coventry, leaving McDermott completely unmarked. Gooding's serve looked pretty hard at Gooding as he lifted McDermott Neal into the inside right position and Here's Douglas picked up by Dyson. We can time that a defender in front of him denied Darvish by clicking the ball up and over his head at the expense of a corner, the second time Dyson Thompson has been close and scored. from Johnson but a foul by Kennedy Ray Kennedy on the goalkeeper the referee placed the point perfectly Johnson, who scored twice in the match at Anfield in September, put the ball in the net, but there is no doubt the referee was right , it was a sliding foul by Ray Kennedy Gillespie tight case Ray Kennedy stepped up here number five at the bottom of the picture, we just got a glimpse of his roost by English clicked on Neil who then held him up well in the challenge, damn and McDonalds, what happened? offside had gone offside good turn by Tom English which is far behind Hutchinson just behind move number 11.

Coop approaches to help square Hutchinson and here is Hatley and here is English no, it's not going to count , he's not going to count the flag on the other side but outside he got behind Phil Thompson when the ball came from Hutchison he was greeted by a hate play for a moment then Carpenter said he was in Dreamland here's Neil and here's Johnson again didn't get the power but called The goalkeeper fights Gooding and English are fine this time he has 80 to his left, beautiful footwork from Hanson here is McDonald's and again McDonald looks for Wallace in the middle Hanson again on the way Blair and the great kick against Case Coventry that ends the half very high.

The referee disallowed a goal from Tom English, as in the first case, rightly so. I think Hanson. I guess we should write that down, in addition to the goal. I know that the goalkeeper has been called upon to make a save in this first half. referee. position that requires Haitley to get to the edge of the sectional area, which he does but at half-time on the wrong end of a one-nil goal Paul Dyson is there in the beard on the left as we watch or remember because it's the first of his senior career Mark Hadley starts the second half and for the second week running Liverpool's second half starter, an away gold last week went to Southampton and Phil Boyer and this week it's Coventry and Paul Dyson Ray Kennedy Hanson is McDermott here's douglich and we I went from Johnson English again and changed it well, that's a great ball from Gooding to Wallace Kennedy with a good tackle, that's a really good corner pass from Ray Gooding that put Wallace away and Alan Kennedy came in to make a perfectly fair and very important Tackle and property in the corner six out for Coventry and it was Gillespie on the line by Terry McDermott his plan transfer a break here for Liverpool and Dyson, the cover man really looks like an artist very solid this 20 year old six.

Foot two comes from Birmingham. A large crowd encouraged by this novelty considering the possibility of a second goal. I still think Coventry will need a McDonalds Gooding. Oh how nice. The Englishman was the man in the middle. Oh, surprisingly, Haley couldn't put in the finishing touch. but what a beautiful free kick Gooding was the player that all the Englishmen running around were the man in Gooding's center half and hate Lee just couldn't get his foot to make the final touch at the far post but Applause all around Highfield Road for a Un little football, here's Josh Neil Thompson, oh dear, oh dear, some members of the public ask: how does it feel to be outplayed?

That's cheap and it's turned red, but I have to say it's been a long time since I've seen Liverpool so lethargic it's not. a word one would normally be a million miles away from them, but it applies this afternoon and hating me could have put them two short of McDonald's. Can you make it pay well? He couldn't and part of the credit for that goes to Ray Clements, let's hate it. Ray Clements, who looked clear, came roaring out of his goal and it was enough to disguise the goal from the number nine, who shot wide. The task candidate behind McDermott hasn't been delivering as well as ever. he made the runs but he wasn't given the ball properly and Thompsonis Kennedy came out of it very well prepared for Alan Kennedy.

That's a Tommy Hutchison corner who was covering the callbacks and blindside issues and this time it's Ray Kennedy who just couldn't. He receives the touch at the far post, the ball leaves Hanson at the near post and crosses the goal, he lives without being in a position to cross it, but Ray Kennedy cannot supply the final Englishman with force and he moves away from Thompson , but the whistle did not satisfy the referee. verdict my blow also only the nine hate me the possibility of escaping Steve Highway, as I suggested before, he is going to appear and case has made his last move in the match Steve Highway, by the way, he is still looking for his 50th goal lead, has been on 49 for It's been a long time, Blair still handles striker Coventry Gooding and Hutchison hang for offside, but I have to say that Alan Kennedy seemed to have played while on the free kick.

He was given a fairly tight free kick which Wallace English cleared away from the great foreign politician Kennedy. he didn't take it well, Gooding, did Hutchinson become as good as he did? Still in this call, Far Side Blairs made a promising run number 10. I didn't hit the wood with Clements beaten to the wine, a really good play. Andy Blair crossed Hutcheson and saw him in a great effort, he hit the high post with Clements beaten, all finish so a teenager is replaced for 120 euros. Yes, the statistics for the afternoon, 31,578 spectators. The best of the season, Harry Thompson wins.

Phil Johnson again and here's Wallace Hanson and now we're playing what time does the referee add for injuries and Savages and the pass of an effort from Ray Clements looks likely to be decisive and the crowd cheers a win for the boys after six . minutes of commentary that deserve applause, they have managed to keep Liverpool from being at their best, but Coventry really had opportunities to win the game comfortably, they hold on and deserve the two points. Dyson receives the pets on his back as he leaves and I guess. one could simply say that a man with a beard has done something to please another man with a beard.