Historic Matches No.5 – Crystal Palace 4 Liverpool 3, 1990
Crystal Palace weren’t supposed to win this. They went into the game as huge underdogs, playing champions-elect Liverpool, the side who had beaten them 9-0 earlier in the season. It was widely expected by even the most optimistic Palace fan that this was where their Cup run would come to an end, well done on reaching the semi final, now back to concentrate on the league.
But the FA Cup is different. Take your pick from any of these clichés that would have been mentioned in the lead up to this semi final:
‘Magic of the FA Cup’, ‘David against Goliath’, ‘the oldest cup competition never ceases to amaze’, ‘the form book goes out of the window.’
There is one football cliché that I will use that perfectly describes this semi-final is ‘a real topsy-turvy match’. I’m not a fan of all these phrases that get carted out every time a cup tie comes around, but ‘topsy-turvy’ is an apt description.
Ian Rush opened the scoring for Liverpool after minutes, latching onto a through ball from Steve McMahon before lifting the ball over Nigel Martyn and into the back of the net. It was the only goal of the first half.
Mark Bright rifled in an equaliser a minute into the start of the second half after the ball pinged around the penalty area. The score remained 1-1 until the 70th minute when four goals were scored in a crazy 13 minute spell.
Gary O’Reilly put Palace ahead after 70 minutes when Liverpool were unable to clear their lines. Steve McMahon then levelled the scores on 81 minutes after a well-worked free-kick between Steve Staunton and Barry Venison.
Staunton was involved in the next goal, when he was pushed over in the penalty area two minutes later. John Barnes stepped up and scored from the resulting penalty kick.
Andy Gray made it 3-3 in the 88th minute after Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar failed to punch the ball away from danger. Grobbelaar came rushing off his line and left four defenders covering for him on the goal line. Gray jumped the highest and nodded in to send the Crystal Palace fans wild.
Alan Pardew scored the winner shortly after the start of the second period of Extra Time, powering in a header from after Andy Thorn had flicked the ball at the near post.
Crystal Palace would lose in the Final against Manchester United. The game went to a replay after the first match ended 3-3, with Lee Martin scoring the only goal to give Manchester United their first trophy in five years.
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