Hickson lays on 2 for Melia

Two goals by Melia, Liverpool's inside-left, both made by tearaway Dave Hickson, gave Liverpool the points but they must be counted among the day's luckiest winners.

The Rovers produced their best form for a long time, but they could not get the ball past a defence well marshalled by centre-half White, and with left-back Moran outstanding.

The Rovers, with three quarters of the game in their favour, pressed relentlessly, but Moran kicked three shots off the line which would otherwise have been in the net, and goalkeeper Slater made half a dozen great saves.

Hickson out-jumped the defence to give Melia the chance to put Liverpool ahead in nine minutes, but the second goal did not come until five minutes from the end, when a Liverpool raid found half the Bristol defence caught downfield.

Hickson raced away down the left and Melia had only to side-foot the ball home. The Rovers wing halves Sykes and Mabbutt kept their forwards supplied with a stream of good passes but swift, sure tackling by the Liverpool full-backs broke up most of their attacks.

Even so, Rovers had what appeared to be two good claims for a goal disallowed by the referee. Both came from shots from left winger Hopper. The first appeared to have crossed the line before the diving Slater pushed it out.

The second, a few minutes from the end, was breasted out by Molyneux but he, too, appeared to be over the line.

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