No. 85 – Mark Walters 83rd Minute Strike
The 1991/92 season saw Liverpool return to European football following the Heysel Disaster ban. After overseeing Finlands Kuusysi Lahti in the First Round of the UEFA Cup, Liverpool faced French side Auxerre in the Second Round. The first leg saw the Reds travel to Auxerre where young Jamie Redknapp made his Liverpool debut but Liverpool lost 2-0 .
However, at Number 85 in the Days We’ll Remember all our Lives Countdown is the return leg at Anfield on the 6th of November 1991. Liverpool faced a massive challenge to overcome their 2-0 first leg deficit. The Kop was in full chorus, packed to capacity to witness a remarkable 3-0 win. It was the first time Liverpool had ever overturned a 2-0 deficit in Europe. As both teams entered the pitch, Anfield erupted, you could sense this would be an inspiring, tense night’¦.
Liverpool got the game underway with an early goal after Steve McManaman won a penalty for the Reds. Up stepped Jan Molby to fire home the penalty and begin an extraordinary comeback. Bruce Grobbelar the hero in France a fortnight earlier again made a number of stunning saves earlier on.
Liverpool’s second goal game from Mike Marsh when his powerful header beat the Auxerre goalkeeper, Bruno Martini. Liverpool were 2-0 up at the half time interval. The second half was a closely fough contest with both teams cancelling each other out, but with the game heading for extra time, up stepped Mark Walters to write his name into Anfield folklore forever. Mark Walters, who spent four and a half years with Liverpool making 124 appearances under Graeme Souness and Roy Evans scored a memorable winner with just seven minutes remaining.
Jan Molby’s pass sent Mark Walters through on his own who hit the ball past Bruno Martini and into the corner of the net. It had been a remarkable comeback. There was pandemoinium in Anfield, It was a night of tension, drama, elation, frustration and sheer jubilation, as Liverpool won a tactical battle that stretched them to the limits. A night Liverpool fans would never ever forget’¦..
Liverpool : Bruce Grobbelaar, Gary Ablett, David Burrows, Mike Marsh, Jan Mølby, Nick Tanner, Steve McManaman, Ray Houghton, Ian Rush, Mark Walters, Steve McMahon
Subs : Steve Harkness, Jamie Redknapp, Barry Jones, Robbie Holcroft
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