Shrewsbury hold the European and World Club champions to a draw in the FA Cup.

Shrewsbury hold the European and World Club champions to a draw in the FA Cup.

Who said that the FA Cup had lost its way, its identity, its soul and spirit, that indefinable something that just can't be explained? Maybe we thought the FA Cup had been robbed of its ineffable charm, its lovable sentimentality, its capacity to shock us. But then little Shrewsbury came along and put the cat among the pigeons. You question the FA Cup at your peril.

Just when you thought the FA Cup had lost its sense of humour, its appropriateness, its relevance and importance, here was an FA Cup tie that confounded the critics. It left most of us breathless with wonder and admiration, a genuine FA Cup classic with all the trappings that come with that package. It was a game that defied the form book, disproved the many urban myths that may have attached themselves to the FA Cup and almost left us stunned and lost for words. This must be allowed to happen over and over again because this could be addictive and besides we do love the underdog.

In the heart of deepest Shropshire, Shrewsbury, who once produced their very own spot of FA Cup giant killing on several occasions, almost did it again and how we willed them on when it looked as though the game might have been slipping away from them. But they suddenly discovered that the TV cameras were there to catch them for posterity and promptly decided that they were indeed photogenic.

When the fourth round of the FA Cup pitted Shrewsbury against European Champions and World Club champions Liverpool, it occurred to us that David should forget all about overcoming Goliath because this was a complete mismatch, a no contest so there seemed little point. But Shrewsbury, surrounded by some of the prettiest, picture postcard landscapes in England, had other ideas and you suspected that just around the corner, the immaculate meadows, fields and snug country pubs were ready to provide the home side with the warmest welcome and a right old knees up at the end.

The club that once boasted a coracle that fished out footballs landing amusingly in the River Severn with hilarious frequency, were pulling a fast one on the FA Cup. It is now 41 years ago since Shrewsbury, under the amiable Graham Turner, knocked Manchester City out of the FA Cup at the old Gay Meadow. Several seasons ago Shrewsbury sent Premier League Everton out of the FA Cup as well so this could hardly be considered as a major surprise.

Now Shrewsbury, at their new home of the grandiosely titled Montgomery Waters Meadow stadium, faced a Liverpool team who have more or less won this season's Premier League title and were in no mood to surrender. The bookmakers odds made Liverpool such overwhelming favourites for this tie, that perhaps Shrewsbury needn't have bothered to turn up for this game. But hold on, this was the FA Cup and sometimes the obvious becomes rather less so because we all know how the FA Cup can make fools of the experts, making a complete mockery of the current status of both teams.

But when the men in blue and yellow stripes crossed the line and emerged from the tunnel, we believed that the remote possibility might just become a real probability. When the stout hearted Donald Love, Aaron Pierre, Josh Laurent, Sean Goss and Callum Long all stepped up to the mark with their doughty determination and tireless commitment to the cause, we must have thought that Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool team should have been amply warned against complacency.

Shrewsbury, full of surprising finesse on the ball and more than capable of weaving together their attractive strands of good, honest passing to feet, poured forward on more than one occasion. And so after a nervous opening where the European Champions lived up to their name, Shrewsbury recovered their poise and clawed their way back admirably into the game in the second half. The fighting spirit which eventually brought the scores level was quite unlike anything we've seen in recent times.

On a muddy throwback of a pitch, Shrewsbury were full of pluck, resolve and bravery, an assured  intelligence in possession that occasionally belonged to a much higher sphere of football. The home team, far from being daunted and scared, were full of Old Salopian joie de vivre, stringing their neat cameos of dinky passes that moved them further and further up the pitch than they might have expected. At times there was an understandable naivety about their football but their second half comeback was a sight to behold.

Now though Liverpool's shrewd midfield creator Pedro Chirivera lanced Shrewsbury's somewhat brittle defence with an impeccably weighted ball to Curtis Jones who, with one memorable shot had toppled Merseyside rivals Everton in the last round of the FA Cup. Now the twinkle toed Jones broke through again with a perfectly timed run before guiding the ball into the net for Liverpool's opening goal.

From that point onwards it seemed as if Liverpool were set fair for another exhibition, an artistic demonstration of their pedigree, their refined ball control and their marvellously fluid movement. At times their passing became magnetic, almost hypnotic, a series of electrical impulses, effortless touches and a team absolutely inspired.

With Dejan Lovren, Joel Matip and Yasser Lakouci making rare first team appearances for Jurgen Klopp's Premier League champions elect, Fabinho, stabilising Liverpool's midfield, always on the hunt for a goal and Pedro Chirivella brimming with wit and invention, Liverpool were about to leave their League One opponents all tangled up in knots. Liverpool's wonderkids Harvey Elliot and Curtis Jones  were pulling Shrewsbury every which way, Divock Origi was always available to bind together all of Liverpool's smart approach play and then Tukami Minamino Liverpool's Japanese international, added his variety and delicate touch on the ball.

After Liverpool had added a second with a horrendously unfortunate own goal from Donald Love who, with nobody around him, succeeded only in turning the ball past Shrewsbury keeper Max O'Leary, the game could have been over for the home side. But the blue and yellow stripes came storming back into the match with pulsating conviction and a complete disregard of everything that had gone before.

So it was that Shrewsbury brought on their Saturday evening knight in shining armour. Jovial Jason Cummings, who had long been billed as a potential match winner, came bounding onto the pitch. The response was almost immediate. Yasser Lakouci, in a stupidly impetuous tackle just inside the Shrewsbury penalty area, brought down Cummings for a penalty to the home side. The heavily tattooed Cummings rolled the ball down the centre for the goal for a deserved equaliser. Shrewsbury were now in fantasy land and it would have been a travesty of justice had the game drifted away from them.

Then with minutes to go Cummings conjured another trick. A long goal kick from goalkeeper Max O'Leary sailed all the way towards Cummings who, with a delightfully feathery touch, ran onto the ball before firing joyfully past the despairing legs of Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian. The game was now level and suddenly Shrewsbury began to think that this was too good to be true. Perhaps just perhaps they could achieve the impossible but not quite.

Still, Shrewsbury had held the European Champions to a draw and that seemed good enough. That perhaps had been their game plan. We should have known all along. The underdogs with no chance whatsoever had taught Liverpool all about the FA Cup's famous fables. You should never underestimate those you may think are beneath you. Anfield will almost certainly mark the end for Shrewsbury but the cash injection and much higher profile they will gain from a replay with Liverpool may be all the consolation they need. If only they could bottle FA Cup ties such as this.