Kewell admits 'shame' after Liverpool defeat

Liverpool players should "hang their heads in shame" after Wednesday's Premiership defeat at Charlton, says Harry Kewell.

Rafael Benitez's men have taken just one point from a possible 12, losing three successive away League games.

Despite a positive start at The Valley, the Reds, lacking their captain, Steven Gerrard, trailed 2-0 by the interval after a controversial penalty from Darren Bent and Luke Young's close-range finish.

Kewell said: "We know what we can do and what we should have done, so we can only hang our heads in shame for what happened. The first 40 minutes of the game is nothing if you don't score a goal. We seem to have been doing that a lot lately. As an attacker I take it upon my shoulders and accept part of the responsibility for scoring goals. The only people who can do it are those the manager selects to play in the attack. We have all got to take a look at ourselves."

Charlton took the lead on 42 minutes when Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek was wrongly adjudged by the referee, Andre Marrine,r to have tripped Bent after the England squad man collected a chip into the penalty area. The Charlton manager, Alan Curbishley, accepted that his side had been a bit "lucky" with the decision, but Kewell refused to blame it for Liverpool's defeat.

"Yes, the referee made a decision which no one can believe. He has gifted them the game as it turned out, but you have got to get on with it when something like that happens," Kewell said.