Bore draw as Carra says goodbye

Liverpool and Everton played out a lacklustre match as Jamie Carragher completed his 30th and final Merseyside derby at Anfield on Sunday afternoon. It was a typical end of season affair, with frequent scrappy spells and real goalscoring opportunities few and far between. Unsurprisingly, it ended goalless, leaving Everton five points ahead of Liverpool and favourites to finish above the Reds in consecutive seasons for the first time ever with only two Premier League matches remaining.

As expected, Brendan Rodgers picked the same starting eleven that smashed six past Newcastle last weekend, with Coutinho and Sturridge providing the attacking ammunition in place of the suspended Luis Suarez, who watched on from the stands. Meanwhile, the Kop lifted high a mosaic that simply said "Thanks" in appreciation of all of their neighbours' support during the recent developments regarding the Hillsborough disaster.

The Kop says thanks

Skipper Steven Gerrard was the home side's star performer, spraying passes around the park with ease and class from his sitting role alongside Lucas Leiva in midfield. On the quarter of an hour mark, one of Gerrard's long passes found Sturridge in space, but the former Chelsea striker lacked support and ended up blazing over the bar. Fifteen minutes later Gerrard went close himself, as Jagielka crucially blocked his goal-bound effort. 

At the other end, though, Liverpool breathed a sigh of relief as Fellaini beat Carragher to Baines' left wing cross and poked the ball narrowly wide of the far post. Nonetheless, the Reds had the best of the very few decent chances that were created. Five minutes before the interval another crucial intervention from Jagielka was required to stop Sturridge just as he looked to pull the trigger.

Soon after the restart, Coutinho and Sturridge combined again to go close to breaking the deadlock. The former's outrageously skillful through ball put Sturridge in on goal. Unfortunately, Howard did well to usher him away from goal and when he finally had an effort on goal it nestled in the side-netting.

There were only a few more talking points. Firstly, referee Michael Oliver, who had otherwise officiated a difficult fixture ably, inexplicably ruled out Distin's perfectly good headed goal from a corner kick. It was clearly an incorrect decision but Suarez's disallowed goal at Goodison earlier in the season comes to mind, perhaps evidencing the old credo that decisions even themselves out over the course of a season. 

After that, Gerrard surged forward and rounded the keeper but saw Distin stop the ball crossing the line, before Anichebe's deflected drive looped up awkwardly for Reina but the Spaniard dealt with the danger and punched behind.

Overall, though, it was an unremarkable contest- including a measly five efforts on target- that will only be remembered because it was Jamie Carragher's last Merseyside derby of his career. We'll miss his talent and skill but, most of all, his passion, which was on display so evidently every time the Reds faced up to the Blues.

Carra claps to the Kop

YNWA