Joe Cole impresses on his Liverpool debut

Liverpool 2 Rabotnicki 0 (Liverpool win 4-0 on aggregate). Joe Cole made an impressive debut for Liverpool in his first competitive match for the club since his summer move from Chelsea, but harder tests await the midfielder than this Europa League qualifier.

The Macedonian outfit were outplayed over the two-leg tie though Liverpool's 4-0 aggregate win will hardly have Arsenal quaking in their collective boots ahead of next weekend's Premier League  opener. The Reds failed to score after the break and late on in the game only the athletic skills of Martin Kelly prevented the visitors getting the goal they deserved for their spirit.

But manager Roy Hodgson was in ebullient mood afterwards, praising Cole for his performance and predicting a great future for the England misfit at Anfield: "Joe's just desperate to play. He came here because he thought he'd get the chance to start more games than at Chelsea and he is a very enthusiastic, effervescent player," Hodgson said. "The more he plays, the happier he is. He wants to play every minute of every game. Whether that's possible I don't know but it's a great attitude to have - he had a really good home debut."

It was Cole who set Liverpool on their way – albeit after an uninspiring opening – when he curled in a cross on 21 minutes which was met by the head of David Ngog and directed past Martin Bogatinoc in the visitors' goal.

And Ngog, who scored both Liverpool goals in last week's away win, was responsible for the second when his run into the box was ended by an illegal challenge from Fernando Lopes. Up stepped Steven Gerrard (who, along with Jamie Carragher and Glen Johnson, was making his first appearance of the season) to stroke home the penalty and end the game as a meaningful contest.

Liverpool dominated the second period but Bogatinoc produced some sharp saves to twice deny Cole and also Daniel Pacheco, and by the end of the match it was Kelly in the Liverpool goal called into action, blocking a header from Marcio and then looking on helplessly as a Petkovski strike rattled the woodwork.

"It was an enjoyable 90 minutes," Cole said afterwards. "I'll work hard for the team and the goals will start coming." Cole and his new teammates will discover later today who they will play in the next round of the Europa League when the draw is made in Switzerland. The matches are scheduled for August 19 and 26 and with Borussia Dortmund, Aston Villa, Porto and PSV Eindhoven among those now entering the fray, life could get a little tougher for Liverpool. ·