Rabotnicki 0-2 Liverpool: Daily Mirror match report
Published 22:58 29/07/10 By David Maddock
Roy Hodgson was closer to having his wildest dreams come true rather than his worst fears fulfilled, as his Liverpool reign got off to the perfect start.
Not only did his young, inexperienced side defy their manager's predictions that this tie with Macedonian side Rabotnicki was a potential minefield, they also showed great promise that offers the new boss some real hope for the future.
Hodgson was forced to field a team of reserves, misfits and kids here in Skopje, but he was heartened by the spirit and quality those young players showed, not least striker David Ngog, whose two goals surely made the second leg a formality.
The French forward is one of the players whose future is very much in doubt with the arrival of a new regime, after a season where he failed to impress as a regular understudy to Fernando Torres.
And his strikes in either half were delivered with the touch and instinct of a natural finisher. Even if the opposition ultimately proved to modest in the extreme, he has given his new boss some food for thought.
Hodgson's overriding emotion will be relief that his predictions of a massively tough test for a makeshift side of reserves and fringe players proved wide of the mark, as Liverpool controlled from start to finish.
But he will reflect this morning on the quality that Ngog showed, along with some equally encouraging performances from young reserves Martin Kelly, Jay Spearing and David Amoo.
The Frenchman's first goal was clever, and the second, on 52 minutes after some fine work down the right flank by defender Kelly, when he escaped his marker to brilliantly volley home from close range was almost Torres-esque.
To get the job done so well and so comfortably was a major boost for Hodgson on his first competitive game in charge, and the emergence of the young players, plus the leadership shown by Lucas and the enthusiasm of new signing Milan Jovanovic were a major bonus.
It was a bonus that the game got played at all, given that the seats to new stands under construction weren't even put in until a couple of hours before kick off, and the new floodlights still weren't working at that point.
Some of them did briefly go out in the second half to offer what really amounted to the only worry Liverpool suffered all night, given that Rabotnicki didn't present anywhere near the threat Hodgson feared.
The home side didn't create one real chance, and were reduced to poor shooting from distance, while Liverpool controlled the midfield through Lucas and Spearing, and created chances to have enjoyed an even greater lead.
Alberto Aquilani should have scored after great work from Jovanovic, and Soto Kyrigakos almost silenced the home crowd who clearly didn't like his Greek nationality (the two countries are neighbours), with a header that flew just wide.
It was a decent defensive display for the English club, with the Greek defender ably supported by Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel.
But it was Ngog who ensured Liverpool left happy, and also that Hodgson won't have to wheel out the big guns for the return next week, with his two well crafted goals.
The first set the tone for the night. It came on 17 minutes, and the effect was immediately uplifting on the English team, their realisation that it was their opponents, not themselves, who were out of their depth visible.
It was the simplest of goals too. Skipper for the night Lucas too a quick free kick that was allowed to reach David Ngog on the edge of the box, thanks largely to some comic defending from the home central defenders.
The young striker may have limited opportunities this season given the arrival of Jovanovic and the continuing Anfield search for more back up to Fernando Torres, but he at least didn't do his chances any harm with this impressive display that so encouraged his new boss.
