Europa League: FC Gomel v Liverpool full-time report

Stewart Downing battles in Belarus

FC Gomel 0 Liverpool 1

A rusty Liverpool earned the slenderest of advantages in their Europa League qualifier in Belarus, as Brendan Rodgers won his first competitive game in charge.

Stewart Downing’s stunning strike midway through the second half settled the first leg of the tie, but the Reds were dominated for large periods by FC Gomel, who passed up a number of opportunities to beat goalkeeper Brad Jones.

Sergei Kozeka hit the post from distance for the hosts – who are halfway through their domestic season – but the Reds survived to take a lead to Anfield next week.

Playing against a team who play in an area of Belarus situated just 80 miles from the scene of the Chernobyl disaster might not have been the glamorous start to the Rodgers reign that Liverpool would have wanted, and the rusty Reds endured a testing time, although they did go close early on when debutant Fabio Borini flicked Downing’s corner marginally wide.

Glen Johnson was the next to go close when he headed Steven Gerrard’s free-kick over, but multiple errors were visible in a Liverpool side struggling to get into gear, and the Reds were fortunate when Aleksandr Alumona dragged his shot wide from a good position.

A hamstring injury to the returning Joe Cole saw Rodgers forced into bringing on the 17-year-old Raheem Sterling midway through the first half, but it was an error from Gerrard – who’d given the captain’s armband to Jamie Carragher for the night on the defender’s 700th Reds appearance – which soon let Dmitri Platonov in, and his cross was headed over by Igor Voronkov.

Alumona soon shot wide again and then brought a good save out of Jones as the Reds still struggled, with the Gomel forward soon racing away from the dozing Martin Škrtel before being blocked out by Liverpool’s Australian goalkeeper. Jones then made an error which Carragher had to clear up as the dangerous Alumona lurked.

The Reds were fortunate to get to half-time still level, and things didn’t look to improve in the opening stages of the second half when Platonov ran clear, only to round Jones and take the ball out of play.

Half-chances for Gerrard and Borini hinted at encouraging signs for the Reds though, and the skipper’s free-kick was soon whizzing wide of the Gomel goal when a touch could have taken it in.

Liverpool were still going nowhere with the ball though, and were soon to have their biggest let off of the night when Kozeka’s strike from distance came back off the post to Alumona, whose sliced shot was then turned wide by Platonov from point-blank range.

That and the introduction of the Brazilian Lucas – so often a key man – appeared to be the turning point for Liverpool though, and as soon as the Reds stepped things up to a decent level they took the lead. And how.

There appeared to be little on when Downing collected the ball midway inside the Gomel half, but the winger was able to cut inside from the right and fire a spectacular shot past the dive of goalkeeper Vladimir Bushma and into the net.

The winger – so often criticised last season – had given his tiring side a key advantage in the tie, and with the Reds still far from comfortable they looked to see out the first leg.

Alumona shot wide again as the home side chased an equaliser, but Liverpool – and particularly the impressive Carragher – were content to protect their advantage now, using their experience to see out a night that ended satisfactorily, even though it showcased the work that Rodgers has to do.

Mark Jones – follow me on twitter

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