Before the match Dundalk manager Liam Tuohy had stated that there was a 10-goal difference in class between the two teams. He was proved a little bit too right for Dundalk fan’s liking as Liverpool sneaked a narrow 10-0 win in the first leg at Anfield. This match is now used as a common table quiz question as it unfortunately represents Liverpool’s biggest ever win. Ex-Liverpool manager, Gerard Houllier, has also revealed that this was the first game he ever saw Liverpool play and he had ambitions to manage the club ever since.
Tuohy’s tactics was to basically man mark every red shirt on the pitch, with Kevin Murray acting as a sweeper. With any luck Dundalk might be able to hit them on the break. These tactics were working superbly until, totally against the run of play, Liverpool scored after 59 seconds when Evans headed in a Callaghan corner.
On 10 minutes Chris Lawlor headed in number two and on 24 minutes Tommy Smith scored from a free kick. Graham and Evans scored late in the first half to make it 5-0 at half time.
In the second half goals from Linday, Smith, Thompson, Callaghan and Graham completed a miserable evening for Dundalk.
The Dundalk team that night was: Swan, Brennan, O’Reilly, Murray, McConville, Hendricks, Gilmore, Turner, O’Connor, Bartley, Carroll.
2nd Leg
With the tie already over, the most disappointing aspect of the second leg match was the attendance. Only 5,000 people turned up to see Dundalk take on Bill Shankley’s side. This time the Dundalk defence played much better. Dundalk started well and put some pressure on the Liverpool defence but it only took Liverpool 13 minutes to go ahead with a goal from Thompson that Swan should have saved. Thompson scored again on 32 minutes when his shot was deflected past Swan by Murray. Liverpool wrapped the game up with goals from Graham and Callaghan.
The teams that night were:
Dundalk: Swan, Brennan, O’Reilly, Murray, McConville, Millington, Kinsella, Turner, O’Connor, Bartley, Carroll.
Subs: Stokes for Carroll, Gilmore for Kinsella.
Liverpool: Clemence, Lawler, Strong, Smith, Lyold, Hughes, Boersma, Evans, Graham, St. John, Thompson.
Subs: Callaghan for Thompson, Hunt for Graham
