Liverpool 0-0 Bolton Wanderers: Emile Heskey handed another chance to knock former club out of FA Cup

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Former Liverpool striker Heskey started for Bolton and led the line against his former club
Trotters keeper Adam Bodgan made some tremendous saves with the visitors deserving another shot at Liverpool
Referee Kevin Friend did not endear himself to the home faithful by waving away a penalty shout after Matt Mills collided with Lazer Markovic in the box
Steven Gerrard was rested with the League Cup semi-final, second-leg against Chelsea in mind

Published: 14:21 EST, 24 January 2015 | Updated: 06:32 EST, 25 January 2015

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At least they weren’t knocked out. Liverpool’s fans can be thankful for that at least on arguably the grimmest day for ‘giant’ teams in FA Cup history after their team played out this stalemate to keep themselves in the competition, pending a replay at Bolton of the Championship.

The club from the lower level thoroughly deserve a second shot at a scalp, not least because of the multiple heroics of goalkeeper Adam Bogdan, magnificent as he thwarted the hosts time and again.

Referee Kevin Friend made two poor decisions just after the break, first giving Liverpool a free-kick after Manquillo tripped Darren Pratley. Then he failed to give Liverpool anything when Mills tripped Markovic running into the box. Whether this was to even things up quickly, or because Mills was already on a yellow card, or just in error - who knows?

Emile Heskey showed he had lost little of his appetite for an aerial battle with the totemic striker winning a header against Emre Can

Jordan Henderson saw penalty appeals waved away following this tackle by Liverpool old-boy Jay Spearing in the area

Bolton's world stops for a second as Henderson falls to the ground following Spearing's intervention

And Lazar Markovic fumed after referee Kevin Friend was equally unmoved by this collision with Matthew Mills just after the break

Outstanding Bolton keeper Adam Bogdan bravely rushes off his line to deny Raheem Sterling a goalscoring opportunity

Fabio Borini sees his shot saved by Bogdan with the Bolton keeper keeping the Liverpool front line at bay

Bolton look relieved as Borini holds his head in his hands after letting a crucial chance go begging

MATCH FACTS

Liverpool: Mignolet, Can, Sakho, Johnson, Manquillo (Borini 68), Henderson, Allen (Lucas 67), Jose Enrique (Markovic 45), Coutinho, Lallana, Sterling. Subs not used: Lovren, Lambert, Lucas, Rossiter, Ward.

Bolton: Bogdan, Mills (Spearing 73), Dervite, Ream, Vela, Danns, Pratley, Moxey (Wheater 83), Feeney, Gudjohnsen, Heskey (Wilkinson 56). Subs not used: McNaughton, Hall, Trotter, Lonergan.

Booked: Mills, Vela, Dervite

Attendance: 43,847

Referee: Kevin Friend.

Sterling kept threatening, making Bogdan dive to smother as he ran onto a Countinho ball. Then his shot deflected off Moxey for a corner, leading to a double attempt from Coutinho in the 57th minute, both blocked. Moments later Coutinho shot again; the excellent Bogdan saving before Manquillo blasted wide a follow-up.

Heskey, meanwhile, was subbed off to warm applause from all, a few minutes before Gudjohnsen skied an effort in sight of goal. Bogdan kept frustrating Liverpool, saving wonderfully from Fabio Borini.

Before kick-off, neutrals might reasonably have expected this match to provide one of the more eyebrow-raising outcomes of the day.

No Premier League club since the top-division revamp in 1992-93 has been knocked out of the FA Cup by opponents from a lower division more than Liverpool: eight times.

Bolton themselves did it in 1993, winning 2-0 at Anfield, and were followed by Bristol City in 1994, Blackburn in 2000 and Crystal Palace in 2003 (all at Anfield), then in 2005 by Burnley (at Burnley), in 2008 by Barnsley and in 2010 by Reading (both at Anfield) and by Oldham at Oldham two years ago.

So an upset of a team without their rested talisman Steven Gerrard, being kept fresh for League Cup duty against Chelsea on Tuesday, by Neil Lennon’s revitalised Bolton, wasn’t totally out of the question.

Sportsmail's Big Match Stats: Liverpool 0-0 Bolton

Emile Heskey shows a clean pair of heels to Mamadou Sakho as the 37-year-old striker makes an unexpected return to Anfield

Heskey has a smile on his face as he is substituted by boss Neil Lennon in the 56th minute for Conor Wilkinson

Neil Lennon: We were running out of fumes at the end vs Liverpool

Former Chelsea team-mates Glen Johnson and Eidur Gudjohnsen were on opposing sides as they scrap for possession

But on a day of some of the most seismic shocks in the grand history of the world’s oldest football competition, not least at Chelsea and Manchester City, whatever happened here was never likely be more surprising.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers made five changes to the starting XI who drew 1-1 in the first leg of their League Cup semi last midweek, replacing Martin Skrtel, Lucas, Alberto Moreno, Lazar Markovic and Gerrard with Glen Johnson, Jose Enrique, Javier Manquillo, Adam Lallana and Joe Allen.

Lennon made changes to the Bolton line-up who won 2-1 away at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend, with Adam Bogdan, Dean Moxey and Eidur Gudjohnsen coming in for Andy Lonergan, David Wheater and Mark Davies.

Bolton skipper Matt Mills wrestles Liverpool's Sterling to the ground with the challenge resulting a yellow card

Jordan Henderson battles for the ball with Neil Danns and Darren Pratley as the contest begins to heat up

Northern Irishmen Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon are close and the pair share a moment before kick-off

Gudjohnsen, 36, whose first English club was Bolton when he arrived from Reykjavik 17 years ago, was partnered up front with another blast from the past, Emile Heskey, 37, who almost 15 years ago was Liverpool’s most expensive ever purchase to that point, costing £11m from Leicester.

Both forwards have had long and winding careers, Gudjohnsen at Chelsea and Barcelona among 13 clubs on his CV, and Heskey at Birmingham, Wigan, Aston Villa and Newcastle Jets in Australia before an unlikely comeback - having been playing Masters football for Liverpool’s old boys.

Heskey’s last goal at Anfield was in May 2004 for Liverpool in a league win over Middlesbrough while Gudjohnsen last scored here for Barca in a Champions League win in March 2007.

The away fans let off a smoke bomb during the game in the hope of providing a background for another FA Cup upset

Heskey returned to Anfield after leaving Liverpool in 2004 with the much-travelled 37-year-old leading the line for Bolton

Steven Gerrard (right) shares a joke with Brad Jones in the directors' box as the Liverpool duo watch proceedings

The Kop was in good voice ahead of the game with flags and banners unfurled by the home fans

Bolton started well, dominating the early possession and keeping the hosts mostly in their own half before Matt Mills’ 11th-minute shot, laid on by Heskey, was the first clear sign of danger.

At the other end Bogdan then saved from Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho before a strong run from Jose Enrique down the left, holding off Liam Feeney, ended with a cross that flew woefully high and wide.

Raheem Sterling took a while to grow into the match but by the half hour was buzzing on the edge of the Bolton box, running and shooting, with Mills blocking. Bolton best first-half chance came from a Feeney cross from the right, headed down to Dean Moxey, who hit thunderous shot that swerved just wide of the left post.

Glen Johnson had his own powerful strike held by Bogdan minutes later, as did Lallana shortly after.

Another former Liverpool old boy, Jay Spearing, might have conceded a penalty for a push on Jordan Henderson, who was bearing down on goal in the 81st minute. But Friend gave nothing.