Gerrard rescues Liverpool again

Steven Gerrard (R), seen here vying with Martyn Naylor, scored two goals inside sixty seconds to secure a flattering 3-0 victory for Liverpool against Welsh minnows Total Network Solutions in the Champions League first qualifying round second leg

Steven Gerrard scored two goals inside sixty seconds to secure a flattering 3-0 victory for Liverpool against Welsh minnows Total Network Solutions in the Champions League first qualifying round second leg.

Gerrard, a 68th minute replacement for Xabi Alonso, scored in the 84th and 85th minute after TNS goalkeeper Gerard Doherty had produced a string of stunning saves to frustrate the European champions, whose 6-0 aggregate win sees them facing a second round tie against FC Kaunas of Lithuania.

Gerrard's hat-trick against the Welsh champions at Anfield last Wednesday left this second leg at Wrexham's Racecourse Ground as little more than a practice game for Liverpool, but manager Rafael Benitez still opted to field a strong side minus only Gerrard and Fernando Morientes from the first-leg.

There was again no place in the squad for the Czech Republic striker Milan Baros and the imminent arrival of England striker Peter Crouch, due to undergo a medical on Wednesday before finalising a 7million pound transfer from Southampton, suggests that Baros will shortly be headed for the Anfield exit door.

The purchase of Crouch has clearly been made to intensify competition for striking places at Liverpool and Djibril Cisse wasted little time in staking his claim for a starting spot this season when he attempted to score straight from the kick-off.

Having received the ball from Xabi Alonso, Cisse launched a right-foot strike goalwards which only cleared the crossbar by inches.

It was an audacious way to start the game, but TNS were not unnerved and Ken McKenna's Welsh champions responded brightly, twice breaking into the Liverpool penalty area before the visitors opened the scoring through Cisse on 26 minutes.

By that stage, Cisse had already seen a close range effort well saved by Doherty. However, it was the Welsh team's defensive frailty that contributed to Cisse's opener.

Bolo Zenden's cross from the left should have been cleared by defender Chris King, but his failure to deal with the ball left Cisse with time to shoot from 12 yards.

The former Auxerre forward took two touches before guiding a left-foot strike past Doherty to make it 1-0.

Having done so well to frustrate Liverpool in the early stages, TNS almost gave a second goal away moments after Cisse's strike when a perfect Dietmar Hamann through-ball released Anthony Le Tallec.

Le Tallec beat Doherty, but defender Phil Baker produced a goal-line clearance to deny the young Frenchman.

TNS provided much sterner resistance than they had at Anfield a week earlier, but Liverpool stepped up the pressure in the second-half and it needed the heroics of Doherty to keep the scoreline down.

A stunning save from Jamie Carragher's close range header on 47 minutes was impressive enough on its own, but the Irishman went one better two minutes later when he kept out Hamann's penalty.

Midfielder Jamie Wood had conceded the spot-kick with a foul on Darren Potter, but Doherty denied the German by diving low to his left to save his penalty.

Another fine save from Steve Finnan's 20-yard strike followed and Doherty's work looked like paying off when Marc Lloyd-Williams released Steven Beck inside the Liverpool penalty area on 67 minutes.

However, TNS were denied a fairytale equaliser when Beck's 12 yard effort crashed against Jose Reina's far post and Gerrard then crushed their hopes of a late flourish with his two late goals.