Liverpool marched menacingly into the last 16 of the Rumbelows Cup with a four goal demolition of second division Port Vale.
Graeme Souness' men were ruthless in front of goal while Vale, who had the audacity to draw at Anfield to force this replay, squandered chance after chance.
The potteries side could have gone in front in the opening minute when striker Peter Swan was clean through before shooting disappointingly wide of the far post.
Former Liverpool player John Jeffers hit the side netting in the fourth minute, Martin Foyle lobbed just over minutes later and Andy Porter glanced a header which Bruce Grobbelaar dropped to save at the foot of the post.
But Liverpool weathered the early assaults and slowly began to take charge.
Exciting young striker Steve Mcmanaman showed his class to put them in front in the 21st minute, gliding effortlessly onto a Mark Walters back-heel before cracking the ball home. Vale were level within a minute thanks to a dreadful backpass from Steve McMahon which Foyle blocked and then rifled into the roof of the net.
But it was a brief rally as Liverpool returned to the attack with Walters denied what looked a certain penalty in the 27th minute when he was sent tumbling in the area by a challenge from Vale keeper Mark Grew.
But Liverpool were celebrating 60 seconds later as Walters seized on Neil Aspin's poor clearance and saw his shot strike Grew diving to his right and shoot into the left corner of the net.
McMahon, who slammed Liverpool's defence as "amateurish" against Crystal Palace just over two and a half weeks ago, blundered again with an overhit backpass which forced Grobbelaar into a full length one handed save.
Liverpool were rocked at the beginning of the second half as the eccentric Grobbelaar twice missed crosses to provide Vale with half chances, but again the home side failed to capitalise.
Dean Saunders, missing for the last two games, returned in place of cartilage victim Ian Rush and added Liverpool's fourth on the hour for only his second goal in ten games to round off the team's fourth win in 14 games.
Liverpool, who silenced Vale's biggest crowd of the season, 18,725, now meet Peterborough.
Copyright - British Soccer Week