21.07.2004 - Le Tallec double seals Reds' win

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Liverpool began their preparations for the start of the 2004-5 season with a 2-1 win at Wrexham in their first pre-season match of the summer, thanks to two goals scored by Anthony Le Tallec.

In a match which gave Rafael Benitez his first chance to see his new squad in action, Le Tallec was the only player to play the full 90 minutes, with 21 players being used by the Spaniard.

And Le Tallec's performance will certainly have impressed his new manager, with the young attacker looking the most dangerous player for Liverpool from very early in the game, almost putting his side ahead with an ambitious lob from a tight angle from Murphy's ball into the box.

But it was Wrexham who struck first, when on 19 minutes Darren Ferguson crossed into the box from the left, and a Dennis Lawrence header deflected off Hector Sam, and past Murphy and Welsh who were beaten on the goalline.

The lead was short lived though, and it was Le Tallec who grabbed the Liverpool equaliser midway through the half, netting from close range after Igor Biscan's excellent 25 yard drive had struck the post.

Liverpool made ten changes at half time, and two of the players brought on came close to putting Liverpool ahead within the first few minutes of the restart, Robbie Foy firing just wide from 20 yards out, and then Pongolle forcing a good save from Andy Dibble when he was played through on goal.

Wrexham were barely in the game for a long period of time in the second half, with Liverpool's lively youngsters controlling the game, and when the home side's first opportunity did arrive, which came via Andy Holt's free header on 77 minutes, they were punished almost instantly at the other end after a superb counter attack by Liverpool.

Dudek's quick throw out started the move which quickly saw the ball find the feet of Sinama Pongolle, and after dribbling his way through the Wrexham defence, Pongolle set up Le Tallec who was unmarked just inside the area, and he calmly slotted the ball across Dibble and inside the far post to put Liverpool ahead.

A Darren Ferguson free kick with 5 minutes remaining almost levelled the scores, but his 25 yard effort clipped the top of the crossbar, in what proved to be the game's final goalscoring chance for either side.

Liverpool travel to America on Saturday where they will play their remaining three friendly games, starting with a clash with Celtic on July 26.