Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0:With perfect timing against their greatest rivals, Liverpool produced a magnificent performance to halt their worst run of defeats in the last 22 years as goals from Fernando Torres and substitute David Ngog took the pressure off under-fire boss Rafa Benitez at Anfield.

In the frantic final minutes, Manchester United had Nemanja Vidic sent off, with Liverpool having Javier Mascherano also red-carded.

Earlier in the day, United fans made the most of Liverpool’s recent misfortune. Beach balls, Eric Cantona masks and insulting banners managed to be smuggled into the away section.

The banner one that hurt most, no doubt, was “You told us to come back when we’d won 18 titles...well, we’re back”.

Some beach balls found their way onto the pitch, stewards hurriedly clearing them away, and there were even some from the Kop end, brought in by the Spirit of Shankly members just to deflate their rivals’ joke.

Watching on were co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, sitting side-by-side in the directors’ box, but not in the exposed front row.

The ‘Shankly’ group had staged a march from a nearby pub to the Kop ahead of the game to mark their anger at the Americans’ tenure, but for the match the Liverpool fans had no intention of allowing anything else to deflect them from supporting their beleaguered team.

The atmosphere was electric, the noise deafening, as Liverpool set about restoring their battered reputation against a side that had been sent out with a very attacking objective.

More beach balls arrived when Fabio Aurelio tried to take a corner in front of the visiting fans, Torres seeing his header swept away.

Patrice Evra was booked after 15 minutes for his second trip on Torres in as many minutes, and from the free-kick Aurelio sent in a curled shot that Edwin van der Sar clawed away. It went straight to Dirk Kuyt, whose follow-up was also saved.

Then Lucas robbed Paul Scholes and gave Kuyt another chance, this one guided wide of the far post.

Wayne Rooney, who had seen one effort disallowed for offside, rose to meet an Antonio Valencia cross after 20 minutes but his header was held low to his right by Jose Reina.

Torres was taking a fair bit of treatment, and Vidic was fortunate to escape a booking for a fierce challenge from behind.

United had better possession and hit Liverpool with pace and slick movement, but it was Van der Sar again after 36 minutes who needed to plunge to his right to keep out an Aurelio header from Yossi Benayoun’s cross.

Then Dimitar Berbatov was booked for a trip on Lucas, the game finely balanced by now. The half ended with players from both sides complaining to referee Andre Marriner about decisions.

Kuyt should have scored early in the second period when he was played in by Glen Johnson, but he chose to pass rather than blast an angled effort, and the chance was lost.

Then Benayoun’s touch sent Torres away on the right, but he could not shake off Rio Ferdinand and again the opening was lost.

United are at their most dangerous breaking when under pressure and it needed a block from Johnson on the far post to keep out a Rooney header from Ryan Giggs’ free-kick.

But Liverpool had achieved a measure of confidence by now and they grabbed the lead after 65 minutes. Benayoun’s pass sent Torres beyond Ferdinand, onside only by inches.

The Spaniard was not going to be denied this time. He held off the England centre-back and lashed a shot into the roof of the net, beating Van der Sar at his near post, and the crowd erupted.

Mascherano was booked for a foul on Evra before Anfield had its first sight of Michael Owen in a United shirt.

The one-time Liverpool hero came on for Berbatov, Nani replacing Scholes after 74 minutes.

Owen’s arrival was greeted with jeers and chants of “Where were you in Istanbul” as well as “Once a Manc, never a Red”.

Vidic was booked for a foul on Torres, then after 80 minutes Torres could run no more and Ngog replaced him.

Valencia saw a cross-shot clip the Liverpool bar and Owen was searching for any inch of space.

He almost reached a through-ball, only to be hauled down by his friend Jamie Carragher, and the Liverpool captain was duly booked.

Then with just a minute of normal time left, Vidic pulled down Kuyt as the Dutchman raced into an empty half.

Red followed a second yellow, and the Serbian was sent off for the third successive game against Liverpool.

The announcement of five minutes of added time sent a hush around the ground, with Martin Skrtel taking over from Benayoun to bolster an under-pressure defence.

Three minutes into added time Mascherano was sent off for a challenge on Van der Sar, a second yellow card for the Argentinian.

Then came the killer moment.

Liverpool broke from deep defence, Lucas delayed his pass to sent Ngog away on his own and the substitute slid the second goal past Van der Sar to end any doubt over the outcome.