Players ‘wanted to do it for Reds fans’

Sunderland 1 Liverpool 1

Steven Fletcher was just two years old as the carnage unfolded in South Yorkshire on that fateful spring afternoon almost a quarter of a century ago. It wouldn’t be long before the Scot became an Anfield regular, thanks to his late father, Kenny.

After stabbing home from close range after Craig Gardner put it on a plate, the forward’s celebration was an emotional one at the end of an emotional week for those with Liverpool close to their heart.

Fletcher pointed to the gods to honour his dad, a proud Scouser, but there were 96 reasons why the visitors were intent on ensuring it would not be the winning goal. In the week of their most important victory off the field, Liverpool were never going to end with defeat on it.

It may be over a century since they’ve opened a season without victory in their opening four games, but like the tenacious campaigners for justice for those killed at Hillsborough, Liverpool’s class of 2012 fought their corner tooth and nail.

After the astonishing scale of the official cover-up to blame Liverpool supporters for the disaster was finally laid bare, the win to follow such momentous events seemed almost pre-ordained. It failed to materialise, but was offset by a bold display that told us everything about the club’s unique bond with its support.

“There was no way we would allow ourselves to lose on a day like this,” said midfielder Jonjo Shelvey.

“What happened this week was an inspiration for us. The Liverpool fans fought for years to get that verdict and in our first match since then we wanted to do it for them.”

“That was the manager’s message, to go out and do it for the 96 who died and that message was spelled out to us in his team talk.”

Joe Allen, another member of the current side who wasn’t born when Nottingham Forest provided the opponents in an FA Cup semi-final that would resonate throughout football, echoed those sentiments.

“It’s been a tough week for everyone involved with the club, and we wanted to go out and do it for the fans,” he said.

“We couldn’t get the three points so there’s a certain amount of disappointment. But like us, they know that if you show the kind of spirit and commitment like we did against Sunderland, we’ll be okay.”

Rodgers’ pre-match rallying call played its part, but the Irishman knew his side needed no words of encouragement to go out and do their supporters proud.

“It’s been an emotional week,” he said. “The families and people involved in the city are an integral part of the club. It’s something we very much embrace because it’s a big part of the history of the football club.

“It’s my job as the leader of the club to organise and help the families and supporters deal with what’s happened, and the way we can do that is by putting on performances like this.”

Liverpool were once beaten by Darren Bent’s freak ‘beachball’ goal on Wearside, but after Fletcher’s intervention midway through the first half, the tide soon turned and Sunderland were pegged back by waves of attacks. The Black Cats couldn’t hold on — fate would have it no other way.

Simon Mignolet pulled off a string of saves but sunderland’s luck finally ran out when, with 20 minutes remaining, Luis Suarez found a way through with an instinctive close-range finish after a run and cross by the impressive midfielder Raheem Sterling.

Liverpool have two points from four games, but Suarez insists better times aren’t too far away, even though Manchester United are their next opponents.

“I really trust this team and I know we’ll get good results,” Suarez said. “We don’t have any other way but to keep on working.”

SUNDERLAND (4-4-2): Mignolet 8; Gardner 8, Cuellar 6 (Bramble 46, 5), O’Shea 6, Rose 5 (Campbell 72, 5); Larsson 6, Colback 6, Cattermole 7, McClean 5; Sessegnon 5, Fletcher 8 (Saha 86, 5).

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Reina 6; Kelly 6, Skrtel 5, Agger 6, Johnson 6, Allen 6, Gerrard 7, Shelvey 8; Sterling 8, Suarez 8,, Borini 5 (Downing 64, 7).

Referee: Martin Atkinson.