Derby County 1 Liverpool 2

Steven Gerrard rescued Liverpool's title dreams with a last-minute winner against desperately unlucky Derby County.

Derby, trounced 6-0 at Anfield last September, took the Merseysiders all the way and deserved a point for their second-half performance alone.

Another rout had looked on the cards when Fernando Torres opened the scoring for the visitors with just 13 minutes gone.

Stephen Pearson injured by Darren Moore had to leave the field

There looked little on when Ryan Babel found the Spaniard on the right-hand edge of the Derby box, but he showed why he's now netted 15 times this season, as he danced past a static Derby defence before shooting home with his left foot.

Stand-in Derby keeper Lewis Price had only started after Stephen Bywater's shoulder injury flared up during the pre-match warm-up.

It looked like he was in for a busy afternoon as Liverpool took a grip of the game.

But both Gerrard and Xabi Alonso looked out of sorts at the heart of the Reds midfield and chances were few and far between in a scrappy opening period.

But the second half was a different story as a succession of injuries and substitutions left Liverpool playing an unfamiliar 4-2-4 formation.

Alonso and Gerrard were outnumbered in midfield and for 20 minutes Rafael Benitez's men struggled to get the ball into the Derby half.

The Derby fans scented blood and got behind their team as they realised Liverpool were there for the taking.

Michael Johnson had succesful return after a loan spell

The goal duly arrived on 67 minutes when Alonso handled just inside his own half. Eddie Lewis fired in the free-kick which cannoned off a ruck of players into the path of Jay McEveley, who gleefully sidefooted home.

The equaliser finally spurred Liverpool into action and for the last 20 minutes they looked a different side although Derby had their fair share of goal scoring opportunities.

Benitez brought on Dirk Kuyt for Babel as Liverpool went looking for the winner, but it seemed a goal would never come as Alonso, Kuyt and Torres all came close without success.

Gerrard had finally woken from his earlier slumber and drove Liverpool forward forcing a fine fingertip save from Price and then thundering a shot against the underside of the bar.

Giles Barnes had the chance to put Derby 2-1 up against Liverpool

Derby almost snatched the points with five minutes to go when Lewis was put through on the left and his cross was met at the far post by the diving Giles Barnes, but the header flashed just wide of the upright.

The winner came with just a minute to go after Derby felt they should have been awarded a free-kick deep in enemy territory.

Instead the ball fell to Gerrard who set off on a marauding run down the left leaving Derby defenders stranded in his wake.

He fed Yossi Benayoun, who cleverly cut inside and found Torres whose shot rebounded off Price into the path of Gerrard, who turned the ball home from close range.