Liverpool notched a confident Anfield victory over Middlesbrough - but will need to hold their nerve to the last in a tense race for Champions League qualification.

The battle for the Barclaycard Premiership's fourth place between Liverpool, Aston Villa and Newcastle remains one of very few issues to be decided with two weeks left of the season.

Villa's 1-0 win over Spurs saw the midlanders briefly leapfrog Liverpool. But the Reds responded with a cool Danny Murphy penalty and Emile Heskey's 11th goal of the season to kill off spirited Boro.

The critical goals came at the beginning of the second half to ensure Villa's hold on fourth lasted less than two hours.

Liverpool made one change from the side which won at Manchester United, the more creative Vladimir Smicer replacing Steve Finnan in midfield, while Boro were without the injured Juninho.

The hosts were intent on grabbing the initiative early, and three times in the opening three minutes Harry Kewell could have scored. Twice he saw Mark Schwarzer make flying saves to beat out rising drives, and then he just missed connecting with a Jamie Carragher cross.

Captain Steven Gerrard produced a couple of ferocious tackles and was then warned by referee Andy D'Urso for complaining too much about the award of a free-kick. A minute later he again crossed words with the Essex official and was booked for dissent.

For Boro, Gaizka Mendieta was just wide with a free-kick - and only a fine save by Jerzy Dudek kept out a Joseph-Desire Job shot.

Owen looked sharper than of late. He scooped one effort from Smicer's cross over and saw a low, angled drive cannon out off the far post.

Gerrard was walking a fine line with D'Urso - and after a tackle from behind on George Boateng that was nowhere near the ball, the official had another lengthy chat with the Liverpool midfielder.

Boro weathered the early storm, and Chris Riggott and Ugo Ehiogu looked very sound at the back - while Boudewijn Zenden caused all sorts of trouble down the left.

Liverpool struggled to make genuine chances but were a little unfortunate to have a Kewell diving header ruled out for offside from Gerrard's free-kick.

The arrival of substitutes Finnan and Heskey for injured pair Stephane Henchoz and Smicer gave Owen more help up front. But it also meant the Liverpool defence had to be rejigged, with Finnan at right-back and Carragher alongside Sami Hyypia in the middle.

Liverpool, aware of Villa's win, opened the second half at full throttle.

Owen had two close-range efforts blocked by Schwarzer before on 48 minutes the little striker was bundled down in the box by Riggott - and referee D'Urso pointed to the spot.

Murphy stepped up to confidently clip his shot past Mark Schwarzer.

Danny Mills was booked on 51 minutes for pulling down Owen. That free-kick came to nothing, but seconds later Kewell laid a neat ball into Owen's stride - and in a congested box the striker touched a pass cleverly for Heskey to drill home the second.

Boro hit back with a 25-yarder from Job which Dudek saved.

But Liverpool were flying forward, and when John Arne Riise stormed down the left to cut inside Mills and set up Owen the curling shot which followed just avoided the far angle.

Boro made a double substitution - Stewart Downing and Szilard Nemeth for Riggott and Massimo Maccarone - the balance of the game changed.

Mendieta down the right, aided by the abrasive Mills, caused Liverpool problems - with Jonathan Greening and Zenden increasingly involved.

Nemeth forced Dudek into a flying save.

But Liverpool held on to head for their final two games at Birmingham and home to Newcastle knowing they have managed to take the initiative at last.

Teams

Liverpool Dudek, Carragher, Henchoz (Heskey 45), Hyypia, Riise, Murphy, Hamann, Gerrard, Smicer (Finnan 45), Kewell, Owen.

Subs Not Used: Baros, Cheyrou, Luzi Bernardi.

Booked: Gerrard.

Goals: Murphy 50 pen, Heskey 53.

Middlesbrough Schwarzer, Mills, Ehiogu, Riggott (Downing 64), Queudrue, Mendieta, Greening, Boateng, Zenden, Job (Ricketts 82), Maccarone (Nemeth 64).

Subs Not Used: Jones, Bates.

Booked: Mills.

Att: 42,031

Ref: A D'Urso (Essex).