Melia's goal - centre or shot?

Liverpool folk know a footballer when they see one, but I never thought I should see the day when the Kop gave out more polite applause than whacking great roars.

It was evident that they enjoyed centre-half back play as Charlie Hurley, of Sunderland, plays it. This man who strokes the ball as if he loves rather than hates it, who never needs to hurry.

Even when Charlie knocked Davy Hickson so hard he bounced twice, they chided him only momentarily.

Davy, also in fine form, escaped from Charlie only twice, but he scored from about ten yards out with an astonishing header. You couldn't blame Hurley for that. It was only a one-eighth chance.

Hurley and Liverpool's Jimmy Melia, who was one item Sunderland had not - a complete inside forward, a starter and yet a finisher of attacks.

Jimmy just failed with one big dipper. Peter Wakeham scooped it from under the bar. He scooped Jimmy's next big dipper, too, but landed in the net with it.

Roger Hunt scored the other, but Roger looked a bit stale, which is not surprising after a wonderful season for a young man whose number is scarcely dry yet.

He is one of a potentially very smart forward line; a line that will take Liverpool where they should be - in Division One.

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