Salmon's leaps not enough to escape wiles of Liverpool

by Leslie Duxbury of "The Times"

Defiant Stockport County survived all the power, talents and wiles of Liverpool before succumbing in extra-time in this enormously entertaining second round, second leg Milk Cup tie. The fourth division side took so much punishment there was a danger of the match being stopped on medical grounds. Yet they refused to capitulate and, with a modicum of luck, might have achieved a famous victory themselves.

Liverpool endured all the frustrations that have dogged them so relentlessly this season. They monopolised the attacking play, though without actually creating all that many clear-cut chances, and when they were on target the Stockport goalkeeper, Salmon, was improbably acrobatic and brave.

A tigerish start by Stockport, who had drawn the first leg 0-0, was presumably intended to disabuse Liverpool, who had dropped the out-of-form Lee, of the notion that the home side would be the natural masters.

Lawrenson, normally a model of sound judgement, was obliged to make two kicks so wildly inappropriate that the Kop's collective intake of breath all but made the stadium vacuum. Stockport's ploy was to put their heads down and advance and, for some 15 minutes, Liverpool were buffeted to distraction. Emerson swept a confident shot over the bar and Hendrie got on the end of a cross from the lively Williams to head just wide of the far post.

But, obviously their dash and vigour had to do more than just threaten. A goal was required if the champions of Europe were to be seriously embarrassed.

Inevitably, Liverpool stopped merely taking it on the chin and retaliated. Neal, charging through from an even deeper position, began the move which came nearest drawing first blood. He was neatly tripped on the edge of the area and, from the free kick, Dalglish bruised the underside of the bar.

Gritty Stockport would have been less than human if they had not left the field at the interval warmly congratulating themselves on their performance. Later, however, Whelan and Kennedy looked as they might have broken the deadlock with a marvellously slick exchange down the left, but there was the Stockport goalkeeper, Salmon, wrapping himself round the final cross as if he wanted to protect the ball from further violence. Salmon, and the men in front of him, continued to defty Liverpool's continuous though sometimes wild assaults until the end of normal time. The goalkeeper lived dangerously, favoured by fortune as heroes often are.

But luck ran out in the seventh minute of extra time when Robinson sent Nicol marauding down the right. Salmon even managed to beat out Nicol's shot but not Robinson's follow-up and Liverpool were through, at last, to the third round. Whelan scored a second goal near near the end after the substitute, Molby, had hit a post.

Copyright - The Times