FeatureThe Road to Rome '77: Liverpool score five after delayed trip to Belfast

Chapter two of The Road to Rome ’77 – a season-long series on Liverpoolfc.com – tells the story of how the Reds sealed a first step towards maiden European Cup glory 50 years ago today.

Belfast beckoned for Liverpool on September 28, 1976.

Awaiting Bob Paisley’s team across the Irish Sea was the second leg of their European Cup first-round tie with part-time outfit Crusaders.

Reigning UEFA Cup holders and English champions, the Reds were embarking on a fourth attempt to lift the continent’s biggest prize.

The campaign had begun with an evening of frustrated toil when Crusaders visited Anfield a fortnight earlier.

An underwhelming 2-0 advantage was established over opponents whose organisation and spirit belied pre-match speculation that Liverpool could rack up a record score.

“I see that the Crusaders manager Billy Johnston has predicted it is going to be a hell of a game,” said Paisley ahead of leg two. “We aim to do our part towards that with a few goals.

“The boys realise what a drab game it was at Anfield. They are in the right frame of mind to make up for it. That is their motivation.”

It was a day-trip itinerary for the Reds in the return game, but bad weather delayed the aircraft set to carry them and meant they cut it rather fine with their arrival.

Indeed, they got to Seaview for the match barely more than an hour before the scheduled 4pm kick-off.

Not ideal preparation, of course, and Johnston’s Crusaders came out showing exactly the kind of gusto he forewarned, seeking what would have been an unlikely comeback.

• Part one: 'Perhaps the most one-sided game in Anfield history'

Only a matter of inches denied them the chance to make a turnaround rather more realistic.

Ronnie McAteer sent the ball against the woodwork on two occasions within the opening 15 minutes.

First, he struck the crossbar with a looping effort from the edge of the box and then he beat Ray Clemence in a one-v-one but hit the left post.

So it was no small relief when a moment of Liverpool quality instead gave them the breakthrough goal on 34 minutes.

David Johnson clipped a gorgeous, angled pass from the right channel to the centre of the area and Kevin Keegan met it with a first-time, volleyed finish to match.

Keegan clapped the class of the pass from his teammate. And the home supporters applauded, too.

Crusaders continued to be a tough nut to fully crack, however, and it remained 1-0 to the Reds (3-0 on aggregate) until the final 10 minutes.

Then, the dam burst.

Johnson tucked in a rebound when Steve Heighway’s blast from distance was saved, before substitute Terry McDermott picked out the bottom right corner from 20 yards.

Heighway netted after an enterprising dribble down the right by Johnson, who then grabbed his second and Liverpool’s fifth via a clinical header.

“Crusaders were a credit to their game,” reflected Paisley after. “After all, they’re only part-timers. But they defended well until eventually they tired.”

The next European stop for the Reds would be Turkiye, with Trabzonspor their second-round foes.