Time will tell if this was the game that reinvigorated one club and relegated another but, if so, Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers will have been propelled to the extremes by farce. Two penalties, a second red card in three games for a Liverpool goalkeeper and a stoppage-time winner from Andy Carroll only begins to describe an extraordinary night at Ewood Park.

As a ridiculous game entered its 90th minute, Liverpool had collected as many red cards for goalkeepers as points from their past three fixtures and had both José Reina and his replacement, Doni, suspended for Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Everton at Wembley.

It was Blackburn, two goals down after 16 minutes, who sensed the unlikely victory that would take them out of the bottom three. Then Rovers failed to clear their lines from a corner after Grant Hanley and Martin Skrtel became embroiled in a scuffle on the byline. Carroll, humiliated on his last start at Newcastle United by his own theatrics, his substitution and a furious reaction to his manager's decision, threw himself at Daniel Agger's flick-on having been played onside by Hanley and the 10 men had delivered Liverpool's first win in five league games. Spirit and the power of redemption have not been found wanting among Dalglish's team at least.

Steve Kean, the Blackburn manager, raged at the officials' failure to spot Skrtel hauling Hanley to the floor, although in truth both players were at it, while Dalglish refused to comment at all on the referee Anthony Taylor's straightforward decision to dismiss Doni for a professional foul on Junior Hoilett. The Liverpool manager could have no complaint, though he now heads for Wembley with third choice Brad Jones handed the task of stifling Nikica Jelavic and co. There was enough in Jones's first Premier League appearance for the club to encourage and disturb for Liverpool's derby date at Wembley.

There was no disguising the magnitude of Saturday's semi-final in Dalglish's team selection as he made six changes to the side that drew with Aston Villa. In came Carroll, Craig Bellamy, Maxi Rodríguez, Sebastián Coates, Jay Spearing and Glen Johnson, who along with the fit-again Agger offers hope of greater defensive solidity for the weeks ahead, while the Dane, Luis Suárez, José Enrique, Jamie Carragher and Dirk Kuyt dropped to the bench. Steven Gerrard and Stewart Downing were given the night off completely but the luxury must have been tinged with unease, for the latter at least, as his replacement flourished.

Dalglish's limited deployment of Rodríguez has bewildered throughout a season in which Liverpool have lacked penetration and intelligent movement in attack. It still does, after the Argentinian injected both into the left of Liverpool's forward line and dragged the visitors into an apparent comfort zone with only 16 minutes gone.

The opening goal was route one in style. Carroll cut out a Blackburn free-kick into the Liverpool area, given when Jon Flanagan commenced his poor night with a yellow card for a foul on Martin Olsson, and played it safe to Skrtel. His 80-yard ball sent Bellamy scurrying away down the right and the cross was perfectly measured across goal for Rodríguez to tap in at the far post.

Three minutes later he scored for the sixth time in 16 appearances this season from a similar position. Jonjo Shelvey was given licence to roam through the Rovers midfield and, although Paul Robinson saved his low drive and his defenders blocked Carroll's follow-up, the ball sat up invitingly for the former Atlético Madrid captain to volley into an empty net.

Liverpool were dominating with a composure and cutting edge that has escaped them frequently this season and the prospect of a fourth straight defeat reignited jeers for Kean's team from the Rovers faithful. They had proved premature.

Flanagan was fortunate to escape a second booking for a blatant foul on the Blackburn left-back Martin Olsson. Moments later the young Liverpool right-back underhit a back-pass towards his goalkeeper, Doni, that enabled Hoilett to intercept and, when he was felled by the Brazilian, a straight red card followed for Reina's replacement.

Enter Jones, five months on from the death of his young son Luca from leukaemia, and his first touch in a league game for Liverpool was to save Yakubu Ayegbeni's atrocious penalty.

Yakubu made amends when glancing in David Dunn's free-kick and then from the penalty spot after Jones had brought him to the floor following a blocked clearance. A second red might have been produced but Yakubu was not in control of the ball as he ran away from goal and Coates was on hand to intercept. Rovers' failure to add a third, however, may return to haunt them.