Reds held by Rovers

Dirk Kuyt had three chances in the second half, Steven Gerrard had two and substitute Peter Crouch had a header cleared off the line as the lacklustre Reds were fortunate to escape with a point.

Before the break David Bentley hit the post and David Dunn smashed a shot against the crossbar as Rovers dominated.

It took until the 30th minute for Liverpool to even threaten, but when John Arne Riise's cross fell to Kuyt and then rebounded to Yossi Benayoun, he saw his effort blocked by Stephen Warnock.

Blackburn continued to offer more up front and in the 35th minute Andre Ooijer's long ball was knocked on by Roque Santa Cruz to Bentley, who saw his shot scrape the outside of Jose Reina's left-hand post.

Liverpool finally managed a shot on target on 40 minutes when Ryan Babel curled a shot which Brad Friedel comfortably parried. Just before the break Dunn turned the ball on to his weaker left foot before crashing a 20-yard shot against the crossbar.

Liverpool opened the second half brighter, with Kuyt squandering two great chances - first rolling a shot into Friedel's arms and then failing to pick out the on-rushing Gerrard.

The action then turned to the other end, where Ooijer's shot deflected off Carragher's arm. However, referee Martin Atkinson ruled Rovers could only have a corner.

In the 79th minute Gerrard burst through on the left of the area, but his shot was blocked by Friedel. When Crouch headed on Riise's left-wing corner, Bentley cleared off the line.

As Liverpool poured forward, Crouch nodded down to Gerrard, who was denied by Friedel, and Kuyt's misery was complete when he blazed over from five yards.