Gerrard Raises the Anxious Spirits

They may have arrived in Ukraine feeling rudderless and downright depressed, but Liverpool leave this afternoon having done their absent manager Gérard Houllier proud.

The Frenchman would have had nothing but admiration for his charges' wonderful display in chilly Kiev last night, capped by Steven Gerrard's deflected if thoroughly deserved second-half winner. In what was proving an excruciatingly tight group, the Reds, now top, need only to win at home to Borussia Dortmund later this month to progress. Suddenly, their prospects are as rosy as their shirts.

Liverpool's players, burdened by the emotion of the events of the weekend, might have been forgiven had minds strayed from the task at hand. With Houllier making encouraging progress as he recovers from open-heart surgery - the Frenchman is now conscious and able to talk with those around him - the club were quick yesterday to quash rumors of an interim appointment to deputize during what will be a lengthy absence.

"There have been all sorts of unhelpful prognostications but our line has always been 'business as usual'," said the chief executive Rick Parry, himself on crutches having broken his foot playing football. "We have a very competent team here both in terms of playing and coaching staff and will carry on as we are. There will be no short-term changes or appointments."

As it was, Phil Thompson's first-team selection might have been made in France; Robbie Fowler was left on the bench with Vladimir Smicer buzzing effectively off Emile Heskey. That suggested solidity was the principal - if not limited - ambition.

In contrast, the home formation was refreshingly fluid. When they were not snapping at Heskey's heals, Vladyslav Vaschuk and Olexander Holovko were tearing upfield in a white blur. The former might have been better concentrating on defensive duties when Smicer wriggled clear from Steven Gerrard's pass before curling a shot wide.

But the home menace was growing. Stephane Henchoz's desperate lunge on Florin Cernat presented Aliaksandr Khatskevich with a free-kick which Jerzy Dudek did well to tip over. Oleksandr Melash-chenko forced the Pole to clasp a long-range effort, while Tiberiu Ghioane air-kicked after Laszio Badnar's throw had disconcertingly looped through the entire visiting defence.

Liverpool appeared shaken by the flurry of attacks and, when Valentin Belkevich's shot was deflected off Gary McAllister, the wrong-footed Dudek was forced to save with his shins. He had sufficiently recovered his poise to palm away the striker's follow-up.

Yet the scurrying visiting midfielders, marshaled by McAllister's old head, gradually stemmed the Ukrainians' attacking verve and Dynamo's increasing desperation promptly handed Liverpool the advantage.

With others committed to attack, Gerrard was given too much space and time down the right and his marvelous cross found Murphy lurking between the home center-halves. The midfielder's left-foot volley was too well placed for the sprawling Reva and Liverpool led to deafening silence.

English opponents rarely leave the Ukraine with anything other than a cold. Manchester United were only capable of a goalless draw here last year; Arsenal would have settled for that much three years ago, but instead were skittled 3-1.

With that record to contend with, Liverpool might have expected a backlash and it duly arrived 14 minutes into the second period. Heskey's harshly adjudged foul earned the dangerous Cernat a free-kick which the Romanian bent into the six-yard box. With Dudek floundering and the defenders outnumbered, Ghioane tapped the loose ball into the net.

Almost immediately, Heskey's header from McAllister's corner had Vaschuk clearing off the line, but Dynamo did not learn from that scare. The substitute Patrik Berger's deep cross was clawed back by his compatriot Smicer at the far post for Gerrard to gather. The England midfielder flicked inside Goran Gavrancic and saw his shot deflected off the defender beyond a stranded Reva.