Yossi Benayoun rescued Liverpool from the greatest FA Cup shock of all-time with a 15-minute hat-trick to secure a 5-2 victory and end Havant and Waterlooville's hopes of a stunning upset at Anfield on Saturday.
Non-leaguers Havant twice took the lead against the 2006 FA Cup winners in an incredible first-half. But Benayoun's hat-trick ensured that Liverpool live to fight another day in this season's competition.
With 123 places separating Liverpool and their guests in English football's league hierarchy, Reds boss Rafael Benitez started the game with captain Steven Gerrard, leading scorer Fernando Torres and defensive lynchpin Jamie Carragher on the bench.
With a squad that contested the Champions League Final against AC Milan in Athens less than 12 months ago, Liverpool should have had the game safely wrapped up in the early stages.
It may be the FA Cup and there may be shocks every now and then, but for Liverpool to lose this would be unprecedented. This would be the shock of all shocks.
But with just eight minutes on the clock, that awful reality is exactly what was staring Benitez and his star players full in the face after Richard Pacquette, who earns his living as a truant officer, had headed the Conference South minnows into the lead.
Liverpool had already lived dangerously two minutes earlier when Alfie Potter had a shot saved from close range following a corner, but the home side failed to learn the lesson and Pacquette scored from three yards after being left completely unmarked to direct Mo Harkin's corner past hapless goalkeeper Charles Itandje.
The 6,000 Havant supporters inside Anfield understandably went wild.
The supporters arrived on Merseyside fearing, and expecting, a mauling at the hands of the Premiership giants. Taking the lead was beyond their wildest dreams.
But it had happened and Liverpool now had to get themselves out of a hole of their own making. Yet the squad players that Benitez had trusted were simply failing to deliver as Gerrard, Torres and Carragher watched glum-faced.
Itandje, John Arne Riise and Jermaine Pennant were three Liverpool players who let down their manager.
Liverpool were by no means stamping their superior quality on their lowly opponents and another Itandje howler, when he flapped at a cross, resulted in Neil Sharp shooting over the bar from 12 yards.
It was a horror-show by Liverpool, but they undeservedly drew themselves level on 27 minutes, albeit through a superb goal from the boot of Brazilian midfielder Lucas.
Having received the ball on the edge of the penalty area from Ryan Babel, Lucas beat goalkeeper Kevin Scriven with an unstoppable right-foot effort that curled into the top corner.
Far from being knocked off course, though, Havant fought back and they stunned Anfield by regaining the lead four minutes later when the hugely-impressive Potter scored after a mistake by Steve Finnan.
Potter controlled the ball and then beat Itandje with a shot that was deflected off £6.5million new boy Martin Skrtel.
It was a thoroughly deserved goal, but Havant couldn't hold on until half-time as Israeli midfielder Benayoun hauled Liverpool level with another long-range effort on 44 minutes.
The second equaliser was the killer blow and two more goals from Benayoun, on 56 and 59 minutes, put the game beyond the Hampshire-based outfit before Peter Crouch netted a fifth in the 90th minute from what looked like an offside position.
