Seconds out as Liverpool equalise

Just how infuriating can Liverpool get?

After that amazing show at Goodison when their patched-up side walloped Everton, 30,000 fans rolled up on Saturday wondering how many they would chalk up against lowly Brighton.

They got an unstylish performance, the worst of the season, and the kind of show that will label Liverpool the "No-no" side of the Second Division whenever promotion comes round.

I admit they had three youngsters on view, John Nicholson, Willie Carlin and Roger Hunt, an that not even the Kop's wild booing could put this big Brighton defence out of its stride.

But when you have youngsters in the team the seasoned men have a bigger responsibility to carry and an example to set, and that they didn't happen very often.

There was too much of the old slap-happy Liverpool technique of belting the ball in the area and chasing it. The cool ball-on-the-ground play that paid so handsomely against Everton was forgotten in the familiar panic-station tactics.

As the game deteriorated into a wild and sometimes unsavoury scramble, so Liverpool threw away their early grip.

Without Alan A'Court, Liverpool would have been a shambles. He got their first goal in the 20th minute, had a couple of glorious drives superbly saved by Hollins, and put across the kind of centres that Gordon Hodgson would have revelled in.

Two defensive foozles in 60 seconds in the second half let in Jones and Curry to give Brighton the lead. Melia missed a penalty five minutes from the end and Liverpool, outplayed, rattled and bewildered, looked booked for defeat.

Then a perfect A'Court centre headed in by Melia in the last few seconds of the extra time allowed for injury gave them a point ... but nothing else to be pleased about.

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