Cardiff 2 - 2 Liverpool (AET): Reds clinch League Cup after shootout

Steven Gerrard consoles cousin Anthony who missed the decisive penalty. Picture: PA

Published on Monday 27 February 2012 04:39

LIVERPOOL’S six-year wait for a trophy was ended by a Gerrard but it was Cardiff’s Anthony, cousin of Reds captain Steven, who had the decisive involvement. The 26-year-old, on as a substitute in extra time, missed the penalty in a shoot-out which gave the Merseysiders’ a record eighth League Cup.

It was cruel not only on the defender – who was consoled by his cousin at the end – but the rest of his team who had seen their early lead overtaken but remained resilient and found the strength to snatch an equaliser with two minutes of an absorbing final remaining.

Joe Mason had given the Bluebirds a first-half lead but goals from Martin Skrtel and, in extra time, Dirk Kuyt had put Kenny Dalglish’s side within touching distance of the trophy before Ben Turner pegged them back.

So it went to spot-kicks, where Liverpool had lost only two in 12 previously, and although the early efforts were poor, Glen Johnson scored the fifth and Gerrard missed. Their first visit to Wembley in 16 years was eventually worth the wait, and the hope at Anfield, and among fans, will be that this cup will be the start of another era filled with silverware.

Over the last 40 years the Reds have won a trophy early in the decade and gone on to add to it. In Dalglish they certainly have someone who knows plenty about accumulating cups of every kind, and this victory put him alongside Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho as the only managers to win all three major domestic competitions. They also equalled Manchester United’s record of 15 domestic cup victories.

“It’s a long way to win it, but our name’s on the trophy and that’s all that matters,” said Dalglish of his first success since returning to the club as manager last season. “I thought the boys played particularly well. Cardiff were always going to be difficult but at the end of the day we’ve got our name on the trophy.

“We were always going to be under pressure. They have very good delivery from set-plays and they were never going to lie down. They were a great credit to Cardiff today. It’s not a nice way to win a cup, but we’ll take it.”

Things looked like they would go to plan for Dalglish’s side when the Cardiff crossbar was rattled inside two minutes. But a Johnson shot against the crossbar, with Gerrard blazing over the rebound, was the closest they came to threatening Cardiff’s goal in the first half.

The Bluebirds created two better chances and converted one. Having snatched at a shot from Don Cowie’s clever movement and backheel, Kenny Miller did not make the same mistake twice.

The former Rangers front man was given plenty of time and space in the 19th minute when he picked up the ball just outside the area. When Daniel Agger eventually closed him down, Miller slid a pass into the space behind the centre-back for Mason to collect and fire beyond Jose Reina.

The rest of the half saw Liverpool dominate but rarely trouble Cardiff. But then the appearance of former Cardiff striker and boyhood fan Craig Bellamy for the ineffectual Jordan Henderson brought, probably for the first time in cup final history, a standing ovation from both sets of fans.

Liverpool’s salvation, however, came from an unexpected source. Downing’s 60th-minute corner was nodded on by Andy Carroll to Luis Suarez whose header came back off the post and Skrtel slammed home the equaliser.

Miller should have won it for the Bluebirds in normal time when a quickly-taken free-kick caught the defence napping but the Scot, in acres of space in the penalty area, shot over with the goal at his mercy.

Barely a minute into extra time Andrew Taylor cleared Suarez’s header from a Bellamy corner off the line before Anthony Gerrard finally got the chance to square-up against his more illustrious cousin when Hudson was forced off with cramp.

Three minutes into the second period of extra time, Liverpool took the lead when Kuyt drilled home the rebound from his own cross. The Dutchman then headed a shot off the line but got himself in a tangle at the resulting corner to allow Turner to force penalties. In the shoot-out which followed Steven Gerrard and Adam missed for Liverpool, Miller, Rudy Gestede and Anthony Gerrard for Cardiff.

Cardiff boss Mackay was beaming with pride despite his side’s defeat. “In extra time the way we came back... I’m so proud of them, so very, very proud of them,” he said.

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