Some 40,000 fans, encouraged by the announcer, had ecstatically claimed Mike Pollitt's slap into his own net as Crouch's first goal for Liverpool. The mature judgment of the Premiership's good men and true may or may not deny him that; there are arguments both ways. But Crouch was left in no doubt as to the feelings of the support. His initial celebration of the ending of a barren sequence exceeding 24 hours was accompanied by the biggest roar heard here since Rafa Benitez's team reached the final of the Champions League at Chelsea's expense six months ago.
The decibel count was hardly lower when Crouch neatly lobbed Pollitt and later, as the gangling centre-forward gave way to Djibril Cisse with the points safe, the ovation vacated every home seat on the ground. What a day it had been for Crouch. And what a vindication of Benitez's patience.
The manager had always insisted that the health of the team was the main criterion and this was Liverpool's sixth consecutive win in the Premiership without the concession of a goal. Why the clean sheets? "The team work extremely hard,'' explained Benitez. They could scarcely be going to Stamford Bridge, where there is Champions League business on Tuesday, in better heart.
They know that, in west London, they will find life more rigorous than this. Wigan defended patchily both before and after their captain, Arjan de Zeeuw, departed injured in the first half and will have to tighten up considerably next Saturday if their run of Premiership defeats is not to extend to four. Make that very considerably; they are at Chelsea, while Liverpool fulfil their final fixture before leaving for the FIFA Club World Championship in Japan: another lunchtime kick-off at Anfield, against Middlesbrough.
Wigan manager Paul Jewell, asked if he could take anything positive from the match, replied: ''Yes - it wasn't more.'' It could have been. Pollitt made two excellent saves from Steven Gerrard and brought off a stirring double stop from Fernando Morientes, who also headed against the crossbar before - again with his head - setting up the third goal for Luis Garcia from a corner.
Meanwhile Jose Reina was required only to deal with an effort from Jimmy Bullard as Wigan rallied after the interval.
The moulding by Benitez and his staff of talent, notably that of Gerrard and Xabi Alonso, into an efficient unit is indeed the reason Liverpool have achieved an admirably consistent balance between defence and attack. In time it may permit them to trouble Chelsea domestically as well as in Europe. But this occasion will be remembered for its emotional rather than technical aspects and afterwards Crouch told reporters: "I can't believe you're asking me about the first goal. Of course it's mine! There was a slice of luck about it, but that's what's been missing. Anyway, surely the second one put any arguments to bed.''
Not quite, but you understood what he meant and the relief he exuded was the least this capable and unselfish footballer, rightly valued by England now, deserved. Although it was true that, in the words of Benitez, "the important factor was always that the team kept playing well and winning'', some of the criticism Crouch had to suffer was undignified.
The clouds over him began to lift when he strode towards the Wigan rearguard and, despite options right and left, acceded to the crowd's audible wish by shooting from 25 yards; the ball hit Leighton Baines, flew in an arc and was about to cross the line when Pollitt, in endeavouring to push it over the bar, lent a helping hand.
Next, Gerrard flighted it forward and Stephane Henchoz, stepping up late, afforded Crouch so much space he was able to let the ball bounce three times before lifting it over an obligingly advanced Pollitt. Joy was unconfined and, once Luis Garcia had rounded matters off with neat use of the chest, Crouch walked off, bathed in affection.