Benitez relieved as happy days return

Fists pumping in furious celebration, Jamie Carragher headed to the pocket of delirious Liverpool fans and, spotting the match ball en route, sought to provide one supporter with a special souvenir.

But after taking careful aim, his effort screwed 20 yards wide of its intended target.
 
If it was Carragher's only mistake all afternoon, it was nevertheless in keeping with an error-ridden affair that brought Rafa Benitez bragging rights over Everton, breathing space from a storm of criticism and, importantly, the belief to turn their stuttering campaign around.
 
An own-goal by Joseph Yobo from Javier Mascherano's shot and Dirk Kuyt's late poacher's strike settled the 212th Merseyside derby in Liverpool's favour.
 
Yet it was telling that defender Carragher's first instinct at the final whistle was to seek out goalkeeper Pepe Reina and offer him a handshake and a playful tap around the head.
 
It was in 2006 that the Goodison Park crowd mercilessly taunted Reina following a horrendous gaffe in a harrowing 3-0 defeat that left him with his head in his hands.
 
Yesterday roles were reversed and the home gallery could only marvel at the brilliance of a crucial double save that brought Everton's spirited industry to a halt and left them immersed in a crisis of their own with just one win in 11 games.
 
There was a sense of disbelief among the blue hordes gathered on Gwladys Street as Reina sprung to his left to snake out a hand to repel Tim Cahill's header after Johnny Heitinga's free-kick had found him unmarked in the 71st minute, but the heroics continued.
 
The rebound fell perfectly for the in-rushing Marouane Fellaini, but Reina was back on his feet and spread his body to block the Belgium midfielder's close-range shot with his legs and preserve a slender lead.
 
The moment proved the turning point not just in this contest but, perhaps, Liverpool's season as they clung on to post a first clean sheet on their travels in the league this term and moved closer to playing a meaningful role in the battle for fourth place.
 
Everton will rue this as a missed opportunity, and with good reason. Fellaini's miss was poor, but did not measure up to the chance Diniyar Bilyaletdinov spurned after 17 minutes as the players David Moyes has lavished most money on could not showcase the skills to justify their price tags.
 
Liverpool's vulnerability at set-pieces was always going to offer Everton hope and panic duly ensued when Fellaini flicked on Tony Hibbert's throw in, Jo continued an impromptu game of head tennis and the ball skimmed off Carragher. A death or glory moment befell Russian midfielder Bilyaletdinov who was unmarked at the back post and unfortunately for him it was the former - a horrible sliced effort greeted with as much relief by red shirts as it was with anguish by his team-mates.
 
If only they could have performed with the accuracy of Everton fan Paul Cairns, who twice struck the woodwork in the half-time crossbar challenge competition and bagged himself £2,000, a signed Mikel Arteta shirt and £50 to spend in the club shop.
 
The misses were indicative of an encounter low on quality, while Jo was simply brainless in positioning himself on the line and finding himself offside for one of two goals that were correctly disallowed. Not that Benitez will be overly concerned that his team toiled for long periods and he may even contend that the luck which he feels has conspired against his side this season is beginning to even itself out.
 
When Mascherano lined up a strike from 30 yards, no one of a red persuasion looked on in eager anticipation. Yet Yobo's instinct to stick out a boot saw the drive career and spin away from Tim Howard's desperate reach and land in the corner of the net.
 
Then Yobo sliced a clearance that allowed Steven Gerrard, who had made his debut 11 years ago to the day but was quiet throughout, to win a tackle on Hibbert. The ball fell to substitute Albert Riera who fired in a shot which Howard could only divert into the path of Kuyt, who gobbled up his first goal in 13 appearances.
 
Present in the crowd was actor Henry Winkler, aka The Fonz, fresh from appearing as Captain Hook in Peter Pan in the city. Little wonder then that 'Happy Days' were back again for Benitez.

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the views or position of Liverpool Football Club.