Liverpool 1 Hearts 1 (Agg 2-1)

From BILL LECKIE at Anfield
Published: 31st August 2012
15
DAVID TEMPLETON skipped across the Anfield turf last night like he belonged there.

If the next time we see those toes twinkling is against Elgin City, the world’s officially gone mad.

The pencil-slim frontman was a superhero among heroes on a night when Hearts came so close to a miracle.

In the end, they were shattered by a moment of lung-bursting brilliance from little Luis Suarez, searing away to send the Kop into ear-splitting frenzy with less than three minutes left.

But for the three minutes before that, the Jambos had been in dreamland after Templeton’s gallusness was rewarded with a shot that spilled through Pepe Reina’s fingers and was sucked home by 3,000 delirious travelling fans hanging over the barriers behind him.

It was a goal those fans deserved, their team deserved and Templeton thoroughly deserved.

And his display on a wonderful occasion, oozing atmosphere and excitement, couldn’t have been more perfectly timed to tell him where his future lies.

No harm to Rangers for trying to snap him up.

But putting this boy in the Third Division would be like driving a sports car in a 20mph zone — pointless. If he has to leave Tynecastle — and he surely will sooner rather than later — it HAS to be for a stage where it’s the competition and not just the money that talks.

Templeton’s drive and confidence summed up the Jambos on a night when they took their game to an even higher level than they had least week — and against a stronger Liverpool side, too.

Suarez was back, Steven Gerrard was back. Stewart Downing and Joe Allen, signed for £35million between them, were in from the start after cameos at Tynecastle.

Hearts? Their combined transfer cost was the £35,000 paid to Stenhousemuir for Templeton.

But if you’d never seen either side play before, you’d never have known. As a 44,361 Anfield sell-out crackled with excitement, they harried and chased, they passed and moved, they refused to believe there was such a thing as a lost cause.

Jamie MacDonald spread himself, threw up his left arm and denied Gerrard a typically-swashbuckling first-half solo goal.

Aussie right-back Ryan McGowan showed terrific composure to stay on his feet and block from Suarez after he went round the keeper for a tap-in.

Skipper Marius Zaliukas hoofed a Suarez header off the line.

All over the bowling-green turf, they nibbled at heels and nicked possession as they grafted their backsides off to earn themselves a crack at a priceless goal.

For so long, it seemed it wouldn’t come. For 84 minutes, the biggest scare in front of Reina was midway through the first half when fearless 17-year-old Callum Paterson barrelled into the box and went down as Jamie Carragher ran across the back of him.

But you always, always felt something could happen. And when it did? Bedlam.

Templeton, 25 yards out, head up Meerkat-straight as ever. Feints to his right, makes space for the shot. Lets it fly, and starts to turn away as the keeper goes down on one knee to save.

Turns back in sheer, disbelieving joy as it squirms over the line.

Never mind hanging over the barriers — now the Jambos fans were leaping them, trying to get in on the scrum of celebration.

Extra-time was theirs for the taking. The impossible dream wasn’t so crazy after all. For those three minutes, a team whose biggest rivals had just lost a cup-tie to Queen of the South were on the brink of being crowned Kings of the Kop.

Then up stepped Suarez. Down the left he went, turned on the burners, drew MacDonald to his near post, fired into the far.

Double bedlam.

The dream had been dashed again. For a split-second, it struck you that they still only needed one more goal to go through — but time ran out.

Anfield applauded them off to a man. The 3,000 behind the goal twirled scarves above their heads.

What a scene. What a noise. What a night.

What a shame that one stupid own goal robbed them.