This was very much a game of two halves as Saints were woeful in the first and wonderful in the second, well the last 26 minutes !

Saints at one stage in the first half looked like they were going to repeat the debacle in the Capital One Cup earlier in the season as Liverpool seemed to be able to swarm forward at will.

It all started well for Saints though and Shane Long should have had a penalty when Dejan Lovren clearly pushed him in the back, the referee bottled it and it was not the last bad decision he would make in the game.

This is a Liverpool side that is good on the counter attack and Saints played right into their hands, Cuco Martina kept on charging forward and too many times was out of position when Liverpool countered at pace. Match of the Day picked this up in their analysis and it was my view watching the game live, I cannot understand why Soares is suddenly not getting game.

Two goals in five minutes saw Liverpool 2-0 up and barely 20 minutes on the clock, things were looking bleak for Saints at this point especially when they appeared to have scored a third with the linesman's flag staying down until Saints appealed and suddenly it went up, TV replays showed that eventually the officials got it right by disallowing the goal, but it was not very professional from them.

At half time Ronald Koeman made two changes and they would be decisive, off went Clasie and Tadic and on came Wanyama and Mane and both seemed to have a point to prove, I still think Koeman was right to start them on the bench, neither deserved a place in the starting line up based on the past month or so, but they certainly deserve to start the next game.

It looked like the comeback was on when Saints were awarded a penalty for a tug on Graziano Pelle's shirt from Skrtel, Mane wanted the kick and in truth it wasn't a bad one in that it was firmly hit and right in the corner, but Mignolet guessed the right way and made a good save.

Saints were playing better now, but no one could have predicted just how the game would go with half an hour left, yes a Saints goal would make it interesting, but it was hard to see how it would come.

On 64 minutes it did though and it was Sadio Mane scoring his first goal since the last time we played Liverpool, indeed amazingly Mane's last four goals including the two yesterday have all been in the three games we have played Liverpool this season, he last other team he scored against was Chelsea back on the 3rd October.

That gave Saints hope and Ronald Koeman gambled again bringing on James Ward Prowse for Romeu, this would hopefully give us more going forward and someone who could hit a ball into the Liverpool box, Victor wanyama appeared to be capable of controlling the midfield on his own.

Initially though it did not have any impact, when Saints did get forward they appeared unable to deliver that final ball and as hard as he battled nothing was coming off for JWP, but his determination would pay off late on as we found out.

Liverpool were still a threat but after Sturridge went off that threat lessened, Liverpool were still dangerous on the counter attack but Benteke wasted a decent chance and the game was turning.

Then the game went mad, Pelle curled in a great 25 yard shot to bring Saints level and suddenly you sensed that Liverpool were on the back foot that they could not hold on.

The winner owed much to Ward Prowse refusing to give up and scrap for a ball 10 yards from the penalty area, it then went through to Mane who like his earlier goal and unlike virtualy every shot he has had in the last five months was finished wit aplomb to send the crowd wild.

Even Ronald Koeman joined in the celebrations by running down the touchline and joining his celebrating players.

That left only four minutes of normal time and the same in injury time to hold on, Liverpool tried to push forward but were not doing so with much conviction, there was a very late scare with the last action of the game when Fonte clashed with Benteke as the ball went harmlessly for a goal kick, but this ref was never going to give it perhaps atoning for his failure to award Saints a spot kick in the first half.

I said in the pre match preview that Liverpool were a side who were prone to late goals as they found out against us in the league game at Anfield, I said that Saints should go to the final whistle as the Reds always look vunerable, but I did not think the ending would be so enthralling.

Funnily enough at half time I texted a mate of mine down from Liverpool in the away section and said i felt that a repeat of the 2000 game at the Dell when Saints came back from 3-0 down with 17 minutes left to draw 3-3 was on the cards. Not a chance was his reply !

So Saints march on and the dream of a top six place is still on, we should go into the final 7 games with confidence, the likes of Pelle, Sadio Mane and Wanyama look back to their best and we should not forget the return from injury of Charlie Austin and Jay Rodrigues who hit a hat trick against Liverpool U21's yesterday.

If everything now falls into place we have every chance of a top six finish.

Photo: Action Images

schatfield added 11:17 - Mar 21 What a game of 2 halves that was! 0-2 down and fearing an absolute hammering! I have to say, the sub of Lovren for Skrtl, who had an absolute mare, played a big part in this. Great to see Mane get in on the goals again and a lovely one by Pelle too (why did Mane have the grumbles face at the end though?!) Also really nice to see Koeman running down the touchline to celebrate the 3rd goal..

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SaintPaulVW added 11:25 - Mar 21 Great to see the 3 subs show what they're made of. Bit fed up with the press reporting this as a loss for Liverpool though; We won it.
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131153 added 11:25 - Mar 21 The only point in your report I disagree with is I didn't think we were too bad in the first half but could easily have been 4-0 down. Although do accept the point made on MOTD that the full backs were often out of position. The one thing which would have made the result better in my book would have been Brendan Rogers still being manager.
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IWOZTHERE added 12:11 - Mar 21 One of those that sticks in the memory. From despair to euphoria in half an hour.How can you analyse THAT ! Hope Ron made notes cos there was a lot wrong early on that musn't get swept under the carpet, but for the moment 'who cares?' Bring on Leicester. Just one aside... I hope VW's GIANT performance wasn't one of his isolated 'big club' games.
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saintsnutcase added 12:15 - Mar 21 What a fantastic match -- one of the best I have ever seen in five decades of supporting the Saints. The only negative about this match was that Wanyama and Mane both proved conclusively they are still among our top players and will be very hard to replace. Romeu, Classie, Davis and JWP are not in the same class as Wanyama when he is fired up.
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SaintNick added 12:26 - Mar 21 Wanyama and Mane on their day are amongst our best players, but both have their flaws, Mane has been of little use over the past 5 months and Wanyama just seems to be always one tackle away from a red card
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arthurfane added 12:31 - Mar 21 Don't think Mane was sulking at the end - think that was more a look of disbelief than disappointment, and fair enough, we looked dead and buried. Hope this is the start of a run of games and goals for Sadio though - want to get the smile back on his face so he wants to stay here, as he is very, very valuable indeed and don't want him going for a cut price deal in the summer. Welcome back Victor - more of the same against Leicester please. Would love to be the team who spoiled the party ;)

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IanRC added 12:37 - Mar 21 Said in another post we needed to keep an eye on Continhio as he always has a good game against us, so feared the worst when we gave him the freedom of the park early on. Also said numerous times that Sadio would come good and boy did he come good, hopefully his crisis of confidence is over. Victor too was immense giving us some badly needed bite in midfield. Foster should have an England chance given Hart's injury but did think he should have done better with their first. All in all though a great second half performance.

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saintsnutcase added 12:41 - Mar 21 Agree with IanRC about Forster -- sometimes he seems a split second slow to move his feet, both coming off the line and when is is rooted to the spot on the line.
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SanMarco added 13:17 - Mar 21 A game to celebrate rather than analyse. Of course we could have been 3 down but we finally got a decision vs Liverpool (many refs would have given it as Forster wouldn't have got it anyway). The funny thing is that if we had scored the pen or been given that early one against Long the game would have been totally different - and there can't be a Saints fan on earth who would want that game to have been any different (apart from the absence of Rogers and maybe a Lovren/Lallana sending off or two). Leicester will be worried about us - their form is not convincing. The last thing we need now is an international break...

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darthvader added 13:19 - Mar 21 Absolutely unbelievable game one where your emotions go from one part of the spectrum to the other. It was my birthday yesterday as well so it's perfect birthday present for me from my daughters unfortunately I had a slight injury as after the third goal toppled over the seats in front and landed smack on my back with my legs trapped in the seats so I'm covered in bruises today but it was worth it. It meant a lot especially as to shut those scouse Prix up. Oh how funny it was when their goal was disallowed, but at the time I thought this is probably the only thing we're going to have to cheer about as we seem to have no luck with the referee or even when the ball was bouncing around in midfield with just couldn't seem to get hold of it. However bring on the Beast just after half-time and Supermane then almost instantly we look a rejuvenated team I was close to tears at the end half through the pain from my accident and half through sheer joy and this is what being a Saints fan is all about bring on the Champions elect Leicester

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Alehouse added 13:54 - Mar 21 I don't think the Long incident in the first half was a penalty. The MOTD replay from behind Long clearly showed him to change direction an run in front of Lovren, once in the box creating the contact that caused him to fall. The ball continued in its path and was well away to the left. If he had kept his feet and continued to move away from Lovren he could have scored. He does have a tendency to look for the foul in these situations.

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FrankSaint added 14:01 - Mar 21 Funny how this ignorant scapegoating of individual players continues to flourish against all the evidence to the contrary. Personally, I blame Ward-Prowse and Yoshida for all our mistakes in the first half ;-)
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FrankSaint added 14:04 - Mar 21 Re Forster on their first goal, why is he expected to dive if he can't actually see the shot by Continho being struck? Dont people understand he is not sitting in the stands with an unobstructed view :-)
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FrankSaint added 14:07 - Mar 21 Alehouse, Long did what is called 'cutting across' and quite rightly players are coached to do this from the age of eight. It prevents the marker catching up with them or outpacing them.
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SaintBrock added 14:10 - Mar 21 Hindsight is 20/20 vision is it not? It was not at all obvious that Wanyama should have started. He'd been out for 5 games and was quite understandably not match fit. Koeman probably planned to bring him on at 60 but we were in such dire straights at HT that he had to use him earlier. Main reason the second half was better for us was that the Scousers were knackered by HT through their exertions on Thursday evening and Lovren being taken off because he was on a yellow and over excited because the crowd were on his case every time he touched the ball. Klopp realised that he would almost certainly get another yellow and was not prepared to take the risk.

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SaintJez added 17:03 - Mar 21 FrankSaint- for what it's worth, I agree with Alehouse. Cutting across a defender is fine when you are taking the path to the ball. Long's movement took him away from the ball and, frankly, was little more than just a dive. I think he should back himself more and look to score rather than win a penalty in these situations. It's not the first time he's failed to capitalise on a great opening by looking for the foul and not the goal. There was much to be disappointed about for the first 60 minutes but oh, what a finale! Let's start like that next time please!

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TeamCortese added 19:14 - Mar 21 Brilliant result! Just so happy for the club. We need to maintain this run though. We were in a similar position not too long ago and squandered it when we played Chelsea. Bring on Leicester!
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Big_T added 19:38 - Mar 21 It's a funny old game, I was so cross at half time, but after the second half what can you say but wow. Great team effort well done, just shows what they can do, long may it continue.
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IWOZTHERE added 19:41 - Mar 21 Long did Lovren for pace then cut across in front of him. That's good play but it was a bit obvious when he immediately slowed so Lovren could do nothing but clatter him from behind. I think Long was a bit 'over-creative'. That aside, 90% of the time it would have been given.
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perazi added 23:13 - Mar 21 From that abject first half when we were overrun and could easily have gone in at H/T 4-0 down to that glorious, dramatic comeback where Ron's decisive subs of Vic and Mane completely changed the game. I'm sorry Nick, Vic and Mane are not "amongst" our best players, they along with VVD are our best players and without them we are an average Prem side. Vic completely reversed the midfield capitulation of the first half where sadly, Clasie looked completely out of his depth. Mane not only scored the goals but galvanised our attacking force, he covered ground, took passes from the centre of the pitch and ran the Pool midfield and defence ragged, and in doing so brought Pelle, Davis, Romeu and Long into the game. Pelle's first half was dismal but wasn't he good in that second stanza. Special mention to JWP too; he did put himself about when brought on and certainly contributed to the decisive goal with his persistence. A perfect afternoon.

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