Plymouth 0 Liverpool 1: Lucas Leiva breaks six-year goal drought as Reds hang on to book FA Cup fourth-round tie

THIS time they made no mistake.

Lucas Leiva, captain for the night, made damn sure of that.

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Five games into 2017 and Liverpool have finally remembered what it takes to win.

They are up and running again, coughing and spluttering their way into the New Year.

They missed a penalty late on but it does not matter now.

Lucas, linked with moves back to Brazil and Italy with Inter Milan on loan, got the winner after 18 minutes.

If it turns out to be a leaving gift, it was a collector’s item.

This was his first goal since September 16, 2010, with historians rifling through the record books when he latched on to Philippe Coutinho’s corner.

Lucas arrived unmarked at the near post to send a powerful, well-directed header beyond Luke McCormick.

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Just over six years since his last goal, the Brazilian has not forgotten how to celebrate.

He pumped his fists in front of Plymouth’s fans, screaming out after hitting the target for the first time since a Champions League clash against Steaua Bucharest.

But the Brazilian did not believe it was more than six years since he last scored.

He joked: “It is that long? I scored last week in training, you know!

“It’s good to score. I don’t score many and I helped the team. Plymouth played fair and they were on the ball all the time but they were strong physically. We had a lot of young players but it’s a good experience and the main thing was to get through to the next round.”

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp agreed with his skipper over his training-ground goal.

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The German said: “The day before a game we always play old versus young and he’s the top scorer for old actually! It’s unbelievable.

“It was a nice set-piece. We saw a lot of space and he could be open, it was a perfect cross and Lucas did the rest.”

It was such an important goal, a stomach-settler for the travelling fans who made the 293-mile trip from Merseyside.

Defeat against League Two opposition was unthinkable.

The Liverpool story can move on now, to Anfield on Saturday lunchtime when they face Swansea and then a fourth-round visit from Wolves.

They survived this trip to Home Park. Plucky Plymouth. Gutsy Plymouth. Heroic Plymouth. They gave everything on that immaculate Home Park playing surface.

Plymouth can be so proud.

Of the players, who earned this replay after surviving the 90-minute onslaught at Anfield 11 days ago.

Of the fans who turned out again. Everyone involved with the club made it a special night.

The result went against them, with the gulf in class telling.

Still, they gave it a right good go out there.

There must have been a temptation to knock it long, to send it to the big man Arnold Garita up front and hope for something to fall kindly.

Instead, they remained true to the game, to the principles that have taken them into the automatic promotion places in League Two.

They set up very defensively, just as they did at Anfield.

Klopp had even picked Coutinho as an insurance policy. Daniel Sturridge and Coutinho both had chances before the visitors took the lead.

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Sturridge wanted a penalty when Plymouth right-back Oscar Threlkeld, the outstanding man in those dark green shirts, timed his interception to perfection.

Generations of Plymouth fans will live off this adventure for years to come.

This, along with their famous friendly against Pele’s Santos in 1973 and the FA Cup run 11 years later, are part of Plymouth folklore now.

Even Liverpool’s early goal did not silence them.

There were gasps, with the Green Army jumping out of their seats, when Graham Carey forced Loris Karius to make a save to his left in the first half.

Suddenly, Argyle were in the mix and Threlkeld was behind their best chance right at the end of the first half. He beat Lucas for pace, collecting the ball inside the Liverpool penalty area.

Garita read his cutback but Trent Alexander-Arnold recovered in the nick of time to clear for a corner.

They gave it a go in the second half, with Karius relieved to see a Jake Jervis effort hit the post.

Liverpool got a late penalty when Yann Songo’o upended Alberto Moreno but Divock Origi sent his tame effort into McCormick’s arms.

Plymouth piled forward but Lucas — who else — made the crucial interception.

Klopp added: “It wasn’t the most exciting game but, for us, it’s important and another game for a few boys.”

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DREAM TEAM RATINGS

Liverpool: Karius 7; Alexander-Arnold 7, Gomez 7, Lucas 7, Moreno 7; Coutinho 7 (Wilson 65', 6), Stewart 7, Ejaria 6; Sturridge 6 (Ojo 76', 6), Origi 6, Woodburn 6.

Subs: Klavan, Mignolet, Williams, Randall, Neves Alves

Booked: Gomez, Ejaria, Ojo

Goals: Leiva