Hearts suffer cruel blow after almost shocking big-spending Liverpool

A GOAL two minutes from full-time, scored by Luis Suarez, deflated Hearts after they had hauled themselves level through David Templeton's strike.
Templeton's long-range strike was fumbled into the net by Jose Reina Templeton's long-range strike was fumbled into the net by Jose Reina

WHAT does £50,000 get you these days? It gets you guts, it gets you commitment and a refusal to accept that someone bigger is better than you.

What does £207million get you? It gets you out of jail when a striker worth £23m of that sum can conjure up the goal that cruelly killed Hearts’ bid to write themselves into Scottish football history at Anfield last night.

David Templeton, the man who cost Hearts 50k and the only one for whom they’d paid a transfer fee, scored the goal that levelled the tie on aggregate with just seven minutes left of a pulstating Europa League qualifier.

But just as they believed they really could pull off the shock of their lives, Luis Suarez struck in the 87th minute.

Ultimately, Andy Webster’s own goal from th first leg separated the teams but Hearts left Merseyside with their heads held high.

They had struck a blow for themselves and for Scottish football.

This was a David v Goliath clash even before the teamsheets were issued.

Then Goliath turned up armed with bazookas.

Brendan Rodgers handed jerseys to four of his biggest guns, Steven Gerrard, Suarez, Martin Skrtel and Joe Allen, none of whom had started at Tynecastle.

All John McGlynn could do was send out the team that had battled so bravely in Gorgie and hope their catapults could somehow hit their opponents between the eyes.

Templeton, subject of a £550,000 bid from Rangers, knew he would be playing his last game for Hearts if his club takes the money and he accepts a deal. If so, what a place to say goodbye.

This Is Anfield says the sign but it really isn’t necessary. Everyone knows what it is – a living, breathing theatre that has housed some of the greatest nights in European football.

History was not on Hearts’ side. They’d never won in Europe after losing the first leg at home but their fans clearly believed they were in with a shout.

They sang their songs with gusto and their scarves twirled like whirligigs in a hurricane.

It was an impressive display and one that clearly delighted owner Vladimir Romanov, who stood in the directors’ box videoing the whole thing on his mobile phone.

The Liverpool fans had been quiet in comparison but they’d filled every seat in the ground and found their voices as You’ll Never Walk Alone boomed from the PA system.

It was spine-tingling stuff and the players didn’t start until the singing stopped.

It was critical to Hearts that they lost nothing early but they didn’t start like a team in a straitjacket. McGlynn’s men knocked the ball around with confidence and created the first opening when young Callum Paterson swivelled on a Ryan McGowan throw-in to hit a dipping 20-yard volley a couple of feet wide.

The response from the English outfit was immediate and gave Suarez the first chance to show what he can do. The Uruguayan waltzed into the box and it took a desperate block from Marius Zaliukas to deny him.

Then in the 14th minute they almost broke the deadlock.

Stewart Downing swung a cross to the back post where young Adam Morgan nodded back across goal for Suarez to loop a header over Jamie MacDonald but Zaliukas somehow got back to clear the ball off the line.

The Jambos had a claim for a penalty at the other end when Chris Sutton laid the ball off for Paterson inside the box and the 17-year-old went down as Jamie Carragher stuck out a leg.

It didn’t look as if there was contact and the Russian ref let play go on.

Gerrard had been quiet but as the half-hour approached, that changed. He stung MacDonald’s hands with a drive from 25-yards, then jinked brilliantly past Webster and Darren Barr only for the keeper to charge from his goal line and make a brave save.

Morgan had the ball in the net shortly after that but Suarez had carried it over the line before crossing and the Anfield cheers were replaced by hoots of derision from Jambos behind the goal.

A few minutes later the half-time whistle arrived with their team still in the tie and they cheered again. Until the PA system boomed out Sunshine on Leith that is.

Liverpool started the second half piling into the Hearts box but Webster seemed to be everywhere to halt them.

Danny Grainger was next to get a pat on the back for a great tackle on Suarez as Hearts continued to stay tight. But at some point they had to get up the park and score or it would all be in vain.

Rodgers put winger Raheem Sterling on for Morgan just after the hour and he watched as Suarez missed the chance of the night after a defence-splitting Jordan Henderson pass had put him clear.

The front man rounded MacDonald but with the angle tightening, McGowan got back to block his effort on the line.

Seconds later, Suarez missed again after Jonjo Shelvey had bulldozed through a less than convincing Arvydas Novikovas tackle to set up him up.

McGlynn removed Sutton and threw on Andy Driver, with Paterson becoming the central striker. The traffic still flowed towards MacDonald and he caught a sore one on the face from Suarez as he blocked another one-on-one.

As the game entered the last 10 minutes, the only supporters singing had Scottish accents but their team needed a goal. Mehdi Taouil had a half-chance from 20 yards but his shot sailed over.

A Sterling trip on Templeton just outside the box gave them more hope but Grainger’s free-kick scuffed the top of the wall and flew out for a corner.

And then it happened.

Zaliukas got his head to the corner and it was nodded out to Templeton who let fly.

It was straight at Pepe Reina but, incredibly, the Spaniard let it slip from his grasp and the ball skidded gloriously over the line.

Bedlam ensued in one section of the ground, silence engulfed the rest and for four minutes a sensation was on the cards, it really was.

Luis Suarez ends Hearts' hopes of pulling off a shock with a late goal at Anfield Luis Suarez ends Hearts' hopes of pulling off a shock with a late goal at Anfield

Then, in the 87th minute, Suarez finally showed us what £23m gets you.

It gets you a striker who can pick the ball up 45 yards from goal, rocket past Zaliukas in the inside-left channel and drill a fantastic low shot past MacDonald from a tight angle.

The goal meant Hearts needed another to go through on away goals. But they had run out or miracles.

Taken from the Daily Record