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Wark sees Liverpool comfortably through

Wark sees Liverpool comfortably through

by Clive White of "The Times"

 

Liverpool went through comfortably to the second round of the European Cup last night, with three goals by John Wark, the last of them scored four minutes from time.

 

Two goals in the first 18 minutes by Wark, that feared European marksman, put the Liverpool pessimists quickly back in their place. It was yet another example of the cold finishing which once gained Wark 14 goals for Ipswich Town in their victorious UEFA Cup run. Now he promises to do the same for Liverpool, having opened his account in Poland.

 

Joe Fagan, the Liverpool manager, had decided against the risky business of disturbing the defence against such capable opposition, particularly as it would have involved shifting their most dependable defender, Lawrenson, into midfield. But Robinson was promoted to give the attack more weight, at the expense of Nicol.

 

In a sixth-minute incident Robinson embodied both his virtues and sins; when failing to control a simple ball he resolutely regained possession and then smashed a shot narrowly wide.

 

It was just one of several attempts by Liverpool in the opening half as they sized up the opposition. Whelan twice and Dalglish had softened up the Polish defence before Wark punctured it in the thirteenth minute. Lee volleyed across from Lawrenson into Wark's path and he strode sturdily forward in that stiff-limbed way of his to slot his shot home.

 

Five minutes later a short corner was nodded on by Robinson at the near post and Wark stepped forward with neat timing to score his twenty-first goal in 27 European ties with a close range header.

 

Lech attacked fitfully and invariably only troubled Grobbelaar on the nreak. There was a wry smile across the extrovert's face early on when Niewiadomski burst through in an offside position and Grobbelaar, racing out of goal, harmlessly miskicked his clearance.

 

Any lingering memories of his catastrophic failure to clear in similar circumstances on Saturday were booted away into the cold night air with a thumping clearance into the face of Okonski. It drew one of the biggest cheers of the night, which two minutes later reverberated again around the ground when Walsh volleyed a cross by Neal through the goalkeeper's legs.

 

Copyright - The Times

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