Heskey hero as Reds hang on

Blackburn 3 Liverpool 4

Emile Heskey was the match winner with two goals while Lucas Neill was sent off his second red card against Liverpool this season.

Danny Murphy equalised from the resulting penalty to make it 1-1 at half-time after Dwight Yorke had given Blackburn a deserved lead in the Carling Cup third round. Blackburn began somewhat nervously but their confidence was boosted when David Thompson intercepted Steven Gerrard's hopeless pass and fired in a tremendous shot that was only a foot wide of Chris Kirkland's post.

Gerrard then tried his luck with a 35-yard direct free-kick but never seriously tested Friedel. Another chance finally arose when Djimi Traore fouled Cole on the edge of the penalty area. Referee Mike Riley is not normally one to hold his cards back but he did not even book Traore when the Rovers striker would have had a shooting chance.

Barry Ferguson nearly made Liverpool pay anyway when he clipped the crossbar with the free-kick.

Liverpool did not learn from that escape as Yorke put Rovers ahead in the 35th minute. Thompson produced a good cross from the right and Yorke rose unchallenged to guide a header in off the post. Cole then came close to producing a wonderful chipped goal, catching Kirkland off his line from 30 yards but missing the angle of post and bar by inches.

If the passion had seemed oddly missing beforehand, it certainly appeared when Neill was sent off for tripping Sinama-Pongolle just as he was about to shoot.

This time Riley had no hesitation in reaching for his pocket and Neill trudged off disconsolately before Murphy fired home the penalty.

In the 49th minute Heskey made no mistake with a move started by Kewell. El Hadji Diouf picked out the England striker and he rose to power a perfect header past Friedel. Biscan set Kewell free with a wonderful pass and it looked to be curtains for Blackburn but he stabbed horribly wide.

It mattered not for Diouf skinned Martin Taylor on the left and crossed to the back post where Heskey rose unchallenged to head home.

There was some hope of a recovery when substitute Brett Emerton broke through Liverpool's defence but Cole missed his cross and Steven Reid was a yard off target with the follow-up

Yorke then headed Emerton's corner over the crossbar as Blackburn refused to accept defeat. Cole struck a good effort a couple of feet high from 25 yards, then inexplicably missed from six yards despite making contact with Reid's driven cross-shot.

Liverpool won another penalty after Kewell raced clear on the break and was brought down by Vratislav Gresko. Murphy allowed Heskey the chance for a hat-trick but Friedel save both his spot-kick and the follow-up.

Gerrard sliced over, then Friedel produced a brilliant tip over to deny Heskey. But Liverpool were not to be denied and Diouf, now causing havoc, cut through again to allow Kewell to finish from close range.

It was just left for Ferguson to score his first goal for Blackburn following some excellent first-time passing, then Yorke to make it 4-3 with a great turn and shot with the last kick of the game.

BLACKBURN: Friedel, Neill, Babbel, Martin Taylor, Gresko, Reid, Ferguson, Tugay, Thompson, Cole, Yorke.

LIVERPOOL: Kirkland, Biscan, Henchoz, Hyypia, Traore, Le Tallec, Gerrard, Murphy, Diouf, Heskey, Sinama Pongolle.

Referee: M Riley.