Liverpool 2 Middlesbrough 0Strikers are reborn on Merseyside on a weekly basis these days. Where Peter Crouch had eked out overdue reward a week earlier, so Fernando Morientes has now taken a significant step towards restoring a once heady reputation to ensure Liverpool boarded their plane for Tokyo yesterday in second place before Manchester United's draw with Everton. Belief is swelling that they could touch down in May having fulfilled even loftier ambitions.

This performance encapsulated the progress they have made this year; a stubborn and thoroughly organised Middlesbrough were eventually overwhelmed by the sheer force and relentless desire of the pursuit where, 12 months ago, Liverpool would have merely run aground in their frustration. A seventh successive league win was achieved with a 10th consecutive clean sheet, the defensive impregnability stretched to 924 minutes. Should they squeeze out another blank from either Sydney FC or Deportivo Saprissa on Thursday, a club record will be set.

Morientes's toils since swapping Madrid for Merseyside back in January had gone largely unnoticed with the world scrutinising Crouch, but the Spaniard will have felt his failures keenly. The club believed his £6.3 million arrival was a statement of intent, coming as he did with real pedigree as a three-time Champions League winner and prolific performer at Real to the tune of 72 goals in 112 La Liga starts. Yet, the odd flash of brilliance aside, he had been unrecognisable since.

Now, at last, there are signs that his adaptation is almost complete. "He's had to get used to the pace of the play," said Rafael Benitez, who has stuck by his compatriot despite a record which had previously produced seven goals in 35 largely anonymous appearances. "He's not the quickest, so he needs to keep the ball and benefit from players around him passing it to his strengths. He's worked with Pako (Ayesteran, Liverpool's assistant manager) in training on the physical work, as well as aptitude and mentality, and he accepted he had to improve on those smaller details. It was never a problem with stamina, but adjusting to the speed is harder. We just tried to support him to get the best out of him.

"It's not like Peter, who we play high up the pitch in front of goal. Nando drops deeper and has to put pressure on the other side's midfield. But we always had faith in him. Carra said recently that he had never doubted Nando's quality and we know he's a very clever player who has such good awareness of players around him. You will see that, if the team plays better, he will score more goals."

Liverpool were excellent throughout on Saturday, with the rat-a-tat exchanges between Luis Garcia, Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso so reminiscent of Arsenal at times, although Morientes was pivotal.

Mark Schwarzer and the suffocating Gareth Southgate and Chris Riggott were edging towards the clean sheet their own displays merited, and Sami Hyypia was temporarily absent having six staples punched into a head wound, when a Gerrard surge and dummy from Garcia's cross delivered the ball to the striker's feet. The Spaniard controlled then converted, and Liverpool were away. Morientes's second, lobbed over Schwarzer after Frank Queudrue had inadvertently flicked on Jamie Carragher's pass five minutes later, benefited from an offside oversight by the assistant referee.

Steve McClaren was just as flabbergasted by the pair of yellow cards flashed in a four-minute spell at Riggott for fouls on Morientes and Gerrard, with the Boro manager later making his feelings felt to the referee Steve Bennett.

Just as they had at Chelsea a week previously, Boro departed with nothing to show for their huff and puff. The Teessiders created two good chances but Viduka and Morrison were both thwarted by Jose Reina's right shin.

"To get to the next stage of our development, we have to convert chances like that," said McClaren.