LIVERPOOL were made to work hard for their fourth successive Premier League victory. Watford showed great spirit and resilience to be on equal terms at the break, but Craig Bellamy clipped home his fourth goal in five games a couple of minutes into the second period.

But it took Liverpool until the 88th minute when Xabi Alonso scored with a stunning 25-yard shot, to settle the points and their seventh successive league clean sheet.

Alonso went close early on, a low 25-yarder turned around a post by Foster at full stretch before Bellamy got clear to go wide of Foster's dive only to see his shot kicked away from the six-yard line by Jay DeMerit. Dirk Kuyt was next into the act with a low drive that Foster could only push away, but he was able to get to the loose ball before Bellamy.

But for all Liverpool's dominance, Watford missed a sitter on 39 minutes when Pepe Reina fumbled away a cross from Ashley Young, and unmarked Alhassan Bangura scooped the lose ball over the bar from 10 yards.

But Watford's resistance lasted just a couple of minutes of the second period when Kuyt's touch sent Gerrard storming through the middle and his neat pass found Bellamy on the edge of the box. He controlled the ball and lifted it over Foster for his sixth goal of the season.

Watford went close to equalising the 63rd minute, but Reina was equal to Ashley Young's header. Substitute Peter Crouch hit the post from a Luis Garcia pass on 85 minutes, but still Liverpool could not settle things.

However with two minutes left that elusive goal arrived.

Kuyt raced down the left and slipped the ball back for Alonso to fire in a spectacular 25yard shot into the top corner.