Jon Flanagan played another 45 minutes as Liverpool Under-21s moved off the bottom of the U21 Barclays Premier League table with a huge 2-1 win over Southampton on Monday night.
The 23-year-old full-back had previously played 30 minutes and 45 minutes in behind-closed-doors friendlies against lower league opposition and stepped up his recovery further with another cameo for Michael Beale's charges.
Having won only one game all season, a Harry Wilson penalty - won after Flanagan was tripped inside the area - and Kristof Polgar's touch from Ryan Kent's free-kick proved enough for a vital three points at Staplewood training ground.
Away from home, the Reds started a strong team - Flanagan making his first competitive appearance for the U21s as he looks to build his fitness with a view to making a first-team display for the first time in 19 months, since the final day of the 2013-14 season.
Elsewhere, Kent, Jerome Sinclair, Pedro Chirivella and Joe Maguire - who all featured for the senior squad in their FA Cup draw at Exeter City on Friday - started whilst centre-back Polgar made his first start of the current campaign.
Only an excellent clearance from Jack Stephens prevented Alex O'Hanlon from opening the scoring after he beat the Saints back-four and rounded goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.
In an exciting end-to-end game, Wilson spurned a good opportunity after sprinting down the right side and cutting inside whilst Ryan Seager was thwarted by Liverpool shotstopper Ryan Fulton on a one-on-one, forcing him to fire wide after latching on to a poor pass.
Wilson and Polgar the scorers as young Reds notch vital win
But Seager made a more direct contribution just a couple of minutes later as he picked out midfielder Harrison Reed, who finished excellently.
The Reds struck level shortly after the half-hour mark as Flanagan charged into the area from the right side and was brought down by Stephens, winning a penalty which Wilson happily tucked past Gazzaniga.
As pre-planned, Flanagan was brought off for young American forward Brooks Lennon as Matty Virtue stepped into the right-back's place.
The second-half saw a slower place in Flanagan's absence, Reed hitting the post on 52 minutes from a troubling free-kick.
But with only eight minutes remaining, Liverpool stole the points as Kent's whipped delivery took a deflection off of Polgar's outstretched foot to beat Gazzaniga and seal the win - though substitute Daniel Trickett-Smith wasted a good chance late on, putting a shot wide of the post in an attempt to make it 3-1.
It didn't matter though as Liverpool u21s took their first victory in four games. Though it's unlikely any of those involved will take part for the senior squad in their Barclays Premier League game with Arsenal on Wednesday night, the absences of Danny Ward and Sheyi Ojo suggested they could be in contention to feature - if at least on the bench from the start.
Flanagan, meanwhile, will be looking for more minutes in the coming weeks - with Jürgen Klopp desperate for extra bodies as his first-team remains depleted with injuries.
Liverpool U21s XI: Fulton, Flanagan (Lennon 45), Hart, Polgar, Maguire, Virtue (Whelan 65), Wilson, Chirivella, Sinclair (Trickett-Smith 86), O’Hanlon, Kent.
Subs not used: Firth, Dhanda.