BORO were forced into a late change of their line-up as keeper Brad Jones njured a hand in the warm-up and Ross Turnbull stepped up to take his place between the sticks.
Boro were otherwise unchanged as skipper Emanauel Pogatetz recovered from a midweek knock on international duty with Austria to take his place in the centre of defence as David Wheater continued at right-back and new boy Justin Hoyte had to settle for a place on the bench.
Boro started brightly with some good early probes but it was Liverpool who threatened first on four minutes as Kuyt sent Torres forward then got to the edge of the box for the return but Turnbull went full length to push the crisp shot behind.
And Liverpool went close again on nine minutes as Torres just failed to connect at the far post with a Keane cross from the left.
The game was becoming scrappy and physical and there were a string of hefty challenges and on 15 minutes a Boro player took to the field with a bandaged head for the second game running as Aliadiere was patched up after a clash with Dossena.
Liverpool threatened again on 28 minutes as Kuyt robbed Taylor inside the Liverpool half to spark a quick raid down the left but the full-back did well to get back and block a shot from Gerrard in the box, although he seemed to take a knock for his trouble.
Boro went close on 35 minutes as Downing cut in from the left to get to the edge of the Liverpool box before curling a shot just beyond the far post.
Straight down the other end the home side almost broke through as Torres chased an Alonso ball to the edge of the Boro box and turned well to control but Wheater anticipated superbly to put in a clean tackle and clear the danger.
And two minutes later, with the Liverpool pressure starting to mount, Spanish dangerman Torres again burst through a crowd of defenders to the edge of the box but his shot clipped Pogatetz and spun wide.
As the whistle went Boro could be the happier after soaking up the pressure with an industrious first 45 minutes that had left the home side - and the home fans - increasingly frustrated
Half-time: Liverpool 0 Boro 0
Three minutes after the restart Huth went down injured in the Boro box as he bravely flew in with a diving header and took a boot full in the face from Torres.
When play restarted after treatment to the German a hefty kick ffrom Turnbull bounced into the Liverpool box and Tuncay almost squeezed between two defenders to connect, then immediately after another long ball found Alves in the box and he turned to shoot but his effort was blocked by Carragher and looped high in the air before Reina collected.
On 58 minutes Liverpool won a free-kick 25 yards out after a thundering tackles by first Huth then Pogatetz but Gerrard's effort clipped the wall and deflected high and wide.
On the hour Mido, last week's goal hero, came on for Alves who had struggled to make a mark.
Almost immediately he had an impact as he scooped up a loose ball and skinned Arbeloa with touch and pace then tricked past Carragher down by the corner flag picked out Tuncay in the box and the Turk superbly turned to wrong-foot marker Skertl and stab in a close range shot that Reina saved instinctively .
Liverpool put Ryan Babble on for Benayoun on 64 minutes in a bid to add pace.
But Boro were back on the attack and took the lead on 70 minutes as Aliadiere fed a short ball to the feet of MIDO 22 yards out and the Egyptian drilled in a sizzling low shot that screamed beyond the dive of Reina to squeeze in at foot of the right hand post.
On 74 minutes Liverpool put Aurelio on for Dossena while Boro gave £3m new boy Justin Hoyte fhis debut, putting him on at left back in place of Taylor.
Liverpool created an opening on 78 minutes as Gerrard fired in a shot from the edge of the box that deflected wide off Huth leaving the home side screaming for a penalty for handball and in the protests that followed Keane was shown a yellow card for dissent. Mido followed him into the book a minute later for time wasting after kicking the ball away.
High balls were flying into the Boro box now but were being headed, hoofed and scrambled away as the game entered the last ten minutes.
But Liverpool got out of jail on 85 minutes as CARRAGHER belted a shot at O'Neil just outside the box and as the crowd screamed once more for a penalty the alert Scouse defender latched onto the rebound then drilled in a waist-height shot that deflected off Pogatetz and past Turnbull.
Gareth Southaget put on Digard for Tuncay on 87 minutes to firm up the midfield and hold on to the point.
In stoppage time Turnbull made a brilliant save, going full length to push wide a Gerrard free-kick that was heading towards the far top corner
Then in the closing seconds Reina pumped a free-kick forward and when it was only half headed clear it fell to GERRARD to crack in an unstoppable drive from the edge of the box leaving Boro empty handed at the death after a determined performance that deserved some reward.
Att: 43,168
Teams:
Liverpool: Reina, Dossena, Keane, Gerrard, Torres, Alonso, Arbeloa, Kuyt, Carragher, Benayoun, Skrtel. Subs: Cavalieri, Agger, Aurelio, Babel, Ngog, Plessis, Nabil El Zhar.
Boro: Turnbull, Taylor, O'Neil, Pogatetz, Aliadiere, Alves, Huth, Shawky, Tuncay, Downing, Wheater. Subs: Digard, Mido, Emnes, Johnson, Williams, Hoyte.
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