City scare Reds

Graeme Souness was left breathing a sigh of relief after first division Bristol City squandered a series of opportunities to put the lights out on Liverpool's season.

Eleven days ago it was a power failure that came to the Anfield side's rescue - but this time City fans were left in the dark only as to how their speedy winger Junior Bent could have failed to create a cup sensation with three simple chances.

The game ended with the identical scoreline and the same scorers - Ian Rush for Liverpool and Wayne Allison for City - as the original tie which had to be abandoned after 65 minutes.

But Liverpool, who had gone ahead in the 62nd minute from Rush's 40th FA Cup goal, only to be pegged back heroically by Allison's 12th of the season ten minutes later, will feel grateful to be going back to the bright lights of Anfield for a third crack at the never-say-die Ashton Gate outfit.

More than 21,000 fans watched the game unfold in an uncannily similarly manner to the first as the visitors dominated the first 25 minutes only to be rocked back by a stirring City fightback just before and after the break.

Liverpool signalled their intention with Julian Dicks firing a 25 yarder just wide after nine minutes and Rush having a snap shot brilliantly palmed away by Keith Welch five minutes later.

Then, just as in the abandoned tie, City seemed to realise they were giving too much respect to their illustrious visitors and exploded into life with a moment that Bent may rue for the rest of his career.

Rob Edwards' pass beat the Liverpool offside trap, freeing Bent to home in from the right touchline toward Bruce Grobbelaar - but the little winger could only look on in dismay as he dragged his right-foot shot inches past the far post. Moments later he was found in the clear in the box by Liam Robinson but, from a narrow angle, blazed way over with just Grobbelaar in his path.

When the eccentric visiting keeper rushed out of his box to rob Robinson five minutes before the break the City striker coolly beat him but could only stroke the ball just wide as Neil Ruddock rushed back desperately to cover the empty net.

With Liverpool's defence seemingly in disarray at the start of the second-half, they had several more narrow escapes, a diving header from Edwards forcing an inspirational diving save from Grobbelaar and Robinson blazing over the bar twice in the space of a couple of minutes.

Against the run of play, Liverpool struck. Dicks' curling free-kick to the far post was met by Ruddock, who rose unchallenged to nod across the face of goal and enabled Rush to gobble up the chance a few yards out.

Bent should have scored again just a minute later, but his weak flick with only Grobbelaar to beat drifted harmlessly wide. Yet he at last became the hero when he laid on City's equaliser in the 72nd minute.

Making good progress down the right he shot low across the face of goal and when a melee of Liverpool defenders failed to clear, Allison hammered home from close range to inspire a pitch invasion from the fans.

When Grobbelaar missed a Bent cross minutes from the end, Liverpool's travelling army of fans had their hearts in their mouths - but the ball went wide, leaving Liverpool the favourites to book a fourth round tie at Stockport.

City boss Russell Osman sadly pondered how his side had so narrowly squandered a wonderful opportunity for FA Cup glory.

And even his Liverpool counterpart Souness admitted the Anfield giants were "a little fortunate to survive".

But Osman swallowed his disappointment to provide a few words of comfort for his winger Junior Bent.

"I think Liverpool must feel that we let them off the hook," sighed Osman.

"The commitment of our players was magnificent, and they really found an extra gear tonight. As for Junior, it was just one of those things. He had a great game, but it's the hardest thing in the world to put the ball in the back of the net. It's going to be hard for him. People are going to say 'why didn't you score?' but it's the hardest job in the world. It might be a different story now we've got to go to Anfield, but we feel we've got a chance. If we go up there and get turned over comfortably, people will say we're just a one-off flash-in-the-pan team, but we believe we're better than that."

So, clearly, does Souness. "They gave us quite a few problems on a pitch which cut up badly," he said. "I think we are happier with the draw than City will be. We were a little fortunate to survive tonight."

City goalscoring hero Wayne Allison said: "It was a great feeling when I hit the back of the net. I felt it was a great battle out there. They attacked with purpose and so did we and I wouldn't argue with the result. It's still only at the half-way stage, but I'm convinced we are capable of winning up there. It's going to be a different experience in front of the Kop, but I maintain that the pressure will not be on us."

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