Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard given inglorious send-off by Crystal Palace

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/may/16/liverpool-crystal-palace-premier-league-match-report

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That is the trouble with a meticulously prepared send-off; there’s always an uninvited guest who spoils it. Steven Gerrard’s emotional farewell to Anfield ended on the flattest of notes as Crystal Palace ruined his final outing on home soil and exposed Liverpool to the prospect of a worrying future without him. It was Norwich’s Jeremy Goss tripping up the Spion Kop’s last stand in 1994 all over again.

Gerrard rallied late on as he tried to rescue Liverpool one last time but to no avail. The 34-year-old’s shots sailed high and wide, prompting mocking tribute from the Kop and a thumbs-up in return from their departing hero, whereas Jason Puncheon and the Palace substitutes Wilfried Zaha and Glenn Murray hit the target to remind all not only of their presence at Anfield but their stirring potential under Alan Pardew.

Related: Painful end for Steven Gerrard, Liverpool’s superman for all seasons | Daniel Taylor

For the second time this season Palace had beaten Brendan Rodgers’ team 3-1, completing the club’s first league double over Liverpool, and in Yannick Bolasie they possessed the most formidable talent on the pitch.

Rodgers complained legitimately over the visitors’ second and third goals – offside and a penalty for a foul outside the area – but the most accurate verdict on the day came from the Liverpool supporters themselves. The home crowd gave Bolasie a deserved standing ovation when he departed eight minutes from time. Later, when Gerrard was asked how bright the future looked for Liverpool next season, laughter rolled off the Kop.

The Liverpool manager stood in the crowd with a face like thunder before embarking on a lap of honour where his players trailed far behind their captain, just as they had done Palace throughout the game.

“We started reasonably well and scored a fantastic goal but we made poor defensive errors across the field and they punished us,” Rodgers said.

“Their second goal was offside and their penalty was clearly outside the box but that doesn’t take away that we could have done much better in the defensive moments of the game.”

Events before kick-off indicated Palace were not exactly at the forefront of Liverpool’s minds as Gerrard ended his warm-up by conducting a brief television interview in front of the Kop and both teams formed a guard of honour for the captain, appearing with his three young daughters in tow.

The game itself, however, must have been a release to the 34-year-old and his team-mates after a week of intense scrutiny and Liverpool did start with some purpose. The ceremonious atmosphere was reflected in the sky above Anfield where a plane flew carrying a banner that read “In Rodgers We Trust”. Liverpool’s previous home game, of course, had witnessed a very different fly-over when the manager looked up at a banner that read “Rodgers Out Rafa In”. Anfield’s aerial tit-for-tat demonstrated one thing: some people have far too much time and money to waste.

Liverpool were gifted the lead from one of their former players and one of their supporters in the heart of the visiting defence. Martin Kelly played Scott Dann into trouble with a careless pass behind his central defensive colleague and Adam Lallana took full advantage, pressuring Dann into a slip, racing through from deep and sweeping an excellent finish into the top corner of Wayne Hennessey’s goal, then seeking out Gerrard for the celebration of only his fifth goal of an injury-hit season.

Related: Anfield says goodbye to Steven Gerrard – in pictures

Pardew and Palace responded impressively, the manager switching Bolasie into the attack and his team were instantly more threatening as a result. Joe Ledley, Bolasie, Puncheon and Lee Chung-yong all went close or squandered clear chances before the visitors scored a fine and merited equaliser. Emre Can, tormented by Bolasie all game, conceded a free-kick 20 yards from goal with a trip on the Congo international. Puncheon marked his new four-year contract at Selhurst Park by sweeping the set piece into the bottom corner.

The men in yellow showed more urgency in the second half too and were incensed when the FA Cup final referee, Jon Moss, ignored two strong penalty appeals when Martin Skrtel handled Bolasie’s cross and then clipped Lee on the follow-up. Palace would not be denied. Zaha converted Bolasie’s inviting cross to the back post 22 seconds after his introduction, albeit from an offside position, and Lucas Leiva was wrongly adjudged to have fouled the former Manchester United player inside the area in the 90th minute. Simon Mignolet saved Murray’s spot-kick but the substitute scored on the rebound.

“He showed where he is in his world today,” said Pardew of Bolasie. “He has fantastic power, pace and is a real dangerous threat. He has that scare factor but he needs to get that end product sorted out and he is 25, not 21.”

For the 34-year-old about to set off on his last lap of Anfield, however, it was a deflating way to go.