Lizards were beaten 6-5 - their first defeat in three seasons of Super 5s competition. The teams had been evenly matched throughout, with the score level at 3-3 after two quarters and 4-4 after three.
A Hazel Musgrove penalty - her third goal of the match - then edged Liverpool ahead only for Claudia Ferrone to equalise. And it remained nervously locked at 5-5 until just six seconds from the end, when Cecily Turner struck with the Otter winner.
With Manchester beginning the day with an 11-6 victory over Coventry, everything is set for a spectacular finale at Gloucester on 18/19 March. Manchester will go there with a one-point lead over Otter and Liverpool. And Manchester's remaining games? Against Otter and Liverpool!
Picture (Bury PS Sports Group): Togetherness . . . Otter's girls prepare for their crunch clash with Liverpool.