Ipswich and Sunderland went into the last day of the season battling to avoid relegation from the Premiership.

George Burley's side needed to win at Anfield and rely on already relegated Derby beating Sunderland at the Stadium of Light to complete an unlikely escape.

Here PA Sport outlines how the afternoon unfolded:

3:13pm - Ipswich's already huge task is made even more mountainous as John Arne Riise's superbly taken goal puts Liverpool ahead at Anfield.

3:17pm - And within four minutes the Tractor Boys' fate was effectively sealed as Kevin Phillips scored his 13th goal of the season to ease Sunderland's nerves at the Stadium of Light.

3:35pm - Any faint hopes the travelling support harboured of a fightback were extinguished after 35 minutes with a second goal from Riise, meaning they needed to score three goals and and had to hope Derby could come from behind against Sunderland to escape the drop.

3:37pm - If they needed any further proof that it was not going to be their day, the Ipswich faithful got one just two minutes after Riise's second, Martijn Reuser's right-foot drive crashing back off the upright with Jerzy Dudek beaten.

3:45pm - With the scores remaining the same at half-time, Ipswich had only 45 minutes left to stage what would be the most remarkable last-ditch escape of all time.

4:01pm - But after just 43 seconds of the second half Titus Bramble's woeful attempted header back to the goalkeeper was intercepted by Michael Owen who scored his 19th of the season and Liverpool's third of the afternoon. All Ipswich could do now was concentrate on avoiding a repeat of their 6-0 drubbing at Portman Road.

4:13pm - It did not look good however as Vladimir Smicer made it 4-0 after 56 minutes, making the most of a slice of good luck in the box before beating Andy Marshall.

4:30pm - Marvin Robinson equalises for Derby at the Stadium of Light but it had already been rendered irrelevant by events at Anfield.

4:34pm - Marcus Stewart is denied a consolation goal by Jerzy Dudek.

4:45pm - A repeat of that 6-0 drubbing edged ever closer as Nicolas Anelka calmly slotted home Liverpool's fifth of the afternoon.

4:48pm - Referee Steve Dunn puts Ipswich out of their misery and condemns them to a return to the Nationwide League after two hugely eventful years in the Premiership.