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Saints At Liverpool The Verdict !

This is the type of occasion that you dream of and pray happens more than once every 14 years or so, I wouldn't have missed it for the World.

Why some Saints fans would decide not to go to a semi final because they feel that the team is not entertaining totally baffles me, that was the case for this fixture up on a cold Merseyside.

Most football fans support their teams through thick and thin and that means for the majority of team through mainly thin, moments of glory are all too rare, but last night was pure magic and right up there with any other game I have attended in 45 years of going to Saints matches, I would not have missed it for the World.

This evening had every emotion in the book throughout the 90 minutes, the tension was at times unbearable as Liverpool poured forward and we surged at them on the break and then all that pent up pressure was released as Shane Long sent the visiting supporters into ecstasy with an injury time winner that finally put the tie to bed and poured cold water on any Liverpool hopes that they might recue the tie at the death.

It looked like it was going to be a lost cause for Saints when Virgil Van Dijk failed to pass muster, but it seems in the last week adversity has pulled the squad closer and raised the team spirit, those who thought Claude Puel had lost the dressing room had those ideas knocked back as every member of the squad who got on the pitch, ran chased harried and gave the proverbial 110%.

It was not pretty to watch but then again semi finals rarely are with teams so near and yet so far from Wembley, but it was about winning the tie and getting to the final, the 3,500 who travelled did not go to be entertained they went to support their team and be there for what would hopefully turn out to be a very special moment and it did.

I cannot remember much about the game or individual sections of play such was the tension, but then life seemed to go into slow motion as Josh Sims got the ball and ran and cut inside and suddenly the game had opened out the Liverpool defence were caught flat footed and then a slide rule pass to Shane Long left him clear on goal, the net bulged and then sheer madness.

This was a feeling that I can honestly say I have rarely experienced in 45 years and probably somewhere approaching 2,000 games, perhaps half a dozen times at most have I felt such joy and emotion and there were 3,500 others there with me to share it.

Some perhaps for the first time and some who have been on virtually the same roller coaster as myself over the same time period.

It was a special night and now it is going to be a special four weeks as we look forward to our first trip to Wembley for a major final in 38 years.

Matthew Street in Liverpool was the place that put the Beatles on the map, last night it was Saints fans making all the noise in the clubs and pubs on that famous thoroughfare.

So thank you to every player who played their part last night and in other games, two weeks ago you would have thought that Saints were bottom of the league and favourites for relegation, but now four wins out of five have suddenly turned this season into potentially our best since 1976 and you never know perhaps the best in our history.

We March ON !!!

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