Bartlett compounds the Anfield nightmare

Qualification for next season's Champions' League slipped beyond Liverpool's immediate control at Anfield yesterday as Charlton Athletic moved to within two points of the Merseyside club having played one game fewer.

From a cautious beginning, in which containment was the principal aim, the South London club grew in confidence. By the time Shaun Bartlett scored the game's only goal midway through the second half, Charlton were attacking with fluency and should already have had a penalty, following Steven Gerrard's push on Hermann Hreidarsson.

Ultimately it did not matter and Alan Curbishley, the Charlton manager, could reflect on a famous League double. Back in September, Kevin Lisbie scored a hat-trick in a 3-2 victory at The Valley. "I'd never won here as a player or a manager," Curbishley said, "so this was obviously special and I'm going to enjoy it. There were some heroic performances out there and any time you come to Anfield and win is a great result. We've really opened it up now - and not just for ourselves. If we had lost today we certainly wouldn't have been able to catch Liverpool."

Charlton began the game clearly intent on avoiding a similar fate to Blackburn Rovers in Liverpool's previous home game. On that occasion, the game was over inside half an hour with Liverpool three goals to the good. Curbishley explained: "The pressure was on them today - I don't think many people gave us a chance. We felt the first 15 minutes would be important and we had to be solid. I thought we improved as the game went on."

No fewer than four recognised full-backs made Charlton's starting XI, with Paul Konchesky and Radostin Kishishev giving additional protection to Luke Young and Chris Powell.

It took them 25 minutes to find their way into the Liverpool half but, more importantly, the best Liverpool managed in that period was an Emile Heskey header directed wide of the near post. "We created some chances, but only half ones," Gérard Houllier, the Liverpool manager, said. As ever, it was left to Gerrard to lift his side's tempo. A series of ambitious passes were dispatched around Anfield but the recipients - generally Harry Kewell and El-Hadji Diouf - struggled to penetrate the double bank of defenders they inevitably faced.

Charlton finally concluded that it was safe to attack in greater numbers. On their increasingly frequent breaks, it was they who passed the ball with the greater conviction. A moment after they might have earned their penalty, another excellent delivery from Claus Jensen from a right-wing corner found Bartlett unmarked and the South African striker headed in from eight yards.

It came as no surprise because nearly every time Charlton made a crossing opportunity, they looked like they might score. As an increasingly frustrated Kop lost patience, Gerrard was booked for diving when a penalty seemed more likely.

Then the Liverpool captain's viciously in-swinging cross was met by Vladimir Smicer - making his first appearance since January - at the far post. Dean Kiely saved at point-blank range and the points were Charlton's.

It concluded a miserable Easter weekend for Liverpool, following their 4-2 defeat at Arsenal on Good Friday.

"There are no excuses. We didn't play as well as we can but I think a point would have been a fair result," Houllier said. "I don't think it's finished," he reiterated, "It would be a mistake to throw in the towel now. The race for fourth place is still on."

Goal: Bartlett (63) 0-1.

Liverpool (4-4-2): Dudek 5; Carragher 5, Henchoz 4, Hyypia 3, Riise 5; Diouf 3 (Smicer 5, 57), Hamann 4, Gerrard 6, Kewell 5; Heskey 5 (Baros 5, 57), Owen 6. Substitutes not used: Luzi (gk), Murphy, Cheyrou.

Charlton Athletic (4-4-2): Kiely 6; Young 7, Fortune 7, Hreidarsson 5, Powell 5; Kishishev 5, Holland 5, Jensen 7, Konchesky 5; Johansson 4 (Euell, 86), Bartlett 6. Substitutes not used: Royce (gk), Thomas, Cole, Perry.

Bookings: Liverpool: Henchoz, Gerrard.

Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire) 3.

Man of the match: Jensen.

Attendance: 40,003.