Liverpool needed three halves of football to break through against Tranmere Rovers in the League Cup. Once Phil Thompson scored immediately after half-time at Anfield on 4 September 1979, they added three more to win the second-round tie 4–0 on aggregate.
Fourth Division Tranmere had held Liverpool to a goalless first leg on 29 August. The return also reached half-time at 0–0, leaving John King's side level with Bob Paisley's team after 135 minutes of the tie.
Thompson, Liverpool's captain, scored in the 46th minute. Kenny Dalglish followed in the 49th, so the visitors' position had changed from all square to two goals behind within four minutes of the restart.
Liverpool made their substitution with that lead intact. David Fairclough replaced Alan Hansen in the 71st minute and contributed to both remaining goals. He supplied Dalglish for the third in the 75th minute, then scored himself in the 83rd from Alan Kennedy's assist.
The crowd of 24,785 saw Liverpool complete a 4–0 second-leg victory without conceding across the two matches. Dalglish's double accounted for half the goals, while Thompson had provided the initial opening and Fairclough helped extend the margin after coming off the bench.
Liverpool advanced to the third round, where Chesterfield would be their next opponents at Anfield.