MATCH REPORT: Liverpool - AFC Wimbledon (FA Cup)

Anfield, Round 3 Replay

Liverpool Starting XI: Mignolet; Kelly (Agger 105’), Touré, Škrtel, Cissokho; Gerrard [c], Allen (Lucas Leiva 59’); Sterling, Pacheco, Coutinho (Henderson 84’); Suárez

Liverpool Substitutes: Agger, José Enrique, Lucas Leiva, Aspas, Sturridge, Jones, Henderson

AFC Wimbledon Starting XI: Brown; Fuller, Bennett, Frampton, Kennedy; Porter, Pell, Sweeney (L. Moore 90’), Bamba; (Other) Green [c], (Bald) Green

AFC Wimbledon Substitutes: Worner, Fundingsrud, Sheringham, L. Moore, Arthur, White, Strutton

Every so often a game comes along that becomes the stuff of legend. Supporters down pints down the pub and wax nostalgic for it for decades. People save their match programmes, preserving them like family heirlooms (which, I suppose, they are). More people claim to have been there than actually were. It forms part of a shared history. A shared mythology. A shared suffering and triumph.

Most clubs have one. Sutton United’s stunning upset in the FA Cup against Coventry. Liverpool coming back from 3-0 in the Champions League Final against AC Milan. Manchester City scoring two goals in stoppage time on the last day of the season to steal the Premier League title from Manchester United. And, yes, Wimbledon FC’s shock win over Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup Final.

What happened tonight in the rain at Anfield is one of those games. There will be cold winter days in decades hence when AFC Wimbledon supporters huddle in pubs after a disappointing result, and one of the old timers- maybe you- will bring up, to perhaps a few groans for having to hear this tired old story again, that one night. That one unforgettable night.

Tonight’s third round replay comes after Liverpool’s B-squad couldn’t get the job done on our home ground. This time they came out with one of the stronger sides they could have fielded, including, to every Wimbly Wombly supporter’s collective gulp, the Premier League’s leading goalscorer and future Ballon d’Or winner Luis Suárez. For this squad, fielding players with varying degrees of match fitness against top flight opposition, the ask could not have been bigger.

Which made Wimbledon’s early strike both a joy and a relief. After a chippy opening few minutes, Yousef Bamba slipped past Liverpool’s high line and bombed down the left flank and into the box totally unchallenged. He sent a nearly perfect ball over the heads of Škrtel and Cissokho to a lurking Other John Green, who snuck the ball behind his marker and underneath Simon Mignolet for an opening goal that sent shivers throughout Anfield. The away supporters exploded then and, for the rest of the game, were at least as loud as (and sometimes louder than) the Kop.

After the goal, Wimbledon did what any fourth tier side would do having gained a lead over top flight opposition- dug in for a siege. Liverpool threatened quickly when Suárez collected a through ball from Coutinho and slipped behind the back line to bound in on goal- thankfully, Fuller managed to catch up with him on the edge of the box and get the ball away. Wimbledon, for their part, put together some promising chances of their own; on 32 minutes Bald John Green bolted towards goal but the pitch conditions prevented him from balancing himself to shoot, and Kolo Touré knocked the ball towards Mignolet. Liverpool counterattacked immediately, won a free kick at the half way line, and the resulting ball found Suárez hovering over the penalty spot. But the soggy pitch absorbed most of the force from his shot and Seb Brown scooped up the ball with only a hint of nerves. The rest of the first half played out similarly, and when the referee blew for half time the fans all took a few moments to catch their collective breaths before shuffling out for tea and bovril.

Wimbledon played much more defensively in the second half- partly because of their tenuous position, partly because of fatigue settling in to several key players. The Dons put together some threats here and there, but for the most part they focused on possession and defending. For the most part they availed themselves well, though there were some nervy moments; not the least of which being a Steven Gerrard free kick- we’ll give you a moment to digest that bit of panic- in the 82nd minute from 25 yards out, which, thankfully, drifted just wide. Even when the referee inexplicably tacked on five minutes of stoppage time, there was reasonable hope that Wimbledon could hold on and get out of Anfield with a 1-0 win and a ticket to the Fourth Round.

The song You’ll Never Walk Alone is often criticised among football supporters for being overwrought, sentimental, and more than a bit schmaltzy. What few people mention- apart from opposition players who come to Anfield- is how utterly terrifying the song can be. If you’re at Anfield and losing, or holding on to a very tenuous lead, hearing that song ringing through the Kop at the start of stoppage time can chill the blood and stop the heart. No one talks about YNWA being a taunting battle-cry. I mention this not to excuse but perhaps explain the catastrophe that came in the dying seconds of the 90. Utterly depleted, it was perhaps only a matter of time before someone unfolded the backline. Deep into stoppage time, late substitute Jordan Henderson collected the ball unmarked just inside the box; he turned, sidestepped some onrushing and panicking defenders, and fired a magnificent strike through traffic and past a harried Seb Brown. The Kop erupted, the away supporters stood in shock, and the Cinderella story seemed to be coming to an end.

But nobody told the Wimbly Womblys the party was over. Exhausted, assailed by the howling Kop, and facing a surging Liverpool side, the Dons went into extra time with quiet determination. They would get the result; failing that, they would hold on long enough to force a penalty shootout, where anything can happen. Other John Green had an amazing chance soon after extra time kick off, but once again the soggy pitch intervened and his shot rolled slowly into Mignolet’s hands. Liverpool parried immediately when Raheem Sterling bounded on down the flank before winding his way into the box; he surely would’ve sent in a killer pass had Alan Bennett not intervened at the last second. Some tense back and forth continued, but for the most part it didn’t look like either side had a goal in them.

And then came that moment. The moment that, as hinted before, will come to form part of the very mythology of AFC Wimbledon. Bald John Green laid the ball off in midfield to Harry Pell, who managed to slip past the back line. Utterly worn out, Pell put everything he had and more into his run and galloped off alone on goal. 15 yards out, he found himself one on one against Mignolet. A fake, another fake, followed by a high ball that curved around the Belgian goalkeeper and sailed into the back of the net as the Kop looked on in horror. There was a peculiar look on Harry Pell’s face while he celebrated the goal- joy, yes, but also a bit of ‘why me?’ in his eyes. As if not understanding his own role in what just transpired- wondering if fate had conspired to bring him to that place, that moment, and score that goal. It could have been anyone on the team. But it was him. Pell almost seemed embarrassed, like he didn’t feel worthy of the moment. I’m sure he’s not the first person at the center of something tremendous to feel that way, nor will he be the last.

Liverpool panicked and pressed hard to find a late equalizer, but the Dons held on, barely. The rain fell hard, the Kop fell silent, and the mighty Reds fell from grace. The referee blew three times. The inexplicable had become the almighty truth.

This is the part where we talk about what the game means- where Wimbledon go from here, what comes next, how do we build on the advantage, how do we bounce back from this setback, etc. If it’s quite alright with you, we’re going to skip that part right now. There will be plenty of analysis and punditry in the days to come. For now, know that your AFC Wimbledon defeated the once-great Liverpool, former Champions of England and Europe, on their home ground. The fourth round of the FA Cup beckons. Who knows what happens next.

Liverpool 1-2 AFC Wimbledon A.E.T.

Scoreline: Other Green (WIM) 8’, Henderson (LIV) 90’+3, Pell (WIM) 112’

Discipline: n/a