Carling Cup: Liverpool 2 Cardiff 2 (AET, 3-2 on pens)

26 February 2012 20:34

Liverpool beat Cardiff City 3-2 on penalties to lift the Carling Cup for an eighth time after an epic match that ended 2-2 after extra-time.

Liverpool beat Cardiff City 3-2 on penalties to lift the Carling Cup for an eighth time after an epic match that ended 2-2 after extra-time.

Joe Mason sent Championship side Cardiff into a shock first-half lead, and they held out courageously until Martin Skrtel pounced from a corner to level the score after an hour.

Kenny Miller spurned a glorious chance to secure victory in the dying moments and Cardiff seemed to have paid the price when Dirk Kuyt scored in extra time.

But Ben Turner poked home from a corner to seal a phenomenal Cardiff comeback, before Anthony Gerrard missed the decisive spot-kick at the end of a tumultuous shootout.

Steven Gerrard signalled Liverpool's intent as early as the second minute, driving a Liverpool counter-attack forward that ended with Glen Johnson deftly curling a shot that dropped beyond goalkeeper Tom Heaton and hit the crossbar.

Cardiff kept their composure and Kenny Miller might have done better when Don Cowie cleverly flicked Andrew Taylor's pass into his path.

Cardiff then ventured downfield and showed their Premier League opponents how it should be done with a simple opening goal after 19 minutes.

Miller, dropping into space in front of the Reds defence, slipped a through ball into the path of Mason, who finished through the legs of Pepe Reina to stun the red half of Wembley.

With half-time approaching and Liverpool searching for some sort of inspiration, Stuart Downing gave the Reds' support a glimpse of what he is capable of by turning Kevin McNaughton inside out before seeing his cross missed by Jordan Henderson and sent flying into the stands by Gerrard.

Cardiff continued to defend bravely, surviving a couple of minor appeals for handball in the penalty area along the way, and Kenny Dalglish opted to introduce Craig Bellamy, who entered the fray to applause from both sets of supporters, just before the hour mark.

Bellamy was not involved but Liverpool grabbed an equaliser almost immediately. Downing's corner from the left was diverted towards goal by a crowd of bodies and headed on to the post by Luis Suarez, with Skrtel on hand to control and drive home the rebound from close range.

Cardiff were tiring but continued to restrict their opponents to efforts from distance, with Downing and Charlie Adam testing Tom Heaton, before carving out a golden chance to grab another goal.

Cowie acted quickly to catch Liverpool unawares from a free-kick, sending a pass into Miller who controlled the ball with a brilliant spin only to blast his finish over the crossbar.

Neither side could find a way through within 90 minutes but Liverpool came out on top in the early stages of extra time. After Suarez and Carroll had gone close from yet more corners, Bellamy powered an effort over the bar as Dalglish's team inched closer to a decisive second goal.

It seemed to have arrived after 108 minutes when Kuyt, who as a substitute had added his usual energy to the Liverpool attack, burst down the right and slammed a shot past Heaton for a 2-1 lead.

But Cardiff somehow summoned the energy to push back. Kuyt had already made one goal-line clearance when the Welsh outfit grabbed an incredible equaliser, with Turner diverting the ball home from close range after a corner had been flicked into his path.

Their delight was short-lived. After Steven Gerrard and Miller both missed their opening penalties, Gestede and then, crucially and cruelly, Anthony Gerrard could not hit the target as Liverpool earned their first trophy since 2006.