Gerrard (pen) 40

Liverpool put their recent off-field worries behind them by securing a comfortable Europa League aggregate victory over their plucky Macedonian opponents.

Manager Roy Hodgson handed high-profile summer signing Joe Cole his competitive debut for the Reds.

There were also first starts of the season for the rest of Liverpool’s English World Cup contingent, Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Glen Johnson

And Cole and Gerrard dominated the midfield in partnership, with the club debutant in especially creative form.

Cole had already created chances for Liverpool’s strike pair, Frenchman David Ngog, who scored both goals in the first leg, and young Spaniard Dani Pachecho, when he set up a close range header for Ngog to give Liverpool the lead on 22 minutes.

With the tie already over as a contest, the second leg itself was clinched five minutes before the half-time interval.

Defender Fernando Lopes hopelessly mistimed his tackle on Ngog in the penalty area and Gerrard calmly despatched the resultant spot-kick, a remarkable 35^th occasion on which Gerrard has found the net in European matches.

The second half was low-key apart from a stirring finish by the well-beaten visitors, who came closest when Filip Petkovski crashed a half-volley against the crossbar.