Everton 3 Liverpool 1 - February 8 1964 THE balance of power on Merseyside plus football in general has shifted a long way since the meeting between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park in February 1964. Last season, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez caused uproar following the goalless derby stalemate at Anfield when he suggested that his side’s neighbours from across Stanley Park were a ‘small club’. Back in 1963-64, Everton were known as the ‘Mersey Millionaires’ as they were bankrolled by one of Europe’s richest businessmen Littlewoods founder John Moores, uncle of former Liverpool chairman David Moores. Thanks to some big money signings from the ambitious Moores’s chequebook, Everton wereThey were also reigning League champions having secured their first title in 24 years nine months earlier. Liverpool in contrast, had only just come up from the Second Division under Bill Shankly the previous year having been toiling outside the top flight for eight long years from 1954. Although Liverpool had finished an encouraging eighth in their first year back in the big time, they still seemed a fair way behind their neighbours after this encounter. Despite having to employ Scottish wing-half Jimmy Gabriel as a makeshift centre-forward, Everton triumphed 3-1 and the Daily Post’s derby match headline declared that they looked "like champions again". A Roy Vernon brace and Gabriel strike made Ian St John’s effort irrelevant and Horace Yates reported: "For once in a derby game I think there must have been unanimity over the result. "Never did there seem any possibility other than an Everton victory and frankly anything less would have been a travesty of common justice. "Everton were magnificent. With such a display I am confident they would have beaten any team in Britain." Yet less than three months later, Liverpool had succeeded their neighbours as League champions with Everton finishing third after suffering a sequence of three defeats in four games during the season’s final month. In contrast, Shankly’s side went on a run of seven straight wins in March and April to end up four points clear of eventual runners-up Manchester United. Liverpool clinched the title with four games to spare but they had to make do with parading a home-made replica trophy after their final home game - a 5-0 thrashing of Arsenal - when Everton reputedly refused to hand over the League Championship until all the fixtures were completed. Liverpool 0, Everton 2 - February 22 1986 Like 1964, Everton were defending League Champions and this victory seemed to be putting them on their way for another title. Howard Kendall’s side had leapfrogged early pacesetters Manchester United into top spot having bridged a 17-point gap from Ron Atkinson’s charges. After this game, the Mersey rivals had both played 30 of their 42 matches and Everton were eight points clear of their neighbours. Worried Liverpool centre-back Alan Hansen had confided to Kenny Dalglish earlier in the season that he felt that this was possibly the most limited side he’d played in at Anfield and the rookie player-manager was ruled out of this encounter after failing to win his fitness battle. Dalglish was one of seven players sidelined in a Liverpool injury crisis and the hosts had to use Ian Rush as a lone frontman with Jan Molby pushing forward from midfield to provide support before he too had to be withdrawn at the interval. Everton triumphed 2-0 and the Daily Post’s Ian Ross declared in his match report: "The gloss may be disappearing from Mersey derbies but the magic remains." The visitors took the lead in bizarre fashion on 73 minutes when Kevin Ratcliffe hit one of only two goals in 459 games for Everton. The Welsh international skipper struck what was described as a ‘typical centre-back’s effort’ from 25 yards out which was ‘doomed to failure’. Yet somehow, Ratcliffe’s shot disappeared under Grobbelaar’s body and trundled over the line. Four minutes later, Pat Van Den Hauwe, who had been moved over to centre-back, cleared a Rush shot off the line and Everton secured the victory when Gary Lineker buried his one genuine opening of the afternoon. Afterwards, Kendall warned: "There is nearly a third of the season left to run so it would be foolish to start talking in terms of the championship." Kenny Dalglish said: "I thought Lineker was about five yards offside. Their first goal was deflected. They scored just as we were beginning to play well. "Obviously I’m disappointed. We looked to be getting into our stride when they scored a poxy goal." The Scot needn’t have worried though as his goal on the last day of the season secured a 1-0 win at Chelsea to ensure Liverpool, who won their final seven games, pipped their neighbours to the title by two points. | 
