Liverpool 3 Everton 1 - April 25 1987 IF ever there was a ‘must-win game’ this was it - for Liverpool at least. And when it’s the end of April and the league title is another two-way fight confined to Merseyside, the derby takes on more importance than usual. Liverpool needed the three points to keep their hopes of retaining their crown alive when they met champions-in-waiting Everton at Anfield on April 25 1987. It seems unthinkable now in these days of saturisation coverage, when you can’t sneeze without Sky planting a reporter at the scene to waffle on about it for five minutes, but an industry dispute meant this title decider wasn’t even televised. The hosts Liverpool, in a pulsating game that really would have lived up to the big-match hype, pulled off the result they needed to crank up the pressure on Everton and close the gap to three points. Steve McMahon opened the scoring with a wonder goal and after Kevin Sheedy equalised direct from a free-kick, Ian Rush scored twice to equal Dixie Dean’s record of 19 goals in Merseyside derby matches. All of which left Everton manager Howard Kendall to reflect on how the dressing room was "like a morgue" afterwards after his side missed the chance to virtually seal the title at the place they wanted to celebrate it most. His counterpart Kenny Dalglish tried to turn the heat up a couple of notches by declaring: "Maybe the rub of the green has turned our way. If it starts going against Everton we’ve got a chance." But it wasn’t to be. Although Everton drew their next game at home to Manchester City, on the same day Liverpool lost 1-0 at Coventry - allowing Pat Van Den Hauwe’s winner at Norwich in their game in hand to be the goal that brought a second title back to Goodison Park in three years. Liverpool 2 Everton 1 - March 20 2005 WHEN Rafael Benitez declared that this victory would inspire his team to the Champions League, it’s safe to say he was thinking more about qualification for the following season rather than the trophy itself. But that’s exactly what Liverpool collected two months after a derby victory that still didn’t prove enough for a top-four finish. Benitez said: "If we continue to play like that then it will be easy to reduce the gap." It wasn’t - Everton were still four points clear in fourth after their derby defeat and their Merseyside rivals only managed to close the deficit by a further point in the remainder of the league season. And although the blue half managed to finish above the red for the first time since their last title victory in 1987, Benitez still ensured there was plenty to celebrate. All of which has ominous overtones for what happens after Sunday’s meeting at Anfield. Because should Everton put themselves in pole position for finishing fourth again, the fact that Liverpool are still in the Champions League will ensure all end-of-season parties are strictly put on hold. If the Champions League trophy is once again nestling in the cabinet of the fifth-placed Premier League club in May, that will guarantee qualification for next year. And Everton’s reward or finishing a place above the European champions will just be another UEFA Cup campaign. 1964 EVERTON: West, Brown, Meagan, Harris, Labone, Kay, Scott, Stevens, Gabriel, Vernon, Temple. LIVERPOOL: Lawrence, Byrne, Moran, Milne, Yeats, Stevenson, Callaghan, Hunt, St John, Melia, Thompson. REFEREE: Leo Callaghan (Merthyr Tydfil). ATT: 66,515. 1986 LIVERPOOL: Grobbelaar, Lee, Beglin, Lawrenson, Whelan, Hansen, Gillespie, Johnston, Rush, Molby (MacDonald 46), McMahon. EVERTON: Southall, Stevens, Pointon, Ratcliffe, Van Den Hauwe, Reid, Steven, Lineker, Sharp, Bracewell (Harper 46), Richardson. REFEREE: Joe Worrall (Warrington). ATT: 45,445. 1987 LIVERPOOL: Hooper; Gillespie, Hansen, Ablett, Venison; Johnston, Spackman, Whelan, Molby, McMahon; Rush. EVERTON: Southall; Stevens, Ratcliffe, Watson, Power; Steven, Reid, Snodin, Sheedy; Heath, Clarke. REFEREE: Neil Midgley (Bolton). ATT: 44,827. 2005 LIVERPOOL: Dudek; Finnan, Carragher, Pellegrino, Warnock (Nunez 21); Garcia, Hamann (Biscan 40), Gerrard, Riise; Baros, Morientes (Smicer 43). EVERTON: Martyn; Hibbert, Weir, Stubbs, Pistone (Watson 84); Osman, Yobo (Beattie 46), Carsley, Cahill, Kilbane; Bent (Ferguson 55). REFEREE: Rob Styles (Hampshire). ATT: 44,244. | 
