With the battle for a Champions League place and both the FA and UEFA Cup's hotting up, Baros could prove a vital ingredient in Gerard Houllier's bid to end a frustrating season on a high.
McAuley said: "I thought we were a lot better in the second half as we didn't get going in the first. We passed the ball a lot earlier and passed it forward a lot more which gave Milan Baros more opportunities to create something for us.
"Milan was excellent tonight, nice and sharp. He showed good movement off the ball and was prepared to run at players and create opportunities. He can be pleased with his efforts tonight.
"Milan is full of running, his match fitness is good and he wants to play games. He gets himself into good situations in and around the penalty area and do what he's best at, which is running at defenders and getting shots in from all types of angles. He can score from any angle and he can push on.
"Danny Murphy will be pleased to score and he was a lot better in the second half. He passed it earlier and didn't take as many touches on the ball and we were a lot better for it."