Liverpool clawed their way to within four points of Premiership neighbours Everton with victory in a dramatic Merseyside derby battle at Anfield.
Rafael Benitez' side had Milan Baros sent off and lost Fernando Morientes, Dietmar Hamann and Stephen Warnock to injury but still had the courage and determination to hold on to cut the gap between the two clubs.
Ahead through Steven Gerrard and Luis Garcia at the break, it was a battle for survival from then on, but they claimed the points and subsequently reclaimed fifth spot from Bolton.
With so much at stake this was never going to be a gentle affair. Two thunderous tackles by Gerrard on Lee Carsley and Alessandro Pistone in the opening minutes set the standards for this 201st Mersey derby.
However, the Reds settled earlier and took control of the game from the opening stages. Luis Garcia hooked over after Nigel Martyn had half punched away a Baros cross, before Tony Hibbert was penalised for hacking down the little Spaniard on the edge of the box.
Everton bizarrely protested the free-kick but Liverpool kept their heads and when the free-kick from Hamann was pushed towards Gerrard, the Liverpool skipper cleverly side-footed the 18-yard effort into the bottom left hand corner.
Five minutes later Anfield was rocking as the Reds doubled their lead. Fernando Morientes hit an audacious 30-yard effort towards the Everton goal and Nigel Martyn could only parry the ball onto the cross-bar, allowing Garcia to head in the rebound.
Liverpool took that lead into the break, but by then had used all three substitutes as Morientes, Warnock and Hamann had all been forced off through injury. Garcia was also hobbling around after picking up an ankle knock, but with all substitutes used, had no option but to start the second half.
Everton brought on James Beattie for Yobo at the break, the need for greater penetration blatently obvious. And when Baros spurned the chance to settle the whole affair when he missed two one-on-one's with Martyn, Everton took heart.
Baros then handed Everton another lifeline when he stupidly launched himself into an awful high challenge on Alan Stubbs as the Everton man cleared. Referee Rob Styles showed an immediate red card and Liverpool were down to ten men.
Inside four minutes Everton had pulled one back. Ferguson won a header and Cahill lashed the ball inside Jerzy Dudek's left hand post. But the home side clung on and the whole side, including boss Rafael Benitez hugged each other in the centre of the pitch at the end, showing how much it meant to the Anfield men.
