SAINTS and Liverpool have met before in the semi finals of the League Cup.

Here, the Daily Echo looks back at their two-legged tussle in 1986/87.

February 11, 1987 Semi final first leg Saints 0 Liverpool 0 Saints failed to score against a Liverpool side who played virtually half the game with only ten men.

The second half was only a minute old when visiting striker Paul Walsh was sent off by Keith Hackett for a blatant off-the-ball elbow into Kevin Bond’s face.

Despite that, Saints - sixth bottom of the First Division at the time, just two points above the drop zone - failed to carve out many clear openings.

Craig Johnston was given a sight of goal late on, but was denied by a superb tackle from Mark Wright - who the previous March had suffered a broken leg playing for Saints against Liverpool in the FA Cup semi final at White Hart Lane.

Saints: Shilton, Forrest, Dennis, Case, Wright, Bond, Holmes (Lawrence), Cockerill, Clarke, Armstrong (Towsend) Wallace Liverpool: Grobbelaar, Gillespie, Vension, Lawrenson, Whelan, Hansen, Walsh, Johnston, Rush, Molby, McMahon.

February 25, 1987 Semi final second leg Liverpool 3 Saints 0 Saints were without first choice left back Mark Dennis as they aimed to reach the League Cup final for only the second time At the time, it was reported that he was serving a suspension for an internal matter which hadn’t been made public.

Years later, Dennis would reveal he had come to blows with boss Chris Nicholl over the breaking of a curfew.

He would never play for Saints again.

David Armstrong was deployed as a makeshift left back while Saints were also without skipper Nick Holmes, who was injured.

Saints held out until 23 minutes from time when Ronnie Whelan finished off a flowing move involving Gary Gillespie, player-manager Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush.

Grobbelaar was relieved to see a Danny Wallace cross land on top of his crossbar before Dalglish controlled a Craig Johnston cross and doubled the advantage.

Jan Molby curled in a third from the edge of the penalty area five minutes from time, after Saints had failed to clear a Dalglish cross.

  • Liverpool Grobbelaar, Gillespie, Venison, Lawrenson (Spackman), Whelan, Hansen, Dalglish, Johnston, Rush, Molby, McMahon.
  • Saints: Shilton, Forrest, Armstrong (Baker), Case, Wright, Bond, Wallace, Cockerill, Townsend (Le Tissier), Clarke, Lawrence.

Ian Rush put Liverpool ahead in the Wembley final against Arsenal.

At the time, famously, the Reds had never lost when Rush had scored - a record streching to 145 games (and 201 goals in all competitions).

But Scottish striker Charlie Nicholas netted twice - his second goal deflecting in off Ronnie Whelan - to end that amazing run.

Also in the Arsenal team was ex-Saint Steve Williams.