Miller keeps Wolves from door

Wolves 1 Liverpool 1

The Scot rifled in a last-minute equaliser to wipe out Bruno Cheyrou's first half goal.

Liverpool had late chances Danny Murphy hit a post and Michael Owen failed to connect when clean through but the Anfield men were eventually overpowered by the sheer passion and drive of the home side.

Dave Jones' side battered away at the Merseysiders in the second half and deserved something from the game. Liverpool had their big guns back but are now four points adrift of the all-important fourth spot after failing to impose themselves on the home side.

Boss Gerard Houllier was able to recall Steven Gerrard, Steve Finnan, Jerzy Dudek and Jamie Carragher after injury, but surprised many by persisting with Igor Biscan and Bruno Cheyrou, despite their poor performances in the 2-1 defeat at Spurs.

Wolves produced the same side and a near-identical battling performance to the one which shocked Manchester United at the weekend.

Liverpool had Emile Heskey playing wide and Cheyrou in a floating role, and it was Heskey who went close in the sixth minute when Wolves failed to clear a Finnan long throw, and the big England striker saw a close range volley superbly saved by Michael Oakes. But 60 seconds later, Dudek had to hurl himself at the feet of Steffen Iversen to block the Norwegian as he was put clear in the box.

Wolves lost the limping Shaun Newton in the 21st-minute Colin Cameron taking over but it did nothing to dilute the snapping and snarling from Wolves' midfield.

The hosts' attacks were quick, although few and far between. However, former Liverpool skipper Paul Ince saw a 20-yard effort dip over the bar after a 30th-minute Lee Naylor cross had been poorly cleared. At the other end Owen sprung into life, gliding into the box past Paul Butler and Naylor, only to see Oakes block the effort and Heskey just fail to reach the loose ball.

Ince was booked for clattering into Cheyrou, and from Kewell's free-kick Sami Hyypia flicked on for Heskey to shoot wide as he arrived on the far post.

But Liverpool finally got their breakthrough on 43 minutes when Finnan lifted an angled ball into the box from way out on the right and Cheyrou surged in from the left to take control and crack a volley past Oakes.

Liverpool replaced Biscan with Stephane Henchoz at the break, and within two minutes Carragher found himself booked for a lunging tackle on Cameron.

The visitors got increasingly angry with Wolves' tackling with Kewell, Dietmar Hamann and Steven Gerrard all left on the floor and complaining.

But there was much to admire in Wolves' desire and passion. They will not go out of this division quietly, and the competitiveness of Ince, Cameron and Rae typified their spirit.

They slowly got more possession in Liverpool's last third and in the 62nd minute Cameron cut in from the right to test Dudek with a low drive.

Three minutes later Iversen wasted a gilt-edged chance to equalise. Cameron lifted the ball into the box, Kenny Miller headed on and an unmarked Iversen blazed over from eight yards. Wolves introduced Jorge Manuel Silas for Mark Kennedy, and three minutes later Murphy replaced Cheyrou for Liverpool.

Owen had a header saved by Oakes and then was put totally clear in the box by Murphy, but he struggled to control the pass and Oakes snatched it away. Murphy then wasted a great chance to finish the contest with five minutes left when Kewell set him up, but the midfielder blazed over from 12 yards. A minute later the same player hit a post after Owen had presented him with another glorious opening.

The pressure was now intense and in the last minute the home side got their reward when Denis Irwin crossed from the right and Miller fired back across Dudek for the equaliser. The majority of the 29,000-plus crowd erupted, their survival hopes given another shot in the arm.

WOLVERHAMPTON: Oakes, Irwin, Craddock, Butler, Naylor, Newton (Cameron 20), Rae, Ince, Kennedy (Silas 72), Iversen (Ganea 82), Miller.

LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Finnan, Biscan (Henchoz 45), Hyypia, Carragher, Cheyrou (Murphy 75), Hamann, Gerrard, Kewell, Heskey, Owen.

Referee: B Knight