The Last Minute Winner

Everyone has resigned themselves to a draw.

Bodies slope off down the aisles with heads bowed after another 90 minutes of disappointment, as others stay frustrated at their seats and living in hope.

Groans of under achievement and deflated dreams can be heard as the game eases to it's inevitable conclusion.

The ball drops to Alonso on the right. He swings in a hopeful cross that lands on the edge of the box. It's messy; Robbie Keane challenges and the ball drops out to the edge of the area. Gerrard's in space, strides up to the ball and .......GOAALLLL.

Chaos ensues. I'd just left my seat and walking down the aisle towards the exit, catching the last few seconds before disappearing underneath as soon as the final whistle was blown. Gerrard strikes as I'm about two feet from the exit gate, and greeted by a dozen or so others with similar plans to myself. We explode as one. Dancing with, screaming at, and hugging complete strangers in the aisles. For them few seconds, you become somebody else. You can't control it.

A human firework display; substituting catherine wheels and rockets for flapping arms and legs. Your body has been invaded and you leap around in extasy for as long as that being remains within you. Only when it leaves can you return to normality, catch your breath and punch the air with a "get in there" type celebration, recovering from the previous few seconds of chaos of which you had no control over. Last minute winners; brilliant.

Everyone that passionately follows their side will be able to relate to that. Whether it's an injury time winner for Exeter against Torquay, or late decider for someone like myself against Real Madrid. We've all been there. We've all lost control. It's just very rare that it happens on the first home game of the season against Middlesbrough.

We'd been well below par all game, we were never at the races. Middlesbrough are a poor side in my opinion; yet they played some neat football at times on Saturday, and deservedly took the lead. I just couldn't see us getting anything out of the game as the minutes ticked by. A large slice of fortune later and we're back level. Maybe it was the thought that our winner was so richly undeserved that made it so special? Victory snatched from the jaws of defeat? The thought that a faint hope of a title challenge this season would have been up in smoke after the first home game if we'd have dropped points so cheaply?

Either way, it was enjoyable!

I'll settle for another last minute winner in our next league home game.

Paul Jones

Comments

[Jason]

So Liverpool scored a last-minute winner against Middlesborough in their second league game and first at Anfield of the current campaign?

Wow. Times must be pretty hard up there at Anfield.

It's not like they scored a last minute winner (indeed, two goals in a minute) against Bayern Munich to win the European Cup.

As a scouser might say... 'calm down.'

[jasmoran66]

So you're one of those that can't sit there until the final whistle, eh? Some supporter. Why are you even writing this piece?

[Alex Penn]

"I'd just left my seat and walking down the aisle towards the exit"

Blasphemy! Never take your eyes off Liverpool until the final whistle has blown! :)

[sean deacon]

Great article ref 'Last minute winner'. I'm a Brit & Liverpool fan living and working in NY. Reading comments like these make me miss the frenzy of watching football games in the local and for those few seconds being everyones friend.