Rafa satisfied with display

Kuyt turns in Liverpool's first

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Rafa Benitez praised his side's second half performance but admits their result against Bolton could have been a different story.

A goal in either half, courtesy of Dirk Kuyt and a Kevin Davies own goal, sealed a 2-0 win for the Reds and closed the gap with Tottenham to just one point.

Both sides had chances in the first period, but it was Kuyt's strike on 37 minutes which handed the home team a half-time lead, and they didn't look back from there on in.

While still goalless, Chung-Yong Lee had a goal-bound shot cleared off the line heroically by Reds defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos after rounding keeper Pepe Reina.

Benitez admits his side were a touch fortunate not to concede but hailed his side's professional display in seeing out the win after taking the lead shortly before the break.

"It was important to win, to get three points," Benitez told Sky Sports.

"It could have been worse in the first half, but was much better in the second half. For everyone here it was important just to win.

"In the first half there was one or two chances. The second half was totally different - we had more control, more opportunities - but in football you have to take your chances.

"The second half we were pushing, we played much better so it was a big difference from the first half."

Liverpool have now kept three consecutive clean sheets for the first time this season, an important feat believes Benitez heading into the Merseyside derby next weekend.

Clean sheet

"It's another clean sheet, it's really positive and hopefully it'll be better for the confidence for the next game against Everton.

He added: "We have to win games and we are winning some of them."

With the goal gaping, striker David Ngog missed a golden opportunity to score in the second half with the score still at one-nil, but his manager was reluctant to criticise.

Davies' own goal, which crept in after he deflected an off-target Emiliano Insua strike, prevented the miss from proving costly for the Reds, and Benitez admits they were fortunate for the second.

"Ngog had a very, very good chance," he said. "Afterwards we were a little bit lucky but again we had three or four chances so it could have been better."

Although remaining tight-lipped over names, Benitez also admits to still being active in the transfer market having already brought Maxi Rodriguez in, and he hopes to add to his squad before Monday's deadline.

"We are working, trying to do something, but it's not easy to find better players than the ones we have at this moment at the right price."