Liverpool must surely wave goodbye to realistic hopes of beating Manchester United to the Premiership title, after earning only a point from the ferocious Merseyside derby at Anfield.

The Reds hauled themselves back into the game to force a face-saving 1-1 draw in their local skirmish against Everton, but this was still a shattering blow in the real war against Alex Ferguson's reigning champions.

Victory would have taken Liverpool into second place in the Premiership, but the draw leaves them a massive nine points behind leaders United, with only 11 games left.

Everton, meanwhile, have claimed a vital point in the relegation battle, thanks to a wonder display by goalkeeper Thomas Myhre and resolute defence by the likes of Dave Watson - probably playing his last derby - Slaven Bilic and Carl Tiler.

Everton have now taken four points from their rivals this term - pickings that could mean so much at the end of the season to both camps.

The draw means Everton have not lost in eight successive derbies, and for some time in the second period Duncan Ferguson's drive looked like clinching a double this season.

The other captain, Paul Ince, forced home an equaliser, to protect local pride in a thrilling clash, expertly refereed by Peter Jones.

Providing a good spectacle, though, will be no consolation to Liverpool, who have seen their Wembley dreams and now almost certainly their title aspirations virtually blown away in six traumatic days.

The game could have been all over inside the first seven minutes when Liverpool threw away a series of gilt-edged chances.

The first after just two minutes saw Steve McManaman thread a pass through to Michael Owen on the right, and the newly capped England youngster surged into the box but mishit his shot badly wide of the far post.

Two minutes later Robbie Fowler met a clearance 30 yards out with a shot of sheer venom that somehow Thomas Myhre managed to touch over the bar.

Everton were being roasted down the right in the whirlwind opening, and McManaman once again put Owen clear on the flank to race into the box. But this time Myhre, on his derby debut, blocked the close-range drive.

The visitors' only respite in a torrid spell was a sensational Mickael Madar left-foot volley from way out on the left that David James palmed away at full stretch.

Claus Thomsen got away with a bad foul on Ince, but Gareth Farrelly was not so fortunate after 12 minutes when he was cautioned for clattering Jamie Redknapp from the back.

The threat of Ferguson against a fragile Liverpool back line was evident after 21 minutes when James flapped badly at a cross under pressure from the Scot, and Madar saw his shot aimed at an empty net hacked away by Jamie Carragher.

Everton's defence were standing their ground, fighting for every inch and produced a brilliant breakaway that ended with James tipping the ball round a post after Ferguson had been put clear in the box.

Danny Cadamarteri was then cautioned for a late tackle on Redknapp as the ferocity of the battle barely slackened.

But the first half ended with another glorious Liverpool chance that should have been buried when Ince sent Oyvind Leonhardsen clear, and Myhre once again saved superbly.

John Oster came on for the injured Cadamarteri at the break, and Tiler became the third Everton played booked for a foul on Owen.

But the sting had ebbed away from Liverpool's play, and after 58 minutes the men in blue grabbed the lead when Michael Ball's throw was knocked back for Ferguson to drive in from the edge of the box.

Liverpool were rocked, and Frenchman Madar had two wonderful chances to kill them off completely.

One he drove wide after being put clear on the right, and then came a staggering miss that left the import from Deportivo La Coruna shattered mentally.

James rushed to the edge of his box only to make a complete hash of a punch-out, and Madar found himself goalside of the goalkeeper with only one defender in front of him. Incredibly, though, he managed to miss the target.

Liverpool took full advantage. Sixty seconds later they were up at the other end, where McManaman had a shot blocked and Ince then struck home the equaliser from the edge of the six-yard box.

As Liverpool celebrated, Madar, head in hands, was distraught, unable to watch the outcome of his clanger.

Three minutes later Howard Kendall hauled him off, and the long-haired striker took ages to almost crawl to the touchline in despair.

Gavin McCann came on to add steel to a midfield that was being increasingly overrun and forced backwards.

Mitch Ward deflected a low Leonhardsen drive wide, and when Oster finally broke out of defence he couldn't find a single colleague within 40 yards of him to help out.

Fowler, who had worked so hard all night, tested Myhre from 20 yards, and Redknapp's swirler from the same distance cleared the far angle by inches.

Then Redknapp drilled a low drive that Myhre touched away at full stretch with just six minutes left.