Charlton 1 Liverpool 2: There were cheers of relief at the Liverpool end but cold reality will set in again. This was an unlikely tussle for fifth place, and though the Merseysiders shaded it, thanks to John Arne Riise's winner, their targets will be set higher.
A 1-0 Anfield defeat to Manchester United and a 2-0 reverse at Southampton had prompted Liverpool's captain, Steven Gerrard, to describe recent times as "one of the worst weeks I have had since I have been at this club".
The words will not have been lost on Chelsea.
Gerrard is widely rumoured to be set for Stamford Bridge in summer, a destination he might have reached last summer were it not for his 11th-hour change of heart amid suggestions of death threats towards his family from militant sections of the Anfield faithful.
Even the most blind Liverpool fan would surely accept their club cannot match the ambitions of their best player; here they were scrapping with Charlton for parity.
Charlton: the respectable little Thameside club who have earned a rightful seat at the top table through fiscal prudence and shrewd reinvestment, whose 27,102 attendance last night was the highest since the return to The Valley in 1992.
Theirs is a heart-warming tale of honest endeavour, but it has none of the glamour of the four-times European Cup winners', and for Gerrard that throws into sharp relief the under-achievement of his club.
But the England midfielder recognised his own failings in Liverpool's collective disappointment and in the early stages last night here he set about trying to put that right.
Luis Garcia was unmarked in the box when he forced a fine block from Dean Kiely and the rebound fell to Gerrard, whose crisp follow-up hit the bar.
Milan Baros forced two more saves from Charlton's goalkeeper.
But, with manager Rafael Benitez having sacrificed the fifth midfielder to play a strike partnership of Fernando Morientes and Baros, Charlton slowly gained control, the pace of Paul Konchesky and Jerome Thomas on the wings perplexing Liverpool's full backs.
Danny Murphy drove to the byline and won a corner from his cross.
Taking it himself, Murphy's ball eluded goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek and his defenders, and carried the perfect weight for Shaun Bartlett to crash his downwards header in from seven yards.
Bryan Hughes might have doubled the lead had Sami Hyypia not cleared from under the midfielder's feet, but the lack of any further first-half goals was due to outstanding saves from both goalkeepers.
Having already denied Gerrard from a low shot, Kiely's point-blank block from Morientes underlined his form. But it was Dudek who pulled off the save of the half.
Again it was Murphy whose dead-ball delivery presented the chance, and again a Charlton header was unchallenged.
Hermann Hreidarsson entered the box late and used the speed of the ball to glance it towards goal. But Dudek leapt acrobatically to claw it wide.
Liverpool emerged the brighter from the break. Garcia nimbly approached Charlton's box, feeding a through-ball for Riise, who advanced a few yards before unleashing a shot that hit the underside of Kiely's bar.
It was Liverpool's notice of intent.
Charlton defenders sat back off Morientes too far and from the edge of the penalty area he twisted past Talal El Karkouri to give himself space to find the roof of the net.
Charlton almost hit back as Murphy would have moved on to the rebound from Konchesky's blocked shot had Djimi Traore not cleared.
But it was Liverpool who had the last word. Again Garcia's through ball gave Riise a golden chance and the Norwegian slid his shot under Kiely for the decisive goal.
CHARLTON: Kiely, Young, Fortune, El Karkouri, Hreidarsson, Thomas (Kishishev 59), Murphy, Holland (Jeffers 77), Hughes (Euell 66), Konchesky, Bartlett. Subs Not Used: Andersen, Johansson. Goals: Bartlett 20.
LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Luis Garcia (Potter 90), Biscan, Gerrard, Riise (Warnock 90), Baros, Morientes (Smicer 88). Subs Not Used: Pellegrino, Carson. Goals: Morientes 61, Riise 79.
Referee: N Barry (N Lincolnshire).
