Paul Ince scored the goal that could just stop his old club from winning the
championship.
Two minutes from time the former Manchester United skipper scrambled
Liverpool's equaliser over the line for a goal that struck like a dagger through
the heart of his old employers.
Liverpool had been outplayed for well over an hour, but in a sensational
comeback they pulled a two goal deficit back.
For Ince it was a sweet, sweet moment. Back in '92 he had been a United player
at Anfield when Liverpool had stopped Alex Ferguson's men from winning the title
on the last day of the season.
That day he had to listen to Liverpool hordes chanting "You've lost the
league on Merseyside."
That anthem battered the ears of United and their fans again tonight, but this
time Ince was a cavorting, air punching demon.
He'd been branded a 'big time Charlie' by Ferguson recently, and at the end
the Kop fans were howling his name in delight.
United are now three points behind Arsenal, who won at Tottenham. They must
still be marginal favourites with a game in hand, but it's going to be a mighty
close run-in now.
For Liverpool it was the night their haunted stars found their pride.
At two down they were dead, and outclassed. But the red card for Denis Irwin
in the 75th minute was a critical point. It gave Liverpool the belief that they
could finally hurt bitter rivals who had passed and overtaken them in the last
decade.
Now it could be the third time in eight seasons that United's title dreams
have died on Merseyside. First there was '92, then in '95 and now '99. We will
know in a 11 days time.
United had looked so assured. Back came Jaap Stam, Roy Keane and Andy Cole for
United, but Liverpool - so stripped of anything like a quality strikeforce -
reverted to a five at the back to counter a fearsome United front line and left
Karlheinz Riedle up front on his own for long spells as they fought to contain
United's machine.
The injuries and suspensions have made things far worse, but there can never
have been a time when there was such a gulf between these sides, so comfortable
did United look.
Liverpool responded to the ferocious wall of sound created by their fans, they
chased, worked and battled. But where they had effort and commitment, United had
class, calm and composure.
Nobody could question Liverpool's heart, certainly in the first half, but you
wondered how long they could keep up the toil needed to contain a team who had
gone 27 games without defeat.
Paul Ince's opening minutes were full of sheer intent, calling cards that a
few years back would have struck fear in opponents...in those days, Manchester
United's opponents.
Ince launched himself at Keane in one box, and within minutes thundered into
Dwight Yorke at the other end. The Kop loved it, but Ince these days can't keep
the Guv'nor image up for long. Liverpool found themselves pushed back and
struggling to keep United at arms length.
Liverpool had some half chances when Rigobert Song juggled the ball into the
middle and Steve McManaman couldn't direct a header, and then when Ronny
Johnsen's half-hit back pass gave Oyvind Leonhardsen the hint of an opening
until the giant hands of Peter Schmeichel swept up the danger.
But you could sense United's response was coming. It happened in the 22nd
minute when Riedle and primarily McManaman failed to stem United's flow down the
left some 50 yards out with what should have been a simple piece of two-on-two
covering.
But David Beckham and Keane engineered the gap, Beckham was played down the
right at lightning pace and the superbly struck cross on the run was met by an
equally savage headed finish by York on the far post.
It was like watching a white hot knife searing through butter, Liverpool,
despite all their intent and proud defiance, had been cut to pieces.
Beckham managed to upset the Kop by running in front of the Liverpool hordes
as he celebrated, and then he collided with Jamie Carragher as he raced across
the box to congratulate Yorke, turning to taunt his the Liverpool defender as he
went.
Liverpool strived for the gaps to hit back, Dominic Matteo down the left on
several occasions, and Leonardsen's industry, did their best.
But Stam was supreme, Keane asserting command, and only a fine crossfield ball
from Jamie Redknapp that almost put Song away, threatened to unsettle the
European Cup finalists.
In fact, they cut lose again two minutes from the break, with a lightning
attack as a Liverpool attack broke down, and Beckham again produced the quality
cross for Yorke to send in a diving header that Brad Friedel was forced to beat
away.
Liverpool came out fighting after the break, still their only real attacking
threat was McManaman running from deep, but they were still plugging away.
Matteo was played clear down the left by the Real Madrid bound star, and from
his laid back cross, Ince hooked over as he raced into the box.
But any thought that there was a way back looked finished when referee Elleray
awarded a penalty when Carragher's flying boot had poleaxed Jesper Blomqvist as
he raced into the box.
It took fully two minutes to get the kick taken, Ince got involved in some
pushing and shoving, virtually every player became involved but cool heads
around soon defused the issue.
Denis Irwin stepped up to drill the spot-kick past Friedel, and Liverpool were
staring in the face their third successive defeat against United this season.
Gerard Houllier threw on the barely fit Patrik Berger for Song, and Ince was
pushed up front for the second game in succession. Berger showed his intent with
one twisting run away from Stam and a fierce drive just over, but you still got
the impression that United were playing like a father playing holding off his
young son as he tried to hit him.
United were still not being hurt, and they had Paul Scholes and Irwin booked
inside a minute as they underlined the steel in their side.
But Berger's influence was having an effect, and when he pulled a 69th minute
cross into the box for Leonhardsen, Blomqvist pulled the Norwegian's legs from
under him, and Redknapp rapped in the penalty to give Liverpool hope.
They found an extra gear at last, started hurling men forward and with the
better shape to the side with Berger on, at last started to stretch United.
After 75 minutes Liverpool were given even more belief when Irwin got himself
stupidly sent off for kicking the ball away after a free-kick had been given.
Ferguson's response to that was to haul off Blomqvist and Cole and send on
more defenders in Phil Neville and Nicky Butt.
But United were hanging on now, and two minutes from time Ince battled his way
through in the six yard box to force the ball home after substitute David
Thompson and Riedle had caused havoc.
You could have heard the eruption of noise right back up the East Lancs Road
in Manchester, thunderous waves of sound as United lost their cool.
Ferguson had to be ushered back from the line by the fourth official, and he
angrily shrugged away the restraining hand.
In injury time an unmarked Carragher arrived in the box to head a Thompson
cross wide as Anfield collectively held it's head in it's hands.
Somehow Liverpool had come back from the dead, and this loss of two vital
points for United could just be the death blow to their title hopes.
Teams:
Liverpool: Friedel, Song (Berger 56), Staunton (Thompson 79),
Babb, McManaman, Leonhardsen, Redknapp, Riedle, Ince, Matteo,Carragher.
Subs Not Used: James, Ferri, Bjornebye.
Goals: Redknapp 69 pen, Ince 89.
Man Utd: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Irwin, Johnsen, Stam, Beckham,
Cole (Butt 76), Blomqvist (P. Neville 76), Keane, Scholes,Yorke.
Subs Not Used: May, Sheringham, Van Der Gouw.
Sent Off: Irwin (75).
Booked: Scholes, Irwin, Keane.
Goals: Yorke 23, Irwin 56 pen.
Att: 44,702
Ref: D Elleray (Harrow on the Hill).
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