TNS 0 Liverpool 3: Liverpool's display may have been caked in rust but their progress remains smooth enough.Spirited opponents in Total Network Solutions were eased aside last night amid plenty of pre-season huff and puff. For now, the polish can wait.
Djibril Cissé's first-half goal deflated even the most optimistic local of Llansantffraid, and, with the substitute Steven Gerrard adding two late goals, this tie had long since been stripped of its shock potential.
The Welsh hit the woodwork and can be proud of their efforts.
For Liverpool, the Lithuanian champions FBK Kaunas, hardly a daunting prospect despite their 8-2 aggregate win over HB Torshavn from the Faroe Islands, await in the second qualifying round next week.
Given the reassurance of their advantage from the first leg the holders approached the second with some comfort and were further buoyed by the knowledge that Peter Crouch had all but completed his £7 million move from Southampton.
The day's only sour note was the operation required by Harry Kewell on a hernia problem which will rule him out of the start of the domestic campaign.
The Australian is growing used to the surgeon's knife. The abductor tear suffered during the Champions League final in May had required a similar operation and, while the latest injury was not connected to that, it has maintained a troubling record since the 26-year-old moved from Leeds for £5 million two years ago.
Not that Liverpool needed him here. They dominated predictably enough and extended their aggregate advantage before the half-hour mark when Boudewijn Zenden's cross eluded Chris King to be controlled by Cissé at the far post. The Frenchman, having cut back inside, steered a low shot past Gerard Doherty. Phil Baker then scrambled Anthony Le Tallec's prodded attempt from the goal-line but, for all that there were occasional nervous flutters at the other end, the Premiership side's authority was only sporadically threatened.
Steven Beck hammered against a post from their best opportunity deep into the second half and Marc Lloyd-Williams had a goal disallowed for offside, though more troubling for Liverpool was their own inability to add to their lead.
Jamie Carragher was denied his first goal in seven years when his point-blank header was palmed out by Doherty. In the panic which ensued, Wood tripped Darren Potter in the area only for the goalkeeper to save Dietmar Hamann's weak penalty.
Doherty's saves to turn away stinging efforts from Steve Finnan and Luis García maintained his startling form but he could do little to stop Gerrard adding gloss in the last few minutes with a precise brace.
Guardian Service
TNS: Doherty, Naylor, King, Baker, Evans (Jackson 78), Holmes, Ruscoe, Beck (Ward 68), Toner, Hogan, Wood (Lloyd-Williams 58). Subs Not Used: Acton, Wilde, Lawless, Leah.
LIVERPOOL: Reina, Finnan, Hyypia, Riise, Cisse, Le Tallec (Luis Garcia 58), Alonso (Gerrard 67), Hamann, Carragher (Whitbread 53), Zenden, Potter. Subs Not Used: Carson, Josemi, Warnock, Morientes. Goals: Cisse 26, Gerrard 85, 86.
Referee: Carlo Bertolini (Switzerland).
New goalkeeper Artur Boruc proved Celtic's hero as the Hoops registered a pre-season friendly draw against Leicester at the Walkers Stadium last night.
Parkhead manager Gordon Strachan has secured Boruc on an initial one-year loan from Legia Warsaw after ending negotiations for goalkeeper Antti Niemi once Southampton refused to lower their £2 million valuation of the former Rangers shotstopper.
And on his Bhoys debut, the 25-year-old Boruc, who has six caps for Poland, demonstrated fine form as he produced a penalty save as well as a series of equally fine stops to secure the second consecutive 0-0 draw of Strachan's reign following the Bhoys' weekend outing at Fulham.
Former Celtic goalkeeper Rob Douglas was a last-minute inclusion for City after declaring himself fit following a foot injury and Polish international Maciej Zurawski made his first start for Celtic after signing from Wisla Krakow for a £2 million fee.
But with just 72 seconds on the clock it was compatriot Boruc who was called into action after Mark De Vries found Dion Dublin inside the Celtic box where the City striker was pulled down by Chris Sutton.
Referee Peter Walton immediately awarded a penalty but Dublin saw his spot-kick parried low to the goalkeeper's left.
Richard Stearman and then James Wesolowski both had chances. Celtic's first attack of note came two minutes short of the half hour but Aiden McGeady could only fire into the sidenetting ahead of Mo Camara booming a free-kick high over the crossbar.
