"West Ham belong in the First Division – without any argument," wrote one scribe on the morning of the game. Hammers were 10 points clear at the top of the Second Division and looked destined to return, but few gave them any hope of containing Dalglish, Souness & Co.
As expected, Liverpool took the game to the Hammers during the opening spell and on a slippery pitch, fierce tackles rained in from all sides, as both teams found themselves with just a split-second on the ball. After ten minutes, Sammy Lee fired the ball past Phil Parkes, but referee Clive Thomas adjudged that Colin Irwin was offside and the goal was disallowed, to the relief of Hammers' fans. Kenny Dalglish had Liverpool's only other real chance of the half but Parkes was equal to his effort. Hammers, for their part, were restricted to breakaways and on one counter-attack Paul Goddard volleyed just over Ray Clemence's crossbar.
The second half also remained goal-less as Souness, Kennedy and McDermott failed to create anything for Dalglish whilst Brooking and Devonshire equally struggled to carve out openings for Cross and Goddard. The game moved into extra time and just three minutes remained on Thomas' watch as the game exploded into life, enabling everyone to forget the previous 117 minutes of stalemate.
Liverpool were awarded a free-kick some 20 yards out. Alan Kennedy's effort thundered into the West Ham wall, felling Sammy Lee in the process. As the Hammers' defence raced out, Kennedy drove the rebound over the flattened Lee and past Parkes. The linesman flagged to indicate that Lee was offside but even after consulting his colleague Thomas allowed the goal to stand -despite vehement Hammers' protests.
West Ham pushed forward looking to save the game, and with just seconds remaining, Alan Devonshire's mazy run was brought to an illegal halt on the edge of the area. Ray Stewart's fierce free-kick deflected off the Liverpool wall for a corner. Thomas looked at his watch as Jimmy Neighbour raced over to float the kick towards Alvin Martin. The Hammers' defender nodded a powerful goal-bound header past Clemence, but as the ball moved under the angle McDermott punched it away.
100,000 fans held their breath as Ray Stewart prepared to take the last kick of the game and surely the most crucial of his career. Clemence dived to his right but Tonka' fiercely drove the ball the other way, to earn a replay at Villa Park. Justice had been done.