Gerrard 20    Andrews 40 (pen)

                                                                                    Torres 44

First-half goals from Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres kept Liverpool within a point of the EPL’s fourth place.

They overcame a tough Blackburn side, who were fortunate not to have Steven Nzonzi sent-off when he threw Lucas to the floor, but were only denied a point by Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina’s fine save from Chris Samba in the dying moments.

But Gerrard and Torres, not for the first time, raised Liverpool above the mediocre for long enough to clinch three vital points.

They went ahead with their first quality move of the match, started and finished by Gerrard, whose left-foot shot from Yossi Benayoun’s pass beat Rovers keeper Paul Robinson from the edge of the six-yard box.

Rovers were level on 40 minutes, thanks to that supposed rarity, a penalty for a visiting team in front of the Kop.

Jamie Carragher couldn’t stop the ball rolling up his arm as he lay prostrate in the box. Keith Andrews fired the spot-kick under Reina’s body.

Four minutes later, Samba’s tackle on Torres fell kindly for Maxi Rodriguez on the right and his near-post cross was tapped in by unattended Spaniard for what turned out to be the winner, thanks to Reina.