Liverpool went into their first game under Roy Hodgson with their rebuilding process forced to take a back seat at Skopje's half-built Philip II Arena as the unfinished team kick-started a new era in similar surroundings.
The Europa League had proved to be a welcome distraction to Liverpool last season following their early Champions League exit but their exploits in the latter stages failed to pay dividends as their quest for fourth place was left in tatters.
Hodgson had hoped to start this year's competition with a view to avenging the heartache he suffered as Fulham manager in the final defeat to Atletico Madrid little over two-and-a-half months ago but saw his prepartions hampered by this summer's World Cup.
During a prickly pre-match press conference the Kop boss had admitted that he could not have envisaged a more difficult start to his reign, with only four members of Anfield's World Cup contingency deemed fit by the club's new sports science team to travel to Macedonia.
But despite a lack of preparation and a weakened side, Hodgson was able to utilise new signing Milan Jovanovic alongside a crop of home-grown youngsters and firm favourites of his predecessor Rafael Benitez to guide Liverpool to a routine victory over unfamiliar opposition.
In spite of constant derision by critics throughout his Anfield career, Lucas Leiva continued to provide glimpses of the attacking prowess that saw him help the club in the latter stages of this competition last season and was the architect of the breakthrough on 17 minutes.
The Brazilian, captaining the side for the first time, hit a well-angled free kick which was met by David Ngog who danced through the home side's defence, who were at odds with each other, before lifting the ball over Martin Bogatinov with ease before side-footing home.
However Hodgson's frustrations at his side's lapses in concentration boiled over at half time when he castigated Martin Kelly for allowing himself to be turned inside out and gave the academy graduate a tutorial on how to defend before he was allowed to trudge off the pitch.
The 20-year-old attempted to atone for his early mistakes with a solid second-half performance which included an able assist for Ngog, who met the defender's cross just before the hour mark to smash a right-footed volley high into the roof of Bogatinov's net.
But it was the home side's relatively toothless display more than the Frenchman's brace that made next Thursday's return leg at Anfield a mere formality as Diego Cavalieri, usually confined to being Pepe Reina's understudy, was relatively untroubled.
Rabotnicki failed to take advantage of the inexperience of Liverpool's half-strength squad, possibly the most golden opportunity in their 73-year history of recording a famous victory.
Ngog has been linked with a move away from Anfield before the close of the transfer window, with West Bromwich Albion making no secret of their plans to take him on loan, but the Kop boss insists that the 21-year-old's future has never been in doubt.
"I can't stop players being linked with other clubs but I certainly have never discussed him leaving the club," said Hodgson.
"I think Ngog has done well in the pre-season matches so far. He has worked very hard in the training sessions and today he crowned his performance with two goals.
"I also thought his target play, his general movement and ability to keep the ball was very good too.
"Some players need goals and he got them. That will be a big weight off his mind because it means he doesn't have to worry too much about them in the coming matches."
FK RABOTNICKI (4-4-2): Bogatinov, Sekulovski (Adem 42), Belica, Lopes, Dimovski, Zé Carlos (Mojsov 56), Tunevski (Petkovski 78), Todorovski, Wandeir, Gligorou, Silva. Subs (not used): Kandikijan, Marcio, Carlos da Silva, Sinkovic.
LIVERPOOL (4-4-1-1): Cavalieri, Kelly, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Agger (Darby 72), Amoo (Eccleston 83), Lucas, Spearing, Jovanovic, Aquilani (Dalla Valle 83), Ngog. Subs (not used): Gulacsi, Shelvey, Ayala, Ince.
GOALS: Ngog (17, 59)
REFEREE: Antonio Damato (Italy)
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jonathanwhelan, dublin around 1 year, 6 months ago