*Gareth Barry set Aston Villa on the way to an easy win over FH Hafnarfjordur in the first leg of their Uefa Cup second round qualifying round tie.*

Barry, whose selection perhaps ends any prospect of a move to Liverpool, drove in from close range to put Villa ahead.

Ashley Young lashed in a shot off the post and Gabriel Agbonlahor broke clear and side-footed in to make it three.

Matthias Gudmundsson’s header pulled one back for the Icelanders but Martin Laursen nodded in Villa’s fourth.

There was plenty of attention on midfielder Barry as his appearance would have all-but ended his hopes of a move to Anfield as it would mean he could not figure for a new club in Europe until next February.

Barry has hankered after a move to the Reds all summer but did not show any disappointment at the diminishing prospect of it actually happening as he started and took just four minutes to put Villa ahead in front of watching England boss Fabio Capello.

He had the simple task of scoring from inside the six-yard box after Young, who was causing mayhem on the left wing, put in a cross which was not cleared by the FH defence.

Young then left his marker in a daze as he wriggled one way and another before unleashing an angled strike, which keeper Gunnar Sigurdsson got a hand to but could not keep out.

It was all too easy for Villa and they took their foot off the pedal to allow the part-timers a few sights on goal.

Atli Gudnason headed off target when he might have done better before Gudmundsson had a shot blocked by centre-back Curtis Davies.

Matthias Vihjalmsson seized on the rebound and blazed his shot over from 16 yards.

But Agbonlahor produced a burst of pace at the other end which was too much for the FH defence to handle as he went clean through on goal and calmly slotted home.

Villa looked threatening up front but unconvincing in defence and Gudmundsson took advantage when he headed in namesake Tryggvi Gudmundsson’s cross.

Tryggvi Gudmundsson chested down a cross at the start of the second half and had a clear sight of goal only to strike his effort over the bar.

Villa’s grip was loosening as FH grew in confidence and the home side produced some neat passages of play.

However, the home side’s defensive display was their downfall and Laursen powered in Young’s outswinging corner to leave Villa with what should be an unassailable lead heading into the second leg on 28 August.