Liverpool surrendered a two-goal lead as they were held to a 2-2 draw by third-tier Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday after second-half substitute Jason Cummins struck twice to inject some much-needed late magic into the competition, report Reuters.
The Shrews, 59 places below runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool, faced a seemingly impossible task when Donald Love’s own goal 28 seconds after halftime put Juergen Klopp’s much-changed side 2-0 up after Curtis Jones had opened the scoring.
But unlike Championship side Fulham and League One outfit Tranmere Rovers, thrashed earlier on Sunday by Manchester City and Manchester United respectively, Shrewsbury staged some Cup heroics to roar back and shake their illustrious visitors. Scottish striker Cummins began the comeback with a penalty after 65 minutes for a foul by Yasser Larouchi on Josh Laurent.
Liverpool were rattled and the New Meadow stadium erupted when Cummins raced on to a
long ball and fired past keeper Adrian.
In a nailbiting finale Klopp, who had made 11 changes to the side that beat Wolverhampton Wanderers on Thursday, even sent on Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain but Laurent almost won it for Shrewsbury with an audacious attempt.
The final whistle provoked a good-natured pitch invasion as Shrewsbury’s ecstatic fans celebrated their side’s best Cup result since beating Everton in the 2002-03 season.
It will also have put a smile on the faces of neutrals pining for a return of the FA Cup’s glory days.
“I told the players at halftime that the game was there for them,” said Shrewsbury manager Sam Ricketts.
“The belief within the group is unbelievable. Jason (Cummings) came on (after 60 minutes) and he’s a goalscorer.
“I was waiting and waiting to put him on then I finally did and he gets the chances and takes them.”
Shrewsbury’s reward will be a replay at Anfield.
