A thunderbolt goal from Fernando Torres spared Liverpool an embarrassing away defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough as they played out a 1-1 draw at the Riverside Stadium.

The result moved Rafa Benitez's side up a place to fourth in the Premier League, but increased their winless streak to three games.

You would have been hard-pushed to work out which of the two sides was seeking Champions League football next season and which was battling relegation in the first half as the ball stayed largely in the middle of the pitch.

This was thanks in no small part to a brilliant display from Boro central defenders David Wheater and Rob Huth, with the Germany international in particular making Torres look like a pub player as he dominated in the air.

The one small moment of brilliance came from a veteran of the home side, Dutchman George Boateng. He grabbed the ball in midfield on 27 minutes and threaded a low pass out to Stewart Downing on the left flank.

A badly fluffed clearance of Downing's cross allowed Jeremie Aliadiere to head the ball past Jose Manuel Reina and across the face of goal into the path of Boateng, who bundled the ball over the line to give his side a deserved lead.

Boro's defence, which included teenage debutant Jonathan Grounds at left-back in place of Emanuel Pogatetz, held firm as Liverpool suffered with captain Steven Gerrard being forced into a defensive midfield role that never maximises his capabilities.

Whatever Benitez said to his team at half-time, it certainly worked. The introduction of Ryan Babel on the left wing in place of Alvaro Arbeloa meant that Luke Young and Gary O'Neil would have no rest at all.

Babel made his presence felt immediately, cutting inside from the wing after 52 minutes and firing a deadly shot from 20 yards just inches past the post.

But the home side were not prepared to surrender their lead without a fight and should have doubled their lead after 66 minutes.

Turkish striker Tuncay received the ball in the area and pulled the ball back for Downing, who crashed a powerful drive off the far post and then looked on in horror as O'Neil - who put in the kind of performance that the worst nightmares are made of - blazed his shot over with an open goal right in front of him.

What O'Neil's team-mates thought of his miss is up for debate, but they were less than chuffed when Liverpool's equaliser came six minutes later.

Torres picked up an easy pass from Babel and ran towards goal before unleashing an unstoppable shot from just outside the box to bring his side back onto level terms.

It was the Spain international's 11th Premier League goal of the season and his 17th in all competitions. Squad rotation be damned - without Torres Liverpool are a worse side.

It also looked likely to be the catalyst for a comeback win for Liverpool, but it was not to be as Boro goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer pulled off a string of fine saves to add to one from Gerrard in the first half.

The best of four came as he dropped to the ground with a minute left to deny Sami Hyypia's near-post header from a Gerrard corner with his left knee.

Middlesbrough's point moved them ahead of Bolton and into 14th place in the league and, more importantly, means they now have four points between themselves and the relegation zone.

Jamie O'Leary / Eurosport