Kuyt 80

Liverpool prevented their season disintegrating almost completely with this masterclass in winning ugly in a Merseyside derby which was scrappy even by the standards of such games.

The red half of the city had all the luck that was going, especially the deflection which turned Javier Mascherano’s off-target long-range effort into the opening goal.

Everton also found Spanish keeper Pepe Reina in outstanding form for the visitors. They missed a glorious chance to equalise moments after falling behind, which could have put an entirely different complexion on the match.

And Dirk Kuyt’s first goal for Liverpool in 12 games gave the scoreline a more comfortable look than Rafa Benitez’s men deserved.

Mascherano’s low right-foot drive from 25 yards was swinging wide, and Everton’s American keeper Tim Howard certainly had it covered, until it struck Yobo and flew past a wrong-footed Howard’s left-hand on 12 minutes.

The Toffees should have been level five minutes later as a long throw from the right was flicked on by attackers and defenders alike and found Russian midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov unmarked at the far post. But he scuffed his shot horribly wide.

Lanky Brazilian striker Jo had the ball in the Liverpool net twice but was flagged offside on both occasions. The second was clear; the first marginal as he latched onto Bilyaletdinov’s neat through ball and finished skilfully with his left-foot.

Howard superbly tipped over an Emiliano Insua header from Glen Johnson’s right-wing cross in a rare Liverpool foray forward before half-time.

But it was Reina who garnered the goalkeeping plaudits with a wonderful double save on 71 minutes, parrying Tim Cahill’s close range header and recovering to somehow block Marouane Fellaini’s right-footed follow-up from even closer range.

Ten minutes later the contest was over as Howard could only divert Albert Reira’s shot into Kuyt’s path, and the off-form striker wasn’t off-form enough to miss from six yards.