Mile Jedinak hits stunning free kick as Crystal Palace heap more pressure on Liverpool

WATCH Socceroos skipper Mile Jedinak’s wonder goal as Liverpool’s Selhurst Park curse returned to haunt them in a 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace.

Crystal Palace v Liverpool - Premier League

LIVERPOOL’S Selhurst Park curse returned to haunt them as late goals from Joe Ledley and Mile Jedinak earned Crystal Palace a 3-1 Premier League victory in rain-soaked south London.

Brendan Rodgers’ men missed out on the EPL title after letting a 3-0 lead slip to draw 3-3 on their last trip to the ground in May and Palace again proved too good with a stirring comeback.

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Rickie Lambert scored his first Liverpool goal to put the visitors ahead inside two minutes, but Dwight Gayle - who scored twice in the 3-3 draw - equalised 15 minutes later.

With the visitors again toiling in attack, Ledley and Jedinak scored twice in the last 12 minutes to condemn Liverpool to three consecutive league defeats for the first time since April 2012.

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After scoring just once in his first 41 Premier League games, Jedinak has netted four goals in his past seven matches, with this effort the clear standout.

“To be honest, I wasn’t even sure if I was going to take it,” said Jedinak.

Mile Jedinak scored with a spectacular free kick.

“Gayley (Dwight Gayle) put the ball down and I said ‘I’ll have a go’ and he looked at me with bemusement.

“I just felt something and luckily it went in.”

On the result, Jedinak said on Sky Sports: “It’s massive. We needed that, big time.

“We knew it was going to be a difficult game. We didn’t help ourselves by conceding so early on, but I think the reaction from the boys after that was first-class.”

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It was another bad night at Selhurst Park for Steven Gerrard and Liverpool.

Rodgers’ side, who finished second to Manchester City last season, sit in 12th place, a huge 18 points below leaders Chelsea, and face a crucial Champions League game away this week to Ludogorets Razgrad.

“We’re low on confidence at the moment in terms of the results and I think that sort of tempo and intensity of our game has just dropped right off,” said Rodgers, whose side have lost their last four games in all competitions.

“Obviously we concede poor goals, but we have no-one to blame but ourselves. As the manager, I take full responsibility for that.”

It was a first win in six matches for Neil Warnock’s Palace, who leapt out of the relegation zone and up to 15th.

With a groin injury to Mario Balotelli, Lambert was handed only his second league start for Liverpool and he quickly made his presence felt.

With 90 seconds on the clock, Adam Lallana hoisted a pass over the Palace defence to his former Southampton teammate, who ghosted in behind Liverpool old boy Martin Kelly before beating Julian Speroni.

But just as they had last season, Palace refused to lie down, equalising in the 17th minute when Gayle followed up after Yannick Bolasie’s skidding low shot cannoned back into play off the left-hand upright.

Bolasie was again the creator for their second goal in the 78th minute, brilliantly flicking the ball over Dejan Lovren wide on the Palace right and crossing for Ledley to slot a first-time shot between Simon Mignolet’s legs.

Liverpool’s misery was complete three minutes later when Palace captain Jedinak arced a glorious free-kick into the top-right corner to end his side’s five-game winless run in style.

Originally published as Mile Jedinak hits stunning free kick as Crystal Palace heap more pressure on Liverpool