A Liverpool legends team produced a fitting performance to seal a 3-1 victory over a Singapore Masters side in an enjoyable 70-minute contest at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday.
Strikes by Emile Heskey and Jari Litmanen sandwiched an own goal to provide a cushion for the group of former stars and fan favourites, with a late conversion by the local XI proving mere consolation.
A pre-match downpour forced a delay in kick-off of 30 minutes, but the spirits of the local Liverpool fans were not dampened in the slightest - as evidenced by their loud rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' once the action eventually began.
The Reds' first chance arrived almost immediately but Heskey could only redirect Robbie Fowler's accurate cross from the left wide when he attempted to head into the bottom corner from eight yards out.
Jan Kromkamp soon worked the goalkeeper with a drive from a narrow angle on the right while the travelling legends asserted their dominance, in large part due to the control and calm of Patrik Berger and Steve McManaman in midfield.
That told on 10 minutes, when Fowler took advantage of the freedom to pick a pass and slid a precise assist into Heskey at the edge of the penalty area. The 36-year-old took a touch and lashed high into the net for 1-0.
Player-manager Ian Rush's team had a pleasing balance - strong in the tackle and subtle on the ball - and the advantage was quickly doubled via an own goal forced by a lofted Litmanen cross towards the back post that the defender could not deal with.
When the two sides returned for the second period, Fowler stung the palms of the 'keeper when he collected a Litmanen tee-up, the latest in a series of sublime contributions by the Finn, on the left flank and drilled at the far corner.
Goalline technology would have been helpful in the 39th minute. Heskey's blast along the six-yard box fell to David Thompson with half of the net to aim at, only for the hosts' custodian to get his body in the way and prevent a third.
It was 3-0 with 47 minutes on the clock, though, and courtesy of the game's finest moment. A centre was dummied by Dietmar Hamann and Litmanen took charge, dinking a delightful lob over everybody and home with trademark aplomb.
Berger should have made it four when he ran along the left channel past defence and 'keeper but sent his effort onto the post, while Jerzy Dudek denied Aleksandar Duric's smash at the near post as Singapore searched for a consolation.
They achieved it in the closing stages too, with Rafi Ali the goalscorer through a well-placed header past the reach of Dudek - the final addition to the scoresheet on an entertaining occasion in the Far East.
Liverpool starting XI: Dudek, Kromkamp, Kvarme, Babb, Harkness, Thompson, Berger, McManaman, Fowler, Litmanen, Heskey. Substitutes: Rush, Hamann, Henchoz, Thomas.
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