Everton 0 Liverpool 2

Apart from the final 10 minutes, when the result was beyond reasonable doubt, I did not enjoy this Merseyside derby.

Everton played well and would have been worthy winners on the day but for a combination of Reina's brilliance, some top notch defending by the likes of Johnson and Carragher and their own players' profligacy when presented with clear goal-scoring chances.

I feel a tinge of sympathy for Everton over the result but also empathy because we have experienced the sensation of failing to win despite being the better team on too many occasions of late. We dominated our games at Sunderland and Fulham only to lose; we were worthy of a point at Stamford Bridge but came away with none, and in Lyon we were robbed blind by fate when they scored the late equaliser which ultimately knocked us out of the Champions League.

I also recall a derby at Goodison just three seasons ago when we lost 3-0 despite playing far better than our opponents on the day. Embarrassingly, Everton FC immediately released the DVD of the game - as if any true Blue would want to see anything but their goals replayed (which stemmed from a foul on Alonso that the referee missed, a mistake by Carragher on his return from injury and an uncharacteristic mistake by Pepe Reina).

So yes, we were slightly fortunate to win the 3 points today but given the chronically rotten luck we have endured of late, it was long overdue.

I should also point out that Reina's performance was no fluke and it is for games like today's that Rafa procured the services of one of the best goalkeepers currently playing.

Talking of luck, this weekend has seen Villa, Tottenham, Man City and Arsenal all drop points which has helped us close the gap between us and 3rd place to just 3 points. The top two will undoubtedly be Chelsea and Man Ure - probably in that order - but third and fourth place are very much up for grabs.

The key for us is getting Gerrard and Torres fit and in the team; hopefully getting Aquilani into the team and playing well, and getting no more injuries to key players. Game on!