Liverpool - 0 Crystal Palace - 2:FA Cup Fourth Round: One half of Merseyside awakes this morning bemused, baffled and beaten. A delirious pocket of south London will not have slept at all.
Any hopes Liverpool had of emulating their cup treble of 2001 died an inglorious death, though few who witnessed this game will comprehend how. Having peppered the visitors' goal through the first half, then seen first division opponents reduced to 10 men with 20 minutes to go, Liverpool lost. Memories of an equally unlikely FA Cup semi-final defeat to these opponents 13 years ago abound.
Where Palace once worshipped Alan Pardew, the match-winner that day, now they will elevate Julian Gray to hero. The former Arsenal trainee's stunning opener sent shockwaves through the Kop, and his run to the byline and cross 11 minutes from time prompted a befuddled Stéphane Henchoz to bundle into his own net.
The Tannoy announcer had made a point of pleading "God, please no extra-time this evening", presumably with the shot-shy stalemate at Selhurst Park 10 days earlier in mind. By the interval that danger remained despite Liverpool's fluid approach play. For 45 minutes, this was a slaughter disguised by an implausible scoreline with Palace spared humiliation only by the home side's profligacy.
The Londoners were tentative, their caution laid bare in a five-man rearguard which floundered through the early skirmishes. Liverpool monopolised possession and wreaked havoc. That they did not score may have been a legacy of recent local anxieties. Gérard Houllier's side had won only once here since early November, and that unconvincingly against first division opponents in Sheffield United.
El Hadji Diouf's slipped pass 70 seconds in for John Arne Riise to gather, centre and watch Bruno Cheyrou fluff set a tone which, by the interval, had become monotonous. Danny Murphy's resultant corner by-passed dawdling defenders for Sami Hyypia to nod wide of the far post, with the Kop howling in rage moments later as Danny Murphy squared and Michael Owen sliced wide.
This was an ominous stage for Cédric Berthelin to make only his fourth appearance as goalkeeper for Palace. But the Frenchman, formerly with Lens, initially excelled. A neat exchange between Cheyrou and the rejuvenated Emile Heskey sent Owen scurrying through the centre, but Berthelin's presence forced the striker to drift his shot wide.
Cheyrou was then denied by his compatriot at full stretch, with Darren Powell retreating to stifle Owen's attempt at a tap-in.
The interval brought Palace respite, though the restart brought the unlikeliest of rewards. The introduction of Dougie Freedman, adding much needed bite to a gummy attack, had hinted at greater ambition, with a flurry of attacks bucking the trend. But where Liverpool had fluffed their lines, Palace were clinical.
Freedman's dribble and pass found Danny Butterfield whose cross was flicked on by Dele Adebola, and Gray emerged from the confusion to hammer a volley beyond Jerzy Dudek.
Liverpool introduced Milan Baros, and on the face of it Palace's case was further weakened by Freedman's vicious elbow on Hyypia which saw the Scot sent off. But that was to reckon without Henchoz's mishap and a magnificent rearguard action by Palace.
Guardian Service
LIVERPOOL: Dudek; Carragher, Henchoz, Hyypia, Riise; Diouf, Murphy (Baros, 66), Hamann, Cheyrou; Owen, Heskey.
CRYSTAL PALACE: Berthelin; Butterfield, Powell, Popovic, Symons, Granville (Freedman, 36); Johnson (Thomson, 89), Mullins, Derry, Gray; Adebola (Akinbiyi, 90).
Referee: P Dowd.
