John Toshack's goal three minutes into the second half settled Liverpool's FA Cup quarter-final at Bristol City on 9 March 1974. A 1–0 win at Ashton Gate took Bill Shankly's side into the semi-finals, another away tie negotiated on a cup run which had already demanded two replays.
Liverpool had drawn with Doncaster Rovers and Carlisle United at Anfield before winning the return matches 2–0. A home victory by the same score against Ipswich Town then brought them to the last eight. This time, they would get through at the first attempt, but by their smallest winning margin of the campaign in the competition.
Shankly selected Toshack alongside Kevin Keegan, with Steve Heighway, Brian Hall, Peter Cormack and Ian Callaghan also in the starting side. Emlyn Hughes captained a team which included Phil Thompson in defence and Ray Clemence in goal. Bristol City were managed by Alan Dicks, and 37,671 spectators attended.
The first half finished goalless. Toshack's 48th-minute breakthrough gave Liverpool an advantage which remained intact for the rest of the afternoon. There was no second goal to remove the possibility of a Bristol City equaliser: the visitors had to make the one they had scored sufficient.
Phil Boersma replaced Heighway late in the match as Liverpool completed the job. The clean sheet was their fifth in succession in that season's FA Cup, following the Doncaster replay. Since conceding twice in the opening tie, they had not allowed another opponent to score.
Leicester City stood between Liverpool and Wembley. Their first semi-final would finish goalless at Old Trafford before Liverpool won the Villa Park replay 3–1, with Toshack again among the scorers.
The quarter-final had provided no such cushion. At Ashton Gate, one early second-half goal and another shut-out were enough to keep Liverpool's cup season alive.