Rafa beams at win

Rafa: Got the win

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Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez was delighted with how his side battled to the end and claimed an unlikely three points against Middlesbrough.

Benitez said prior to kick-off his side needed to start winning 'ugly' this season and that could easily sum up their victory over Boro.

Mido had given the visitors a shock lead 20 minutes from the end, but Liverpool claimed all three points thanks to a deflected Jamie Carragher effort and a trademark Steven Gerrard curler into the corner.

"It was a fantastic ending, it was important to win in this way, with the passion and the commitment of the players - I think it is much better," Benitez told Sky Sports.

"Clearly last season we were drawing games like this and two games we haven't played really well but we have won and have got six points.

"It is important for us to keep winning and then we can talk about football and not other things."

Benitez threw everything at Boro in the latter stages and he was delighted it worked.

"I think we needed to change, we played with three defenders and everyone was playing in attack so we could score the first goal and okay it changed everything but the second one was amazing," he said.

Benitez was quick to hail Gerrard - who played through the pain barrier.

"That one [goal] could be really important and I am pleased for him," he said.

"We knew he had some problems because he has been injured for ten days and he is not 100 per cent fit but he has that quality and can score goals like that."