 IT has become almost a tradition for Liverpool defenders to score vital goals in European finals. Tommy Smith grabbed a fairytale goal against Borussia Moenchengladbach in Rome in their first European Cup triumph, with full-back Phil Neal adding the coup de grace with the third from the penalty spot in the 3-1 victory. Neal added another seven years later against Roma, while Larry Lloyd and Marcus Babbel both found the net during the UEFA Cup victories of 1973 and 2001 respectively. But while some of the greatest strikers in Europe have found hitting the target in the biggest game of their club careers a tricky one, Alan Kennedy made it into an art form. The winner against Real Madrid in 1981 was followed by the crucial spot-kick against Roma three years later. Add goals in two League Cup finals and it is easy to why he became a fans' favourite during his eight seasons at Anfield. But it was that goal in Paris that epitomised the swashbuckling style that made the Geordie, dubbed 'Barney Rubble' by Liverpool supporters, the man for the big occasion. With extra-time looming Kennedy took namesake Ray's throw-in on his chest and charged into the Madrid area before unleashing a typically fierce left-foot drive into the back of the net. Kennedy, even now, finds it hard to describe his emotions on that momentous occasion. He recalled: "I some ways it is so difficult to describe a feeling. Obviously I was absolutely ecstatic. "But to me it felt just like an ordinary game, you don't realise the implications until later on, that is was the European Cup final. I just felt as though it was a game. Part of my job description was to score goals as well as stop goals, so I was in the right place at the right time. I had scored in the League Cup final six weeks previously against West Ham. "And maybe Bob had that at the back of his mind, that it would be a tight game and if there was anyone who was going to score, maybe it would come from the full-backs. Both myself and Phil Neal had scored many times." | 
