Liverpool – the team of the 80s who could not beat Brighton in the FA Cup

The 1980s was a glittering decade for Liverpool in which they won six league titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and two European Cups. They were the best team in the country, if not the planet. Yet for all that dominance, something very strange happened to Liverpool whenever they were paired with Brighton in the FA Cup – they lost.

Twice the two sides were drawn against each other and twice Liverpool were on the end of shock eliminations from the competition.

It did not matter where the game was played, what side the Reds sent out, who was Albion manager or even what division the Seagulls were in – Liverpool simply couldn’t find a way to overcome Brighton in the FA Cup.

The first of those 1980s FA Cup meetings came in the fifth round of the 1982-83 season at Anfield. Brighton were a struggling top flight side, Liverpool on their way to retaining their title of Champions of England.

Not that league positions or the fact that the Reds had eight internationals in their starting line up mattered in this most magic of trophies.

Michael Robinson teed up Gerry Ryan to score in front of the Kop with the Albion weathering a Liverpool storm after that until the 70th minute when Craig Johnstone scored a scissor kick passed Perry Digweed.

Most Liverpool fans – they had a heightened opinion of themselves back then as well – thought that was that and they would go onto win the game, but they had not reckoned with their former midfielder Jimmy Case smashing a 25 yarder past Bruce Grobbelaar with a little help from a deflection off Ronnie Whelan.

Phil Neal then missed a penalty for the Reds and Brighton were safely through to the quarter finals of the competition, becoming the first visiting team to win a cup game at Anfield for nine years in the process.

A place in the final beckoned as the Albion came within a Gary Bailey leg of lifting the famous trophy at Wembley before being hammered by Manchester United in the replay.

Fast forward a year and Liverpool were handed a golden opportunity for revenge against Brighton – or so they thought – when the teams were again paired together in the FA Cup, this time in the fourth round at the Goldstone Ground.

42 points and 21 places had separated the two sides at the end of the previous season as Brighton were relegated to Division Two.

Jimmy Melia had since acrimoniously departed from the Goldstone dugout to be replaced by chief coach Chris Cattlin and the Albion were sitting 10th in the second tier, never looking likely to trouble the top clubs for an immediate return to Division One.

That, in theory, should have made Liverpool’s task on this occasion even easier. Only five of the Albion’s starting line up from that famous day at Anfield a year previously took to the field against Liverpool second time around – Steve Gatting, Tony Grealish, Steve Foster, Gerry Ryan and Neil Smillie.

Reds boss Joe Fagan meanwhile named a side with revenge on their minds; nine of the his starting 11 at the Goldstone Ground had been humbled by little old Brighton the previous season.

The only players not involved last time being Steve Nicol and Robinson, Brighton’s record top flight goal scorer having swapped the Goldstone for Anfield in a richly deserved summer move.

There was so much interest in the game that it was moved to a Sunday and broadcast live from the Goldstone, the first ever time that a match had been beamed directly into the homes of the nation from that small corner of Hove.

“The Big Match Live” as ITV’s coverage was billed in those days were here for another upset, but lightning doesn’t strike twice… or does it?

It didn’t look like it would in the first half anyway, Liverpool dominating proceedings playing towards the North Stand.

Brighton goalkeeper Joe Corrigan and Foster in particular were magnificent, Corrgian saving from Nicol in the games first real chance and then on the stroke of half time keeping out an effort from Ian Rush. Foster then pulled off an outrageous goal line block from the rebound.

Liverpool were dealt a severe blow midway through that first half when their captain Graeme Souness was forced off with a hamstring injury.

The Reds never looked the same without him and after the break, Brighton were much the better side as they went on the attack and their pacey front four caused problems for a defence including former Albion player Mark Lawrenson.

Brighton were rewarded for that bright start to the second half when they took the lead after 57 minutes. Just as he had at Anfield, Ryan was again the man to score the opening goal.

This time it was a brilliant effort, the midfielder rushing onto Grealish’s lofted ball in behind the Liverpool defence to dink over the advancing Grobbelaar.

It was a fantastic finish, although one that at the time Ryan thought wouldn’t count. “The Scourge of Liverpool” as he was now being billed told Match Weekly Magazine: “I thought the referee was going to blow for offside when Tony Grealish lobbed the ball over the heads of Mark Lawrenson and Alan Hansen.”

“Fortunately, Phil Neal had played me on so I raced towards the penalty area and struck the ball past Bruce Grobbelaer.”

Better was to come just a minute later when Terry Connor made it 2-0 as he, like Ryan, beat the offside trap to run through and fire past a startled Grobbelaer.

Brighton were in absolute control after that, leaving Liverpool looking like the second-rate Division Two team on show.

You would have got long odds that afternoon on the Reds winning the league title for the third time in succession as well as lifting their fourth European Cup just a few months later.

So, which win was better? Victory at Anfield in 1983 was unexpected, but in 1984 the sides were a division apart – and Liverpool had a team that was even better and Brighton a team that was weaker. That makes the Goldstone win more of an achievement.

As for the manner in which the results were achieved? Ryan said after the 1984 success: “This victory was more satisfying than the one at Anfield because we deserved to win. Last season we were very lucky because we were under the cosh for most of the 90 minutes.”

The suspended Jimmy Case was in agreement. “This has to be an even greater achievement than when we knocked them out of the Cup last season.”

Whichever FA Cup victory over Liverpool you prefer, there is no denying that they were both fantastic occasions. Liverpool were the team of the 80s and yet they could not beat Brighton in the FA Cup. Magical.