Liverpool edged out Stoke City 1-0 at Anfield this afternoon to pick up their first Premier League victory in five attempts.
An uneventful opening 45 minutes was followed up by a fascinating second half which saw both sides create numerous openings.
Despite the visitors striking the post through Bojan and seeing Mame Biram Diouf's strike cleared off the line, it was Liverpool who claimed all three points late on courtesy of Glen Johnson's close-range winner.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look back at an entertaining clash on Merseyside.
Match statistics
LIVERPOOL
Shots: 10
On target: 3
Possession: 47%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 11
STOKE CITY
Shots: 8
On target: 4
Possession: 53%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 11
Was the result fair?
The beauty of this afternoon's end-to-end second half is that both sides will argue their case for having done enough to snatch the win. In the end, it was Liverpool who can lay claim to securing the three points, which puts to an end their barren six-week winless spell. Although, on the balance of things, a draw perhaps would have been seen as the fairer result overall.
Bojan was particularly lively for the visitors, not least when testing Reds stopper Simon Mignolet with a perfectly-struck volley in added time, and the the former Barcelona man even saw one of his earlier attempts come back off the post. Combine this with Diouf's close-range shot which was cleared away off the line, and you can fully understand how Mark Hughes could feel slightly aggrieved this evening. That said, in what is a sport of fine margins, it was Liverpool who took things by the scruff of the neck to win the contest late on through Johnson's bravery.
Liverpool's performance
There is a famous saying in football that suggests, when your luck is out, all that counts is a win by any means possible. It looked for 85 minutes as though this was going to be another one of those frustrating days for the Reds, days that they have endured so often in recent weeks. Their first-half performance improved in the closing stages, but they failed to show any real initiative until after the break.
It was then that their play started to flow, and the chances soon followed. The home supporters were clearly buoyed by the effort put in by their players, yet two more dropped points here would have been hard to take. Brendan Rodgers took the huge decision of leaving Steven Gerrard out of his starting lineup, and it may not be a coincidence that the only goal of the game came when the Liverpool skipper - today celebrating the 16th anniversary of his first league start for the club - was introduced.
We have seen Liverpool play worse than this in the past and win comfortably, while we have also seen them play better and lose. All that counts right now is three points which lift them closer to the top four, with a much-needed clean sheet an added bonus.
Stoke City's performance
The Potters have lacked any real consistency this campaign, but one thing that is certain is the fact that they certainly know how to get the job done away from home. Victories over Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur could very well have been followed up with the scalp of Liverpool on another day, but their luck was clearly out this afternoon.
Anfield has proved an unhappy hunting ground for Stoke for the best part of 55 years now, in which time they have failed to win a game at the iconic ground. In fact, the Staffordshire outfit have not even scored an goal away at Liverpool in their last nine visits - a run that looks destined to continue for a while longer if today is anything to go by.
For all their hard word, particularly in the second half, Hughes's men just could not find a way through due to a mixture of good goalkeeping, smart defending and, well, general poor fortune. Stoke have made a decent enough start to the season, and this defeat should not knock their hopes too much.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Bojan: He may have been on the losing team, but the highly-rated Spaniard was a real standout player in this one. His strike in the second of seven minutes of added on time at the end of the game almost led to an incredible climax to the contest, but it just was not to be. His attacking play aside, he always seemed to be free to take the ball in deeper positions, and even managed to get a challenge or two in as well.
Biggest gaffe
Not a gaffe as such, but Hughes will surely be massively disappointed to see his side concede in the manner that they did five minutes from time. Having stood strong throughout up until that stage, the Potters firstly allowed Jordan Henderson to float in a ball, then watched on as Rickie Lambert rose highest to head against the bar. Erik Pieters could not clear the danger, either, catching Johnson but not the ball as the England international headed home from a few yards out.
Referee performance
It was not the busiest of afternoons by any stretch for Craig Pawson, yet he still had a fairly big decision to make when Lucas Leiva had his soft appeal for a penalty turned down at the end of the first half. Rodgers was unhappy to see seven minutes of time added on at the end of the game, although the official will no doubt point to Johnson's injury in the aftermath of the goal.
What next?
Liverpool: The Reds will feel rejuvenated after this win, and it is a quick return to action for them with a trip to Leicester City up next in midweek.
Stoke City: Likewise, Stoke face a quick turnaround as they prepare to face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
Daniel Lewis
