They may have arrived in Ukraine feeling rudderless and downright depressed, but Liverpool leave this afternoon having done their absent manager Gerard 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, Liverpool now need only to avoid defeat 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 rumours of an interim appointment to deputise during Houllier's lengthy absence.
"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," said the chief executive Rick Parry.
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. Solidity was the principal - 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 looped through the entire visiting defence.
Liverpool appeared shaken and, when Valentin Belkevich's shot was deflected off Gary McAllister, the wrong-footed Dudek was forced to save with his shins. He recovered his poise to palm away the striker's follow-up.
Yet the scurrying visiting midfielders, marshalled by McAllister's old head, gradually stemmed the Ukrainians' attacking verve and Dynamo's increasing desperation promptly handed Liverpool the advantage.
Gerrard was given too much space down the right and his marvellous cross found Murphy lurking between the home centre-halves. His left-foot volley was too well placed for Reva and Liverpool led to deafening silence.
They 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.
DYNAMO KIEV: Reva, Khatskevitch, Holovko, Vaschuk, Melashchenko (Idahor 79), Belkevich, Ghioane, Cernat, Bodnar (Husin 56), Nesmachnyi, Gavrancic. Subs Not Used: Filimonov, Peev, Fedorov, Venhlinskyy, Serebrennikov. Goals: Ghioane 59.
LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Carragher, Henchoz, Hyypia, Riise, Murphy, Gerrard, McAllister, Barmby (Berger 62), Smicer (Redknapp 79), Heskey. Subs Not Used: Kirkland, Fowler, Partridge, Wright, Litmanen. Booked: Heskey. Goals: Murphy 43, Gerrard 67.
Referee: C Colombo (France).
