NOT for the first time this week, Kenny Dalglish spent an evening at a sold-out arena in Liverpool. But the Scot was in danger of more enjoying the opening date of Boyzone's tour until his own European adventure was extended last night.

A Dirk Kuyt header four minutes from time was enough to spare the Anfield manager further embarrassment having been snapped accompanying Andy Carroll to watch Ireland's popular beat combo on Monday.

It gave Dalglish victory on his first home European game in the Liverpool hotseat and squeezed the Anfield outfit through to the last 16 of the Europa League.

A landmark occasion, yes. But not one that will live long in the memory.

Fears over the potency of Liverpool's attack in the absence of Carroll, Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard were justified as the Anfield outfit struggled to convince going forward on an evening of toil.

Dalglish had called for greater aggression from his players following a first leg in Prague that had been a war of attrition with neither side showing significant ambition to break a dour stalemate.

Although Sparta had conceded 12 times in their group, the most of any of the teams to progress from that stage of the competition, Dalglish's men, with David Ngog again the lone striker, struggled to find any rhythm going forward.

Enter Kuyt. The Dutchman has so often prove the man for the Continental occasion during his Anfield career – indeed, only four Liverpool players have scored more in Europe than his total of 15 – and it was he who nodded in a Meireles cross to the relief of the home faithful.