๐จ 23 Aug 1989, Villa 1-1 Liverpool, Villa Park
Scorer(s) | David Platt | 60' |
Assist(s) | Paul Birch | 60' |
Fixture List
On This Day
Wednesday, 23 August 1989
Graham Taylorโs ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Villa draw for the second consecutive game at the start of the campaign having had to survive the usual Liverpool refereeing shenanigans.
Centre Back Andy Comyn ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ makes his debut in a Villa shirt aged 21 after moving from Alvechurch for ยฃ34,000 earlier this month to become the 665th player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.
Midfielder Paul Birch ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ makes his ๐ 175th start in a Villa shirt (190 Appearances).`
Last 5: ๐ฅ ๐ฅ ๐จ ๐จ ๐จ
Graham Taylor | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 1987-1990
๐ 100 | ๐ฉ | 41 ๐จ | 26 ๐ฅ 33 | 1.49
Villa Career Form:
Top 8
Game #4066
Match Record
Season | 1989-90 |
Matchday | #2 |
League Match | #2 |
Manager Game | #100 |
Wednesday, 23 August 1989
Game Record
Manager: Graham Taylor | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | Worksop, 1987-1990
Referee: Ron Groves | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | Isle of Wight, 1984โ1994
HT Score: ๐ฅ 0-1
FT Result: ๐จ Drew
FT Score: ๐จ 1-1
Last 5: ๐ฅ ๐ฅ ๐จ ๐จ ๐จ
Head to Head
Previous 5 vs. Liverpool: ๐จ ๐จ ๐ฅ ๐จ ๐ฅ
Total ๐ 134 | ๐ฉ W43 (32% ) | ๐จ D27 | ๐บ(52% ) | ๐ฅ L64 (48% ) | โฝ 211 | ๐ฅ 245 | GD -34
Trophy Cabinet
Aston Villa
European Cup / Champions League: ๐
UEFA Cup / Europa League: โ
League Champions: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
FA Cup Winners: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
League Cup Winners: ๐๐๐
Last Trophy: 1981-82
Liverpool
European Cup / Champions League: ๐๐๐๐
UEFA Cup / Europa League: ๐๐
League Champions: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
FA Cup Winners: ๐๐๐๐
League Cup Winners: ๐๐๐๐
Last Trophy: 1988-89
Squad News
Debut Appearances
๐ข CB Andy Comyn | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | #665 | ยฃ34,000 signing from Alvechurch
Final Appearances
None
Match Timeline
๐ข | 1โ Debut, Andy Comyn
๐ฅ
| 24โ Goal, 0-1, (Liverpool), John Barnes
๐ | HT Aston Villa 0-1 Liverpool
๐ | 46โ Sub off, Nigel Callaghan, Sub on, Ian Olney
โฝ | 60โ Goal, 1-1, David Platt, Assist by Paul Birch
๐ | 79โ Sub off, Adrian Heath, Sub on, Gareth Williams
๐ | FT Aston Villa 1-1 Liverpool
Officials
Referee: Ron Groves | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | Isle of Wight, 1984โ1994
Officials
Referee Profile
VAR Profile (Post 2021)
Officials
Villa Bookings
None
Villa Sendings Off
None
Opposition Bookings
๐จ
Opposition Sendings Off
None
Match Stats
Not recorded
Line Up & Subs
Aston Villa
Graham Taylor | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 1987-1990
GK Nigel Spink | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CB Andy Comyn | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | ๐ข |
CB Derek Mountfield | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CB Kent Nielsen | ๐ฉ๐ฐ |
CB Paul McGrath | ๐ฎ๐ช |
M Paul Birch | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | ๐ฅ |
M Gordon Cowans | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M David Platt | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | โฝ |
M Stuart Gray | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
W Nigel Callaghan | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | ๐ |
F Adrian Heath | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | ๐ |
Substitutes
๐ CF Ian Olney | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | for W Nigel Callaghan | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 46' |
๐ M Gareth Williams | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | for F Adrian Heath | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 79' |
Unused Substitutes
None
Liverpool
Kenny Dalglish | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
GK Bruce Grobbelaar | ๐ฟ๐ผ |
RB Barry Venison | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CB Alan Hansen | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
CB Glenn Hysรฉn | ๐ธ๐ช |
CB Steve Nicol | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
LB David Burrows | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Steve McMahon (ex) | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | ๐จ |
M Ronnie Whelan | ๐ฎ๐ช |
W John Barnes | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | โฝ |
CF Peter Beardsley | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CF Ian Rush | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ |
Substitutes
No Substitutions Made
Unused Substitutes
M Jan Mรธlby | ๐ฉ๐ฐ |
CF John Aldridge | ๐ฎ๐ช |
Team News
Aston Villa
Not recorded
Nigel Callaghan and Andy Comyn (debut) replace Chris Price and Tony Daley.
Liverpool
Not Recorded
Matchday Squads
Aston Villa
Liverpool
Match Media

What they Said
"We have two points from our first two matches. We could easily have lost them both and no-one would have been surprised."
Graham Taylor.
Villa boss Graham Taylor must have driven out of Villa Park last night with a grin on his face.
"We have two points from our first two matches. We could easily have lost them both and no-one would have been surprised." Said Taylor.
Nigel Spink. Paul Birch and a right-back named Andy Comyn - Andy Who? to most of the 33,796 crowd - were the pivotal Villa for figures.
It took rare nerve from Taylor to select Comyn six days after signing him on full pro forms from Alvechurch. Even mores so to ask the 21-year-old physics graduate to try to quell the best wing player in these islands, John Barnes.
Barnes initially teased and twisted Comyn until his head spun. The England player shimmied once, twice, three times before Comyn reeled to the ground and Barnes curled a right-foot shot off a defender and round Spink for Liverpool's goal.
Taylor said later that Villa were going nowhere in the first half. Yet, only a goal behind, he knew a team adjustment might at least supply new angles and initiatives.
Callaghan came off and lan Olney was deployed alone upheld while David Platt filled in behind him and Adrian Heath added a fourth man to the midfield.
Suddenly Birch was pushing resolutely down Liverpool's slightly weaker right side and for the first time they were being forced to act with more haste and to safeguard the flank.
Birch confused Liverpool into giving away a corner and crossed for Platt to crack a short-range shot inside the far post.
Then Spink dived instinctively to beat away Peter Beardsley's eight-yard shot.
Villa were now all hustle, holding on eagerly until the referee allowed Steve McMahon to handle the ball and then, after stopping to see whether he had been caught, rolled it to Beardsley.
It seemed that Taylor's luck had run dry in the last minute. Then Stuart Gray headed off the line and we knew it hadn't.
An absorbing, entertaining game.
Match Highlights
Team Selection
Goalkeeper
Defenders
Midfielders
Forwards
Substitutes
None
๐
๐
โฝ
๐ฅ
Sub 4
๐ฉ
๐จ
๐ฅ
None
๐
๐
โฝ
๐ฅ
Sub 3
๐ฉ
๐จ
๐ฅ
None
๐
๐
โฝ
๐ฅ
Sub 5
๐ฉ
๐จ
๐ฅ
1989-90
First Team Squad
Matchday Programme
League Table

