Jan Mølby’s penalty four minutes from time rescued Liverpool at Vicarage Road before Ian Rush settled their FA Cup quarter-final replay in extra time. The 2–1 victory over Watford on 17 March 1986 sent Kenny Dalglish’s side through to face Southampton.
After a goalless first meeting at Anfield, the replay also reached half-time without a goal. John Barnes broke the deadlock two minutes after the restart, curling a left-footed free-kick around Liverpool’s wall after Jim Beglin had held back Worrell Sterling.
Liverpool pressed for an equaliser, with Tony Coton repeatedly denying Rush. Watford defender Steve Terry later recalled the strain of that sustained pressure: Liverpool’s passing and movement demanded concentration as well as running.
The breakthrough came when Steve McMahon played Rush into the right side of the penalty area. Rush was moving away from goal as Coton came out to challenge him. The striker fell and referee Roger Milford awarded a penalty. Coton maintained in a 2009 interview that he had made no contact; the decision remained a grievance for Watford.
Mølby sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 1–1. Coton’s later account acknowledged the precision of the penalty: the Dane had waited until he was off balance before directing the ball to the other side.
Rush scored the winner in the 108th minute. Receiving Dalglish’s pass near the edge of the area, he shifted the ball onto his left foot and drove a low shot past Coton. Liverpool had taken the lead for the first time across the two matches. This time Watford had no reply.