Liverpool v Heart of Midlothian – as it happened

Luis Suarez scored a late equaliser that sent the Reds into the Europa League group stage

Europa League 2012-13 qualifiers
Liverpool 1

Suárez 88

Hearts 1

Templeton 84

Scott Murray
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 30 August 2012 21.55 BST

Andy Carroll, right, and Brendan Rodgers of Liverpool
"OK, big man, I'll draw you a map. Start out on Anfield Road. Turn right onto Skerries Road, then after about a quarter of a mile turn left onto the A5089. At the lights, hang a left onto the A5049, following the signs for Manchester and St Helens. Watch out, there are quite a few speed cameras around there. When you get to the big roundabout, take the third exit, then at the next lights turn right onto the A5058. Keep on for about a mile and a half, until you get to some more lights and the sign for Huyton and Warrington, which is where you branch left onto the A5080. Then you'll hit the M62. Put your foot down, and keep going. Don't turn around."

Ahead of tonight's crucial Europa League qualifier between these two giants of British football, the breaking news is this: the big man's done one. Andy Carroll is off to West Ham United, after a largely unsuccessful year-and-a-half on Merseyside, time which nonetheless saw him warmly received by the red half of the city. And the blue half, but let's at least try to pretend we're above taking cheap shots. Getting rid of a popular, hard-working and - the crucial point, this - preposterously overpriced player is new Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers' first major call. A good one for both parties? One suspects Carroll is more likely to prosper under Big Sam's style of play than that of Wee Brendan, so even if the striker goes on a goal rampage down south, it'll be hard to point the finger at Liverpool's boss. Although if Hearts give his side bother this evening, Rodgers might regret the lack of a blood-and-thunder Plan B on the bench.

So can Hearts give Liverpool bother this evening? Well, you'd not expect them to, not much. They've drawn three of their last four games, losing the other one 1-0 to a second-string Liverpool in the first leg of this tie. The Reds are unlikely to be at full strength this evening either, but they're bound to be full of confidence anyway after a superb showing against the English champions Manchester City at the weekend. Still, Hearts will take, eh, heart from their display against Liverpool at Tynecastle: Marius Zaliukas, Mehdi Taouil, Arvydas Novikovas, John Sutton and - especially - David Templeton and were all superb in the early stages of that match, giving the English favourites real problems before running out of steam a wee bit. Liverpool will be looking to get this dealt with sooner rather than later, but a surprise early goal for the visitors, and you never know how this could pan out.

Kick off: 8.05pm.

Liverpool, who hope 18-year-old striker Adam Morgan, handed his first competitive start for the first team, will Do A Sterling: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Skrtel, Downing, Henderson, Allen, Shelvey, Gerrard, Morgan, Suarez.
Subs: Jones, Johnson, Jose Enrique, Agger, Coates, Borini, Sterling.

Heart of Midlothian, made up of exactly the same XI who started the first leg and gave Liverpool a proper match: MacDonald, Ryan McGowan, Webster, Zaliukas, Grainger, Novikovas, Barr, Taouil, Paterson, Templeton, Sutton.
Subs: Hamilton, Robinson, Driver, Holt, Dylan McGowan, McHattie, Carrick.

Referee: Vladislav Bezborodov (Russia)

Brendan Rodgers has been on to confirm that Big Andy is down at Big Sam's getting measured up. "The club made a MONUMENTAL [dramatic pause so cynics can take the sentence off in their own direction] investment in Andy," he begins, before explaining that such a player can't fester on the bench, especially as he really wants to be out there getting involved. An honest answer, though you can't help thinking he was very, very close to one hell of a Freudian slip there.

The teams are out! Liverpool in their new old-fashioned bright red, Hearts dressed in their second-choice all-white strip. A fine atmosphere at Anfield, just like it was up in Edinburgh last week. The players have come from the dressing rooms to the pitch along the shortest, most efficient route. I wonder if it was mapped out by Mark Peachey, who has emailed in to suggest Brendan has sent Andy around the houses a wee bit up there in our picture caption. "The anal-map-geek-and-St Helens-dweller couldn't help but conjure up a better route for Andy Carroll out of Liverpool," he writes. "Simply follow the East Lancs Road (A580) out to St Helens where he could pick up the A58 to Bolton or even Burnley should the price be right."

And we're off! Hearts get the ball rolling, and they're kicking towards the Kop in the first half, suggesting Liverpool won the toss, as they like hoofing the ball into the faces of their own fans during the second 45.

2 min: Liverpool spend most of the opening minute with the ball, passing it around awhile. Henderson nearly makes ground down the left, then the eager Morgan battles for a bit, but that's as far as Liverpool get on this particular attack. "While I have to agree that Hearts did indeed give Liverpool a proper match in the first leg, I'd have to put it down to Liverpool - on the day at least - being so soul-destroyingly bad," argues Adam Allaway. "In fact, going by that performance I'd rather watch Big-man Carroll miss a few gilt-edged chances and score the odd Euro 2012 wonder header than have to endure Jonjo Shelvy misplace a pass every two minutes and Borini running around like a headless chicken. Draw against City aside, I still think Liverpool will struggle this season, especially with Suarez up front. If John W. Henry really is interested in Sabermetrics in Football as well as Baseball, why the Uruguayan is still in the squad is beyond me." Brand awareness? He's a talking point for fans and neutrals alike, you've got to give him that.

4 min: All a bit shapeless at the moment. Liverpool are closing Hearts down very efficiently, not giving the visitors a sniff so far. But they've not put much together in the opposition half yet. Downing and Suarez try an elaborate one-two down the left, but Ryan McGowan's all over it.

5 min: Decent work at either end, the game suddenly springing to life. First up, it's Hearts, Paterson latching onto a throw down the right, letting it bounce, flicking it into the air, and Le Tissiering a curling, dipping effort towards the top left. It's always going wide, but not by much. Then Suarez, up the other end, dances down the inside-right channel, but nothing comes of the burst.

7 min: Morgan is very lucky to escape a booking, with a late slide on Novikovas. The referee's obviously decided an early card won't do anyone any favours, though Hearts will quite rightly feel aggrieved about that should one of their lads see yellow soon. The ref owes them one. And young Morgan needs to calm down a bit, because he was quite feisty in the opening minutes down the left there, too.

9 min: Downing is sent clear down the left. Romping into space, he curls a magnificent cross towards Morgan, who takes the ball down with his upper arm. The referee must like the cut of the young lad's jib, because he doesn't blow for a hand ball. Luckily for Hearts, and for the concept of justice in general, Morgan can't get the ball under any sort of control, and the chance is lost.

12 min: Barr battles well down the inside-right channel and knocks the ball back for the lively Paterson, who takes another shot from the edge of the area. It's immediately blocked by Skrtel, and Liverpool clear. The home side have enjoyed most of the possession so far, but Hearts are playing with some confidence here. One senses that confidence isn't built on particularly solid ground - an early goal for Liverpool could see them crumble - but if one of these Paterson efforts was to fly in, say, we could have ourselves quite a fixture here.

14 min: A clever little flick by Suarez down the inside-right channel isn't far from releasing the livewire Morgan, but the 18-year-old mistimes his run and is flagged offside.

15 min: The much-maligned Downing - who has been very decent so far - skips past a wild McGowan challenge down the left and loops a dangerous cross to the far post. Morgan unselfishly nods back across the face of goal. Suarez then looks to guide a zig-zag header back into the top right corner, beating the flailing Macdonald, but Zaliukas is on hand to hack clear off the line. Brilliant play by Liverpool, but not particularly convincing defending by Hearts.

18 min: Skrtel momentarily turns into Franz Beckenbauer, going on a long slalom down the middle of the pitch. That was quite something. The ball's pinged around across the front of the Hearts area for a limited amount of time, before Suarez gets fed up with the baroque stylings and breaks into the area down the inside-right. His attempt to bustle through sees the ball flicking up and hitting Taouil on the arm. It wasn't a penalty, though you've seen them given I suppose.

20 min: Hearts try a bit of tiki-taka themselves, the move ending with Taouil having a lash from the right-hand side of the D. He doesn't quite catch it, but the ball deflects as it bobbles through and the Kop can be heard taking a sharp intake of breath. Reina adjusts and snaffles the ball.

22 min: Some things never change. Liverpool, with Allen and Suarez in the heart of it, spray the ball this way and that at high speed, looking to pull Hearts out of shape and work an opening. Kelly is waiting in acres for the pass down the right, and Hearts are looking tatty in the middle too, but Gerrard decides to have one of his trademark flays, and that's pretty much that.

24 min: Kelly, in acres down the right, slices a woeful deep cross into the stand on the opposite side of the pitch. Gerrard's questionable decision of two minutes ago suddenly looks far smarter than it did at the time.

27 min: Templeton and Paterson are again causing Liverpool bother down the inside-right channel. Paterson bustles into the box, and can't get a shot away. The ball breaks to Paterson, who shifts it to the left, and is clipped on the heel by a very clumsy Carragher. It's a very slight touch, but enough for a penalty. The fact that Carragher is very ostentatiously trying to get out of the way and avoid contact seems to have saved Liverpool there, but Hearts will quite rightly feel livid about that.

28 min: Morgan, down the right, has a low shot which MacDonald turns into a seven-course supper. The keeper snaffles the ball at the second attempt, with Suarez scurrying in. A sense that a goal could be coming along at any minute, though it's by no means certain the home side will be the ones who get it.

30 min: A magnificent run by Gerrard, whose shoulders turn into yo-yos as he drops them this way and that to scoot past Webster, then two other Hearts shirts, down the inside-left and into the box. He manufactures enough space to get a shot away, but it's under his feet, scuffed, and saved well by MacDonald with a strong left arm. But for the first time, Hearts were properly opened up.

33 min: Adam Morgan puts the ball in the net for a full-debut goal, but it's chalked out. Suarez dances down the inside-right channel, reaches the byline, then zips the ball low and hard through the six-yard box. The predatory Morgan is on hand to sidefoot into the empty net, but the linesman flags: the ball's gone out of play before Suarez crossed. That was the correct decision, although you do have to wonder how the official was certain the whole ball crossed the line, with Suarez's body in the way. Still, a correct call's a correct call, so who can complain?

35 min: Templeton, down the right, sends a high cross to the far post. Sutton gets his eyebrows on it, but can only send the ball miles left of goal. A half-decent chance for the targetman, though. The promising Templeton is having a very good game.

36 min: Suarez flicks the ball over his own head down the inside-right channel and isn't far away from latching onto the free ball in the Hearts area. But MacDonald is out quickly to claim. The home crowd are getting a tad frustrated, which will be exactly how Hearts like it.

39 min: Anfield isn't quite nervous yet, but they'll be thinking about Hearts' goalless draw at Spurs this time last year. And unlike the north Londoners, Liverpool aren't five goals ahead in this tie.

40 min: Templeton is in a fair bit of space down the right, but after cutting inside hits a woeful shot deep into the Kop. A chance to work Reina spurned.

42 min: Gerrard plays a superlative ball between the Grainger and Novikovas down the right to release Kelly, but Novikovas works hard to regain the ground and blocks the resulting cross. The ball balloons out for a corner, from which nothing comes.

43 min: Carragher may not be ideal for the all-new Rodgers passing style, but he's still a fantastic meat-and-potatoes defender. Templeton is this close from latching onto a long ball down the left and breaking clear into the area, but Carragher isn't having any of it, and clatters the young man in a 50-50 challenge before haring off with the ball. After going straight through two more white shirts as he clanks a series of mini-clearances upfield, he eventually concedes a free kick, but Hearts can't even get the set piece past the first man and into the box. Carragher had done his job.

44 min: Official confirmation from Liverpool Football Club that Andy Carroll has joined West Ham United on a season-long loan. "Which chapter of Moneyball features loaning out your most expensive player with no guarantee of a purchase at the end of the loan period?" wonders Graeme Neill, not unreasonably. "Still, the prospect of Carroll sampling London nightlife will keep the front pages of the tabloids happy."

HALF TIME: Liverpool 0-0 Heart of Midlothian. The home side wanders off to muted applause. The away side take their leave to a tumult from the away end. If Liverpool don't up their game immediately after the restart, and score an opening goal that'd put a bit of distance between the two teams, this could get fairly interesting. Don't go away.

HEIDRUM-HAUDRUM HALF-TIME ENTERTAINMENT: In honour of Liverpool's guests this evening, ladies and gentlemen please put your hands together for Mr Andy Stewart...

Actually, there was a reason the BBC canned the White Heather Club all the way back in the 1960s, wasn't there.

And we're off again! Both teams unchanged, they start running around once Liverpool clip the ball off the blob of paint slap bang in the middle of the pitch. But first, more on that controversial route to shuttle Carroll out of Liverpool. George Wright is of the opinion that he should have stayed closer to home: Bolton. "He wants to get to the M62 sharpish, fork left onto the M60 (N and E) and, at J15, take the M61 to junction six at Middlebrook," he suggests. "Then he could learn at the breast of the original Big Man, Big Kev himself."

47 min: A couple of prods down the left by Suarez, but he can't quite break through into the area. He seems to have come out in reasonably determined mood. "My family emigrated from Scotland in 1968, the same year the White Heather Club was cancelled," recalls Paul Connelly. "Had I known that's all it would take, I would have lobbied my parents to get us onto the boat earlier."

49 min: Liverpool have upped the tempo, Gerrard and Suarez combining down the right to force a corner. Skrtel is hanging around the near post, and sidefoots a volley goalwards. Grainger somehow shins it out for another corner. Shelvey has a dig from the edge of the box from the second set piece, but it's easily blocked. "I've only just noticed the resemblance between ESPN pundit Didi Hamann and Michael Vaughan," yawns Phil Sawyer. "It's not so much the slight physical resemblance (although there is one), but more the slightly stilted, slightly exaggerated way they lean forward and speak into the microphone. Okay, I admit it, that's all I've got. That first half left me seriously devoid of things to talk about." I feel your pain.

51 min: A much better strike from Shelvey, who nudges the ball down the inside-left channel before unleashing a rising, grumbling shot towards the top-left corner. The ball's a wee bit wide and high, but not too far off target.

54 min: Liverpool ping it around a bit. A long period of possession ends when Henderson falls over and smothers the ball like a fleshy blanket. This half hasn't really started yet. "Whatever happens in the second half it's been a good day for Scottish football," writes Simon McMahon. "Some of our press up here (those based in the west, essentially) were predicting the death of Scottish football over the summer and now we have a team in the CL, Hearts drawing at Anfield and Motherwell doing the same in Spain. Our Olympians did us proud, Andy Murray's looking good in New York and Paul Lawrie is back in the Ryder Cup team. Never mind Andy Stewart, where's the Corries?" You'll be distressed to hear that Levante have just taken the lead against Motherwell. There goes that nationalistic party. Will a blast of Jimmy Shand do?

No, probably not.

57 min: A couple of crosses from the left from Downing in quick succession. On ESPN, pundit Craig Burley can hardly contain his glee that Andy Carroll is not on the end of either of them. The nerve of Brendan Rodgers, with his pretensions beyond route-one football. How dare he!

60 min: Gerrard again busies himself to win a corner down the right. From it, Skrtel looks to boom a replica of his header against Manchester City into the net, but a weak effort squirts well wide left of goal. "Who's going to replace Big Andy?" wonders Niall Mullen. "Carroll was not the answer (unless the question was 'no, really, who did Liverpool spend £35m on?') but this team already lacks goals without loaning a few to West Ham." I'm guessing this means the Clint Dempsey thing might happen now, or perhaps Theo Walcott, or maybe Daniel Sturridge, though you can't trust what you read in the papers. Or what managers say: according to the Guardian's very own Mr Jacob Steinberg, Sam Allardyce spent the entire afternoon telling him and several other assorted hacks that Carroll was categorically not coming to the Boleyn Ground. And now look. I wonder if Liverpool are about to throw a curved ball? Here, Dimitar Berbatov hasn't completed his medical at Fulham yet!

62 min: Morgan, down the inside right with his back to goal, sends a wondrous reverse ball high down the channel. Zaliukas heads the ball straight into the air, and nearly allows Suarez in on goal, but the Liverpool striker, going up for a header with MacDonald, is penalised for being clattered on the back of the nut by the keeper. It's young Morgan's last kick; he's replaced by Raheem Sterling.

64 min: How many ways can Luis Suarez find to miss? He's released straight down the middle, the ball shuttled at high speed from Allen to Henderson and onto the striker. Suarez rounds Macdonald on the right, but takes too firm a touch, and from an unnecessarily tight angle clanks the ball against Webster's shins and onto the post. The ball goes out for a corner, from which ...

65 min: ... Suarez somehow manages to miss again from close range! This time he twists and turns down the right, reaches the edge of the six-yard box, and flashes a low, hard shot wide left of goal. He looks pained, but not half as anguished as some of the coupons in the Kop.

67 min: Driver comes on for Sutton. "Carroll wants to hang a right, head towards Chester, then follow the A5, A483, then A40 to Carmarthen," advises Matt Dony, who may or may not have the player's best interests at heart. "He could be a Carmarthen Town legend at Richmond Park. If ever a league thrived on hoofing it up towards a big man, it's the welsh premier. Plus, cheap houses, and Metros the nightclub. Just the one, but I'm sure he'll enjoy it."

68 min: Driver looks to make an instant impact, but bustling down the right can't get a shot away before being crowded out by Carragher.

69 min: Gerrard, perhaps understandably miffed at watching Suarez faff about, takes the ball off the Uruguayan down the inside left, and has a dig from distance. His shot, across the face of goal towards the bottom right, isn't far away, but always covered by MacDonald.

71 min: Henderson, not for the first time this half, slides a clever pass between the Hearts centre backs to release Suarez. The striker's entitled to go for the ball, but he's beaten to it by a millisecond by the outrushing MacDonald, who takes a clatter in the phizog for his troubles. No intent, and no lasting damage either. We move on.

72 min: Liverpool hit the woodwork again! This really is getting silly. First Sterling dances down the inside right and is tackled well by Grainger in the area. The Kop bray for a penalty, but it's a majestically timed challenge. Liverpool are immediately coming back at Hearts, Suarez replicating Sterling's jig, getting himself tackled, Gerrard latching onto the loose ball. He batters it against the right-hand post, and out for a corner which is wasted.

74 min: A couple of bursts upfield by Hearts, first through Templeton, then by Paterson. Both moves peter out before reaching the Liverpool area, but the home fans are getting a wee bit nervous here. "When's the last time Liverpool scored from open play?" wonders Bryan Tisinger. "Their two goals against City were from a corner and a free kick. Their goal against Hearts was an own goal. My memory doesn't go any further back." Neither does mine, but a distant bell rings, and I'm pretty sure they have done one at some point.

76 min: Both teams make a change. Carrick comes on for Novikovas, while Borini comes on in Henderson's stead, the latter being serenaded by the away fans as part of a searing critique of Liverpool's economic policy.

79 min: Carrick makes a determined run down the inside left. Allen bundles the sub over just before he reaches the box, but for some reason known only to himself, the referee waves play on. He's made several odd decisions tonight, this ref, and Hearts have been on the wrong end of most of them.

80 min: Taouil cuts inside from the left and launches a shot goalwards. The ball rises high over the right-hand corner of the posts. A decent effort, though Reina was behind it all the way.

81 min: Barr is rightly booked for a ludicrous lunge on Allen, a carbon copy of the one Morgan executed on Novikovas early doors. Again, this referee has been kind to the home side.

83 min: But the referee gives Hearts this decision, Sterling foolishly barging Templeton over on the edge of the Liverpool D. This free kick is in a very dangerous position - and Hearts have a real chance of taking this game towards extra time! Grainger steps up, and ...

84 min: GOAL!!! Liverpool 0-1 Heart of Midlothian. ... sidefoots an obvious ball straight off the top of Skrtel's head. A corner on the left. It's easily dealt with by Skrtel, who heads clear. But Templeton, down the left, cuts inside and hammers a low shot goalwards. It's straight at Reina, but the occasionally dodgy keeper showcases one of his howlers, his hands flapping like the shutters on the windows of a haunted house, allowing the ball to squirm into the bottom left corner. A dreadful piece of keeping, and well may he hold his head in despair. Templeton makes towards the Hearts fans next door to this incident; they're going wild as you'd expect.

86 min: Liverpool respond through Gerrard down the right. Grainger bundles him over, and is booked. The free kick is wasted. On the touchline, Brendan Rodgers looks monumentally depressed. But then ...

88 min: GOAL!!! Liverpool 1-1 Heart of Midlothian. Suarez has missed a couple of easy chances, but now look! He tears off down the left. He's on his own, but with head down, Milan Baros style, keeps going down a cul-de-sac at speed. Zaliukas looks to have moved him out wide, out of harm's way, but suddenly Suarez drops a shoulder for an extra yard and then threads a low fizzer into the bottom-right corner! Anfield erupts, albeit not in too much relief yet; another Hearts goal will send them through.

90 min: There will be three added minutes of this. What a finish to an otherwise uneventful game! Can Hearts - and I have to say it, these brave Hearts - provide one last amazing twist?

90 min +1: Sterling takes a wander down the right, then feeds his captain Gerrard, who swings a ball to the far post. Webster is forced to bundle it out for a corner on the left.

90 min +2: Nothing from the corner for the home side. Liverpool are still playing quite an expansive, attacking game here. What they would do for another Didi Hamann; now there was someone who knew how to run the clock down.

FULL TIME: Liverpool 1-1 Heart of Midlothian. But they don't need a New Didi, with the referee blowing up a good 50 seconds before the end of the promised three extra minutes. Liverpool are through to the group stages of the Europa League, while Hearts are out. In truth, the right team are advancing, though Hearts made Liverpool work for that, giving them a real scare. The hapless Pepe Reina owes Luis Suarez a very large drink.

Taken from the Guardian/Observer