Adam Phillips' last-minute winner secured Liverpool Under-18s passage to the quarter finals of the FA Youth Cup after a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest on Thursday evening.
Herbie Kane had opened the scoring, finishing well to round off Brooks Lennon's terrific run down the right-hand side, but Adam Crookes equalised for the home side with just two minutes to go.
With extra-time all but certain, Phillips made the most of Ben Woodburn's direct run into the box, placing into the bottom corner to secure the win at the County Ground and spark jubilant celebrations.
The victory puts the young Reds into the last eight of the competition, where they will travel to either Coventry City or Arsenal.
Reds snatch victory in enthralling end-to-end game
Neil Critchley's side, boasting the likes of Woodburn and Phillips who had been so instrumental in their 3-0 win over Cardiff City in the previous round, took time to grew into the game.
Phillips went close in the 17th minute as his long-range strike deflected just wide of the post. The hosts tried to respond, Ryan Yates heading over from a corner on the half-hour mark, but Liverpool finally took the lead through a brilliant counter-attack.
After twice blocking shots from Ben Brereton in their own box, the visitors broke through Lennon - whose pace and incision down the right flank saw him dodge a number of challenges before picking out Kane in the box, and his well-taken finish found the top corner courtesy of the underside of the bar.
But Reds' goalkeeper Shamal George was called in to make a number of strong stops to deny Elvis Otim twice either side of half-time, before Toni Gomes wasted a good chance to double the away side's lead.
Forest continued to pile the pressure on, Brereton firing wide after going through on goal, whilst Liverpool had chances of their own on the break - goalscorer Kane twice denied with a toe-poke and then the rebound.
In a frantic finish, George was forced into several excellent saves to deny Forest substitute Liam Adams before Crookes' header from a corner looked to have forced at least an extra half-an-hour.
But with little to no time left on the clock, Woodburn brought an aerial ball under control before embarking on a mazy run and squaring for Phillips to apply a simple finish and send his side through.
Youngsters delighted to go through
Speaking afterwards to Liverpoolfc.com, Phillips called it "a typical cup game" and praised his teammates for fighting until the end, saying: "Luckily, we were the winners."
On his late winner, he said: "I just thought I'd keep up with Ben, hoping he'd fine me. He did and I slotted home nicely."
Phillips, who has developed a penchant for late goals after his equaliser against rivals Everton in the league earlier in the season, admitted it was "great with everyone celebrating together" and spoke of how it "means a lot" to the players to get through.
Kane, who scored his first goal of the season, admitted he had been "wanting one [a goal] for a long time" and said he "just managed to get onto it [Lennon's cross] and slot home."
He said they "ground it out" to get "a good result" as he acknowledged that they "didn't play as well in the second half" as they did in the first, but insisted they're pleased to come through.
On their potential opponents in the next round, he said it would be "nice to play at the Emirates" but said Coventry "would be a different sort of game" and "a different test" though he declared: "I don't mind who we play."