Peter Crouch’s goals on debut gave Liverpool FC Legends a 2-0 victory over Chelsea Legends at Anfield on Saturday.
The striker decided the annual LFC Foundation charity match with a pair of finishes during a 10-minute spell in the second half.
Crouch performed his trademark robot celebration in front of the Kop after breaking the deadlock in the 55th minute with a looping header and grabbed a deft second soon after to make it a perfect return to L4.
Presented by official training partner AXA and in association with Forever Reds, the contest drew in a crowd of nearly 60,000 supporters, with all funds raised going to support the work of LFC Foundation at home and abroad, as well as other beneficiaries.
Sir Kenny Dalglish’s hosts were well on top throughout the first half but did not hold the advantage they deserved at the interval.
Jay Spearing tested goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini in the fourth minute, before a lovely Steven Gerrard flick teed up Gregory Vignal, whose powerful strike appeared to be on target but was blocked by teammate Ryan Babel.
Sami Hyypia headed fractionally wide from a short corner and Natasha Dowie then made history by becoming the first female to appear in a legends game at Anfield when she stepped off the bench after half an hour.
The period concluded with Martin Kelly’s daisy-cutter drifting just past the right post of Cudicini.
A much-changed Liverpool team emerged from the break and continued to assert their dominance.
Before the opener arrived, Djibril Cisse was unable to get his header on target following a whipped cross from out wide by Albert Riera.
However, the Frenchman’s striking partner pounced on the next delivery into the Chelsea penalty box.
Florent Sinama-Pongolle stood up his defender and clipped a ball into a dangerous area, where Crouch won his tussle with Jose Bosingwa to direct a looping header into the Kop-end net.
Sander Westerveld’s final act was a fine save to tip over a Robert Huth nod that appeared to be heading in, and that intervention proved to be a vital moment in the match as the Reds doubled their lead five minutes later.
Crouch eventually brought Mark Gonzalez’s cross under his spell and proceeded to lift a beautiful finish over Rob Green.
Both sides nearly altered the scoreline in the latter stages but Crouch’s moments were enough to make it a happy afternoon for those of a Liverpool persuasion.
LFC Legends first-half team: Dudek (Westerveld, 18), Biscan, Hyypia, Klavan, Kelly, Spearing, Sissoko (Dowie, 33), Babel, Vignal, Gerrard, Kuyt.
LFC Legends second-half team: Westerveld (James, 63), Kelly, Klavan, Aurelio, Gerrard, Benayoun, Gonzalez, Riera (Spearing, 66), Sinama-Pongolle, Cisse (Kuyt, 82), Crouch.
Attendance: 58,865
