Travelling back to February 1986 and reaction to York City producing a magnificent performance following a 3-1 extra-time FA Cup defeat at Liverpool.
Travelling back to February 1986 and reaction to York City producing a magnificent performance before eventually narrowly missing out on a home FA Cup quarter-final against either Watford or Bury following a 3-1 extra-time defeat at Liverpool.
Striker Keith Walwyn remains convinced that a 66th minute ‘goal’ scored against Liverpool should have been allowed to stand in their FA Cup fifth round replay.
Walwyn had created typical defensive chaos when holding off Scotland defender Alan Hansen and forcing goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar to crash into a couple of team-mates, before allowing himself a simple finish into an empty net.
But despite originally signalling a goal, referee Howard Taylor then incredibly changed his mind and instead awarded a free-kick.
“Honestly, I thought it was a goal and so am most disappointed,” Walwyn later told The Press. “I think it was the turning point in the game. I just had to fight my way through, but the referee insisted I was doing all the pushing.
“Yet in my opinion he [Hansen] was trying to stop me getting to the ball,” he argued. “I was jostling to get control so we were trying to stop each other in a fair contest. It was the turning-point because I believe we could have held on at 2-1 because Liverpool were struggling.”
Coach Viv Busby was in full agreement: “Big Keith toed it into the net and I could not see how it could be a foul. The lads did extremely well, put on a really professional performance and we are very proud of them.”
That opinion was shared by manager Denis Smith: “I was most unhappy with the decisions of the linesman especially and the referee. I am proud of them [the team], but would have been prouder if we had lasted through extra-time as well.”
Winger Tony Canham had earlier cancelled out Scottish international John Wark’s eighteenth-minute opener immediately prior to the break.
“We are very disappointed,” City’s goalscorer admitted. “For 90 minutes we were as good as Liverpool and I thought we were looking stronger near the end of normal time. We thought our disallowed goal was okay.”
Rewind Extra – February 1986
