March 10, 1997: Lightning strikes twice against Newcastle
They say lightning doesn't strike twice. But it did for Liverpool and Newcastle United in the 1990s.
On April 3, 1996, Stan Collymore scored a last-minute winner for the Reds in a 4-3 win against the Magpies at Anfield.
On March 10, 1997, Robbie Fowler scored a last-minute winner for the Reds in a 4-3 win against the Magpies at Anfield.
“I don’t think you ever expect a game to be like that. To be fair, it’s kamikaze football really. It’s great for the fans. OK, it’s great on a one-off basis…”
Roy Evans, April 1996
Today marks two decades since that unthinkable sequel, another bewildering encounter and one that Evans’ buccaneering home side appeared to have needlessly thrown away after racing into a commanding three-goal lead.
Steve McManaman opened the scoring under the floodlights that night, exhibiting a classic example of his technique with a calm touch and sweeping finish into the far right corner from the edge of the area.
“Steve had a bit of everything,” Fowler says of his close friend McManaman in the latest episode of #LFCWORLD, available to watch now on LFCTV GO.
“He might not have been as skilful as the likes of [Lionel] Messi or [Cristiano] Ronaldo, but no-one could ever get the ball off him. He used to glide across the pitch as though he was skating on ice. He was an unbelievable player and an unbelievable lad, too.
“I don’t think people realise just how good he was. Speak to any teammate of Macca’s and they’ll tell you exactly the same as me.
“That particular time, when I was playing well and scoring goals, Steve was a phenomenon and we were having the time of our lives on the pitch.”
Within a minute of McManaman’s breakthrough, Patrik Berger was presented with a tap-in gift when a low Fowler shot bounced back off the post and out to the unmarked Czech.
The No.9 – who was on target twice in the first edition in 1996 – made no mistake late in the first half, though, to seemingly put any prospect of a repeat seven-goal thriller to bed.
By the 70th minute and with the score still 3-0, the Anfield crowd could be forgiven for considering the points secure, content with a considerably more straightforward success than the previous year’s meeting.
Then came a goal from Keith Gillespie. And a goal from Faustino Asprilla. And a goal from Warren Barton.
It couldn’t happen again, could it?
Step up Fowler, who ghosted into the penalty area to meet a thumped Stig Inge Bjornebye cross from the left with an angled header back across the goalkeeper which sent the ball into the net and the striker into the pandemonium of the Kop.
“It’s great on a one-off basis…”
It wasn’t bad the second time either.
Hear more from Fowler on McManaman in episode 31 of #LFCWORLD by clicking play below or by tuning in to LFCTV. Click here to view the channel's broadcast schedule.