Thirty Glorious Minutes

Liverpool v Bolton Wanderers at Anfield was always going to be a clash of styles, but nobody expected it to be quite so boring for the first hour – until a magical 60th minute goal ended the stalemate and ushered in a stunning last half hour in which Liverpool ripped Bolton apart, and might have won by an even greater margin.

It started on the hour with Pennant’s first decent cross and a spectacular telescopic volley from Crouch to power Liverpool ahead, and within two minutes they were two up as Kuyt broke on the right and set Gerrard up for a brilliant side foot volley from 12 yards.

It was the signal for a Liverpool onslaught and despite a frantic shuffling of personnel from Sam Allardyce, Bolton crumbled. Crouch should have converted Pennant’s 75th minute cross. Four minutes later Kuyt beat two and went close, then a Hyypia header brought yet another superb save from Jaaskeleinen. But even he could not prevent the industrious Kuyt deservedly grabbing Liverpool’s third in the 82nd minute with a crisp low finish to the far post from Garcia’s pass.

Somehow, through a combination of more great goalkeeping and a glaring miss from Crouch, Bolton avoided further embarrassment – but the memory of their last half hour at Anfield will be difficult to erase.