There have been plenty of brilliant Liverpool performances over the years, but some are just a little bit sweeter than others.
Beating Everton at Goodison Park is always special.
Doing it 4-1 is even better.
Doing it with Ian Rush scoring a hat-trick while Liverpool lifted a trophy makes it one of those nights that deserves to be remembered.
On 30 September 1986, Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool travelled across Stanley Park for the second leg of the Screen Sport Super Cup final against Everton.
Liverpool had already won the first leg 3-1 at Anfield, but there was no chance of taking anything for granted.
Everton were a very good side themselves at the time.
Liverpool simply blew them away.
Rush was absolutely magnificent
It took only ten minutes for Rush to open the scoring.
John Wark found him and the Welshman did what he did so often during his Liverpool career — he found the net.
Seventeen minutes later, he did it again.
This time Jan Mølby provided the assist and Rush made it 2-0.
Liverpool were in complete control.
Steve Nicol added a third in the 62nd minute before Rush completed his hat-trick six minutes from time, again with Mølby involved.
Everton eventually got a consolation from Graeme Sharp’s penalty in the 88th minute, but by then the damage had been done.
Liverpool had won 4-1 at Goodison Park.
The aggregate score was 7-2.
And Rush had scored five of Liverpool’s seven goals across the two legs.
Imagine watching that Liverpool team
Looking at the Liverpool starting eleven from that night is enough to make you smile.
Bruce Grobbelaar was in goal.
Gary Gillespie, Jim Beglin, Mark Lawrenson, Ronnie Whelan and Alan Hansen were in the defence.
Then came John Wark, Steve Nicol, Ian Rush, Jan Mølby and Steve McMahon.
Kenny Dalglish was the manager.
That’s some Liverpool team.
And it wasn’t just the names. These were players who knew exactly what Liverpool meant and what was expected when they walked onto a football pitch.
They were serial winners.
That is something I always find myself thinking about when looking back at old Liverpool matches.
We talk so much about individual players now, but those great Liverpool sides had an incredible mentality running through them.
Goodison wasn’t exactly an easy place to go
There is another reason I love this match.
It wasn’t played in some meaningless pre-season friendly.
It was a Merseyside derby with silverware at stake.
Liverpool were already 3-1 ahead from the first leg, but Everton had every reason to believe they could make the second leg uncomfortable.
Instead, Liverpool went there and effectively settled the tie before half-time.
Two goals from Rush had Everton facing an enormous task after only 27 minutes.
Even Trevor Steven missing a penalty early in the second half couldn’t change the direction of the match.
Nicol made it 3-0.
Rush then completed his hat-trick.
Game over.
Trophy coming back to Anfield.
Rush was made for nights like this
Whenever I think about Ian Rush, this is exactly the sort of game that comes to mind.
He wasn’t the flashiest player.
He didn’t need to be.
Rush was about movement, timing and finishing. Give him the slightest opportunity and he could punish you.
Three goals at Goodison Park in a trophy final tells you pretty much everything.
And five goals across the two legs against Everton?
That’s ridiculous.
Liverpool’s official history is full of great goalscorers, but Rush’s numbers and his consistency put him in a different category.
He just kept scoring.
This is what Liverpool used to be about
I love looking back at games like this because they remind me of the standards Liverpool once set.
A big game.
A big opponent.
A trophy on the line.
Liverpool didn’t just scrape through.
They went to Goodison and won 4-1.
There was no hanging on.
No sitting back and hoping.
They took control of the match and made sure there was never really any doubt about where the trophy was going.
And that’s probably my favourite thing about this game.
Liverpool didn’t just beat Everton. They absolutely hammered them.
For younger Liverpool supporters, it’s easy to look at old results and see nothing more than a scoreline.
But imagine being a Liverpool fan in 1986.
Your team had just won the league and FA Cup double under Dalglish. You had players like Rush, Dalglish, Hansen, Lawrenson, Mølby and McMahon.
Then you watched them go to Goodison Park and destroy Everton in a cup final.
What a time to be a Liverpool supporter.
Thirty years later, the details might fade.
The feeling doesn’t.
30 September 1986: Everton 1-4 Liverpool.
Ian Rush hat-trick.
A trophy.
And another reminder of just how bloody good Liverpool were.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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