Emile Heskey and John Arne Riise sent Liverpool back to the top of the Premiership table after a hard-fought encounter at Middlesbrough.

Heskey's 11th goal of the season, a close-range strike after Mark Schwarzer had saved Dietmar Hamann's 33rd-minute piledriver, and Riise's late second were enough to extend the Reds' unbeaten run to 10 games and keep them firmly in the title race.

But they did not have it all their own way as a Boro side determined to maintain their proud record of just two defeats in their previous 15 games, battled all the way.

Indeed, had either of full-back Franck Queudrue's two goalbound headers not been stopped by first Jerzy Dudek and then Jamie Carragher before Gareth Southgate's late header, Steve McClaren's side could well have got something out of a game in which they played some of their best football in months.

In the end, it was the craft of Hamman and Nicolas Anelka's pace which shaded it for the visitors, but the Teessiders can at least console themselves with the fact that they more than competed with one of the country's in-form sides.

The omens for an open, flowing game were not good as two sides labelled as boring in recent weeks met face to face desperate for the three points, if for entirely different reasons.

However, the standing ovation which the home side received at the break despite going in a goal down was testament to a stirring display which belied the criticism they have attracted.

Indeed, such was the enterprising nature of their football before the break that one wag enquired as to the name of the team in red.

Boro largely dominated the opening period with midfielder Jonathan Greening building on his impressive display against Everton last weekend to launch a series of attacks.

With Southgate and Gianluca Festa looking solid at the back and home debutant Luke Wilkshire showing few signs of nerves wide on the right, the Teessiders threw men forward in a bid to take the initiative away from the visitors.

Queudrue tested Dudek with a second-minute header and Wilkshire whistled a 25-yard effort just over nine minutes later.

The 20-year-old Australian dragged another shot across the face of goal and Paul Ince went inches wide with a powerfully-struck low drive.

In the meantime, Schwarzer had been called into action just once, saving well from Anelka after Hamman had picked him out with a raking long pass.

But the Reds, who arrived still smarting at being found guilty of poaching Christian Ziege from Boro, gradually forced their way into the game as the half-hour mark approached.

Schwarzer spilled a long-range Heskey effort and was grateful to see the ball settle on the roof of the net, but there was little he could do to prevent the visitors taking a 33rd-minute lead.

Vladimir Smicer found Anelka down the left and he picked out Hamann at the far post in acres of space. The German took his time before firing low and hard towards goal, and although Schwarzer got down well, he could only palm the ball the Heskey, who made no mistake from point-blank range.

There was no let-up after the break as Boro went in search of an equaliser and Liverpool attempted to extend their lead. But with defences on top, clear-cut chances were rarities, although Riise was inches away from converting Anelka's 52nd-minute cross at the far post.

But both sides went close from set-piece moves, Carragher clearing another Queudrue effort off the line on 55 minutes and Schwarzer saving well from Sami Hyypia's towering header six minutes later.

But the visitors were happy enough to soak up the pressure without ever coming under intense pressure.

Assistant boss Phil Thompson sent on Steven Gerrard for Smicer to add steel in midfield with 20 minutes remaining, and McClaren responded by replacing midfielder Robbie Mustoe with defender Jason Gavin and going to a three-man defence, while striker Szilard Nemeth came on for Wilkshire.

Ince went close to an equaliser eight minutes from time when he drove a left-foot shot just wide, but Riise wrapped things up a minute later, picking a spot just inside Schwarzer's left post to seal the victory.

Southgate's late header ensured a tense finish, but the visitors were not about the relinquish their lead.

Teams:

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Festa, Southgate, Stockdale (Marinelli 81), Queudrue, Mustoe (Gavin 72), Ince, Wilkshire (Nemeth 72), Greening, Boksic, Carbone.

Subs Not Used: Windass, Crossley.

Goals: Southgate 89.

Liverpool: Dudek, Henchoz, Xavier, Hyypia, Carragher, Smicer (Gerrard 70), Murphy, Hamann, Riise, Heskey, Anelka.

Subs Not Used: Arphexad, Barmby, McAllister, Litmanen.

Booked: Henchoz, Hamann.

Goals: Heskey 33, Riise 84.

Att: 31,253

Ref: A D'Urso (Billericay).