SOCCER - FA Premiership/ Liverpool 0 Charlton Athletic 1: They played Lou Reed's Perfect Day over the Tannoy at the end here, though, in the circumstances, the irony was excruciating.
After the shambles of this performance and with their fans' anguished screams chasing them back down the tunnel, Liverpool knew they had failed a test of nerves. Miserably.
Champions League qualification has been taken out of their hands after a pointless Easter programme, with Charlton's previously dwindling hopes pepped, having deservedly secured their first league victory in this arena for 50 years. Newcastle and Aston Villa will feel similarly encouraged, the sense that Liverpool have surrendered the initiative inescapable.
The race for fourth position has long since become a treacherous crawl. "The chase is still open, we're still there," insisted Gerard Houllier in the pained aftermath. "The mistake would be to throw the towel in now." Yet the catcalls at the final whistle suggest the Kop are far from convinced that either the manager or his side can muster enough to pluck much consolation from a desperate campaign.
So insipid were the home team here, faced with organised and patient opponents, that Steven Gerrard was reduced to diving hopefully in the area before the end. His tumble over Radostin Kishishev's challenge earned the England midfielder a first yellow card of the season. Kneeling on the turf while Charlton's delirious fans in the Anfield Road end roared their approval, Gerrard's body language suggested the game was up.
It is not yet, but the Londoners now sit two points off Liverpool with a game in hand and their confidence buoyed. Even with a makeshift side and five regular full-backs in their line-up, with Herman Hreidarsson outstanding as he filled in the centre, they smacked of strength and purpose. Liverpool's inspiration merely drained away.
El Hadji Diouf and Harry Kewell were critically peripheral, their lack of creation damning. Dietmar Hamann is not the player he once was and never imposed himself, Michael Owen laboured to make an impact and the ponderous defence, when it needed to be solid to preserve a point, showed itself to be the soft underbelly it too often is.
Rumours abound that Philippe Mexes of Auxerre could join for next season, though, given more of this, he may have to pass up European football to do so. The decisive goal was indicative of deep-seated shortcomings. Claus Jensen's 63rd-minute corner, won legitimately off John-Arne Riise despite the home manager's protests, was headed past Jerzy Dudek by the unmarked Shaun Bartlett and Charlton had the lead they warranted.
They might have had a penalty of their own seconds earlier, Gerrard barging Hreidarsson at Jensen's free-kick, but it mattered not.
This was Alan Curbishley's first victory as player or manager at Anfield and it was a timely success. Only 10 points had been gleaned from the 10 games since Scott Parker's €15m defection to Chelsea. Now their chances of a first taste of continental competition are revived. "I don't think the pressure was on us today," said the manager. "No one expected us to get a result, but there were some heroic performances out there. A few clubs around us now will start thinking that this is still up for grabs, and it puts us right back into it."
If they rediscover their home form then Charlton could eclipse Liverpool. Jonatan Johansson's first-half spin and shot had suggested theirs was the sharper edge even if it did take a point-blank save from the excellent Dean Kiely to keep out Vladimir Smicer's late far-post header and preserve the advantage.
"We have to blame ourselves, no excuses," added Houllier. "We've missed a good opportunity to gain a lead in the pursuit of fourth place, but we didn't play well enough out there. The dressing-room is not the happiest at the moment. It was a disappointing result, a disappointing performance." Unfortunately, it sits easy in a disappointing season.
Guardian Service
LIVERPOOL: Dudek; Riise, Henchoz, Hyypia, Carragher, Kewell, Gerrard, Hamann, Diouf (Smicer 57), Owen, Heskey (Baros 57). Subs Not Used: Murphy, Cheyrou, Luzi Bernardi. Booked: Gerrard.
CHARLTON ATHLETIC: Kiely; Kishishev, Hreidarsson, Young, Powell, Fortune, Holland, Jensen, Konchesky, Johansson (Euell 86), Bartlett. Subs Not Used: Thomas, Royce, Cole, Perry. Goal: Bartlett 63.
Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire).
