Kirkland's injury fails to shake Liverpool

On the evidence of yesterday's FA Cup fourth round tie at Selhurst Park, reports of Liverpool's revival appear to have been exaggerated. The same excessive caution pervades their game, the same lack of width, the same reliance on the long ball. Too many players, especially at the back, continue to betray the club's passing heritage.

One element which remains in situ though is their dogged spirit. It was this, together with the industry of Steven Gerrard and the defensive nous of Sami Hyypia which enabled them to withstand a sprightly display from Crystal Palace. The Nationwide League side's impassioned performance reflected well on the work of manager Trevor Francis but they lacked the necessary class to convert possession into goals.

The odds now favour Liverpool. In 17 trips to Anfield Palace have won one, lost 12 and conceded 45 goals. On Tuesday week they will have to prove Francis's assertion that "we have become tough to beat".

Liverpool's relief at earning a replay was tempered by injury to Chris Kirkland, their England Under-21 goalkeeper. Kirkland was taken to hospital for X-rays after diving bravely at the feet of Dele Adebola after the striker had eluded Djimi Traoré and advanced on goal. "Nothing is broken but he is very sore," said Gérard Houllier, the Liverpool manager. "He will have a scan in the morning to see if there is ligament damage which is a possibility. His injury is the dark note of the game."

With Arsenal at Anfield on Wednesday the news is ill-timed enough but it could also rob the 21-year-old of an England debut. Kirkland's club form had made him the latest putative successor to David Seaman and he was pencilled in to face Australia at Upton Park on February 12. His departure meant a return for Jerzy Dudek, dropped after his collapsing confidence resulted in a home defeat to Manchester United last month.

Dudek joined a game which, after a bright start from Liverpool, with Michael Owen heading over and Bruno Cheyrou shooting wide, was turning Palace's way. Adebola had already headed wide when well placed and Andrew Johnson should have scored in the aftermath of Kirkland's injury. Now, although Danny Murphy tested Alex Kolinko, Shaun Derry and Danny Butterfield began asserting command. They were aided by Curtis Fleming and Julian Gray, who took advantage of Liverpool's lightweight flank players, El Hadji Diouf and Cheyrou.

Further forward, however, Tommy Black was finding space harder to find against Premiership opposition and Johnson and Adebola always needed a touch too many. Selhurst Park may have taunted their illustrious visitors with the chant: "Are you Brighton in disguise?" but Palace's pressure was too easily absorbed. Hyypia apart, the individuals in Liverpool's back four may look ordinary players, but collectively, with the help of Gerrard's shielding presence, they remain hard to subvert.

The second period at least brought Dudek into action, the keeper stooping to gather a Tony Popovic header, but he was soon back in a spectating role as Liverpool stirred. Gerrard and Murphy established the platform and, with Cheyrou more involved in a tighter midfield, Palace were pushed back.

Yet though Kolinko saved from Cheyrou and Owen, and Hayden Mullins deflected John Arne Riise's shot wide, the suspicion remained that it would take a mistake to break the stalemate. This almost proved right either side of the hour. First Gray, aiming to turn a Murphy pass back to Kolinko, was horrified to find he had steered the ball past the Latvian towards goal. As Selhurst held its breath the ball rolled past the post. Then Kit Symons miskicked, allowing Emile Heskey to burst clear. Mullins, with a well-timed intervention, rescued his team-mate.

Mullins had previously halted Owen with an immaculate tackle in the box and was later to do the same to Heskey as he shaped to turn in a deep pass. Already the subject of a £600,000 bid from Birmingham City during this transfer window his mature performance, which confirmed the rich promise of his youth, may well attract other offers before the shutters come down.

Wayne Routledge, 18 this month, will also have been watched with interest by the few remaining Premiership managers with functioning chequebooks. Introduced with 26 minutes left his precocious pace, movement and vision sparked a late Palace assault which had Liverpool hanging on, notably when Popovic met a Danny Granville free-kick at the far post. That it was Heskey who cleared his goalbound header underlined the pressure Liverpool were under. So did the introduction, in the closing moments, of two defensive midfielders. With commitments in four competitions, Houllier admitted the last thing Liverpool needed was a replay but, from this performance, gaining one was a good result.

Crystal Palace (3-4-1-2): Kolinko; Mullins, Symons, Popovic; Fleming, Butterfield, Derry, Gray (Granville, 80); Black (Routledge, 64); Johnson, Adebola (Akinbiyi, 74). Substitutes not used: Berthelin (gk), Borrowdale.

Liverpool (4-4-2): Kirkland (Dudek, 24); Carragher, Hyppia, Traoré, Riise; Diouf (Biscan, 85), Murphy, Gerrard, Cheyrou (Diao, 90); Owen, Heskey. Substitutes not used: Baros, Mellor.

Referee: R Styles (Waterlooville).

Bookings: Crystal Palace: Fleming. Liverpool: Carragher, Cheyrou.

Man of the match: Mullins.

Attendance: 26,054.