Liverpool 1 Blackpool 2 ( English Premier League 3 October 2010 ).......

Blackpool's captain Charlie Adam smashed home the penalty against Liverpool keeper Jose Reina....






Liverpool will head into the international break in the bottom three after going down to a shock 2-1 defeat at home to Blackpool on Sunday afternoon.

The Reds struggled to cope with a vibrant start from the visitors who stunned the Kop by storming into a two-goal interval lead courtesy of a Charlie Adam penalty and smart finish from Luke Varney.

Sotirios Kyrgiakos did pull a goal back for the home side with a thumping 53rd minute header but, despite laying siege to the Tangerines defence in a frantic finale, they could not find the finish to salvage a point.

The result means Roy Hodgson's side have now stretched their winless run to five matches and leaves them languishing in the relegation places for the first time since 1984.

Prior to kick-off the visit of Ian Holloway's men had given fans hope of heading into the two-week break with a much-needed win and the boss had responded by making two positive changes to the team that drew in Utrecht.

In came the rested Steven Gerrard for Lucas Leiva, while Kyrgiakos was also restored to the starting XI as Jamie Carragher switched to left-back in place of Martin Kelly.

The visitors had promised to attack Liverpool from the off in the build-up to the game and they were true to their word, giving the hosts a huge scare inside 60 seconds.

Martin Skrtel fouled DJ Campbell on the edge of the penalty area, providing Adam with the chance to thump a 20 yard free-kick towards goal that Pepe Reina was forced to beat away on the stretch.

Liverpool responded and Joe Cole came within a whisker of turning Fernando Torres's right-wing cross in at the far post.

In his pre-match press conference Holloway had stated his desire to see both sets of supporters entertained and if the opening five minutes were anything to go by, those inside Anfield were not going to be starved of goalmouth action.

The visitors' no fear policy was refreshing to watch and they continued to cause problems down the flanks with Gary Taylor-Fletcher looking particularly menacing.

It was proving to be a difficult start for the home side and their cause wasn't helped when Torres was replaced by David Ngog on 10 minutes after the Spaniard pulled up with a groin injury.

The loss of the No. 9 was greeted by cheers from the visiting support who were almost celebrating again moments later when a flowing Blackpool move ended with Campbell crashing wide at the far post following a superb ball into the area by Neal Eardley.

The hosts were dominating possession but were clearly lacking confidence and their plight was made worse on the half hour mark when Glen Johnson brought Varney crashing to the floor inside the penalty area.

The referee pointed to the spot and up stepped Adam who fired a low shot through into the corner via the hand of Reina.

It had been an opening period to forget for the Reds and the latter stages of the first 45 didn't get much better, with Kuyt's tame header from Raul Meireles's right-wing cross and a low shot from Cole the best they could muster in reply.

In fact, Blackpool looked more than comfortable protecting their lead and in first-half injury-time they broke forward and stunned the Kop with a second.

Taylor-Fletcher showed superb composure to delay his pass before picking out the perfectly timed run of Varney who squeezed a low shot in at the near post.

Not since Istanbul has an inspirational half-time team-talk been needed to help restore such flagging belief and there were signs one may have been delivered as Liverpool pushed forward from the restart.

The renewed urgency in the hosts' play was clear for all to see and Ngog should have reduced the arrears immediately but he contrived to glance a free header wide from eight yards out.

With Blackpool on the defensive there was a sense inside Anfield that a Reds goal was very much in the offing and on 53 minutes they got their lifeline.

A quick-thinking free-kick from Gerrard resulted in a cross being delivered high into the area, where Kyrgiakos rose brilliantly to bullet a header into the net.

Cue wave after wave of Liverpool attack with Meireles twice going close to levelling before Cole broke clear just prior to the hour mark.

The former Chelsea man took the ball beautifully in his stride and clipped a delightful effort over the advancing Matthew Gilks, only to see it drop inches wide of the far post.

The visitors were beginning to buckle under the pressure but almost restored their two-goal cushion against the run of play on 68 minutes when Varney surged on to a loose ball, saw off the challenge of Kyrgiakos and played a pass across the face of goal that Campbell couldn't stretch enough to turn home.

At the other end the Reds continued to huff and puff but Gilks produced a miraculous point-blank stop from Kyrgiakos deep into injury-time to secure a famous victory for the Seasiders.