FT: CARDIFF 2-2 LIVERPOOL (AET) (2-3P)

Date: Sunday 26 February 2012
Kick Off: 16:00
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
Competition: Carling Cup Final
Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne and Wear)
Broadcast: BBC One (15:00), Sky Sports 1 (15:30)


LINK

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17170026


LIVE ARTICLE

http://www.ja606.co.uk/articles/viewLiveArticle/91677


Liverpool were taken all the way by Cardiff City in the Carling Cup final on Sunday afternoon, but eventually won the match on penalties.

Liverpool dominated the majority of the match, but it was Cardiff who took the lead against the run of play when Kenny Miller slipped it through to Joe Mason to slot in.

But the Reds continued to dominate, and had to wait until the hour mark before Martin Skrtel levelled following Luis Suarez's effort which came back off the post.

Liverpool couldn't find a winner in normal time and so extra time was required. Substitute Dirk Kuyt put them into the lead on 108 minutes, after his initial effort which was going wide was turned away by Mark Hudson, before breaking back to Kuyt to smash in.

But Cardiff were not done yet, and Ben Turner bundled in from close range following a corner kick that was not dealt with, and the game went to penalties.

Steven Gerrard, Kenny Miller, and Charlie Adam all missed the first three penalties before Don Cowie put the Bluebirds ahead.

But then Kuyt, Stewart Downing and Glen Johnson all scored for the Reds, while Rudy Gestede missed for Cardiff and Peter Whittingham converted his spot-kick, but substitute Anthony Gerrard rolled the crucial penalty wide.

It means Liverpool win a trophy on their first visit to the new Wembley Stadium, and finally end a six-year wait for silverware. It is their eighth League Cup win, and they now have a guaranteed spot in the UEFA Europa League next season.


LIVE SCOREBOARD

CARDIFF - 2
Mason 19'
Turner 118'

LIVERPOOL - 2
Skrtel 60'
Kuyt 108'


ROAD TO THE FINAL

Cardiff
Wednesday 10 August 2011
Carling Cup First Round
Oxford 1-3 Cardiff
AET

Tuesday 23 August 2011
Carling Cup Second Round
Cardiff 5-3 Huddersfield
AET

Wednesday 21 September 2011
Carling Cup Third Round
Cardiff 2-2 Leicester
AET, Cardiff win 7-6 on penalties

Tuesday 25 October 2011
Carling Cup Fourth Round
Cardiff 1-0 Burnley

Tuesday 29 November 2011
Carling Cup Quarter-Final
Cardiff 2-0 Blackburn

Tuesday 10 January 2012
Carling Cup Semi-Final First Leg
Crystal Palace 1-0 Cardiff

Tuesday 24 January 2012
Carling Cup Semi-Final Second Leg
Cardiff 1-0 Crystal Palace
AET, agg: 1-1, Cardiff win 3-1 on penalties

Liverpool
Wednesday 24 August 2011
Carling Cup Second Round
Exeter 1-3 Liverpool

Wednesday 21 September 2011
Carling Cup Third Round
Brighton 1-2 Liverpool

Wednesday 26 October 2011
Carling Cup Fourth Round
Stoke 1-2 Liverpool

Tuesday 29 November 2011
Carling Cup Quarter-Final
Chelsea 0-2 Liverpool

Wednesday 11 January 2012
Carling Cup Semi-Final First Leg
Man City 0-1 Liverpool

Wednesday 25 January 2012
Carling Cup Semi-Final Second Leg
Liverpool 2-2 Man City
agg: 3-2


TEAMS

Cardiff
22 Heaton
2 McNaughton (Blake 106')
5 Hudson (Gerrard 99')
25 Turner
3 Taylor
20 Mason (Kiss 91' )
7 Whittingham
17 Gunnarsson
8 Cowie
9 Miller
15 Gestede

Subs: 1 Marshall, 4 Kiss, 6 Gerrard, 10 Earnshaw, 11 Conway,
18 Naylor, 23 Blake.

Liverpool
25 Reina
2 Johnson
37 Skrtel
5 Agger (Carragher 87')
3 Enrique
14 Henderson (Bellamy 58')
8 Gerrard
26 Adam
19 Downing
7 Suarez
9 Carroll (Kuyt 103' )

Subs: 32 Doni, 11 Rodriguez, 18 Kuyt, 20 Spearing, 23 Carragher,
34 Kelly, 39 Bellamy.


KEY UPDATES

19: GOAL - CARDIFF 1-0 LIVERPOOL
Martin Skrtel attempts to head away but it is a poor effort which only finds Kevin McNaughton. He finds Kenny Miller, who plays a nice pass to Joe Mason (8), who coolly slots it under Pepe Reina.

52: LIVERPOOL BOOKING
Jordan Henderson receives a yellow card (3) for a foul on Joe Mason.

58: LIVERPOOL SUB
Jordan Henderson is replaced by Craig Bellamy.

60: GOAL - CARDIFF 1-1 LIVERPOOL
Stewart Downing swings in a corner kick, and Andy Carroll nods it on to Luis Suarez, who heads against the post. It rebounds out to Martin Skrtel (4), who slots it in.

87: LIVERPOOL SUB
Daniel Agger is replaced by Jamie Carragher.

91: CARDIFF SUB
Joe Mason is replaced by Filip Kiss at the start of extra time.

98: CARDIFF BOOKING
Filip Kiss receives a yellow card (4) for a foul on Craig Bellamy.

99: CARDIFF SUB
Mark Hudson is replaced by Anthony Gerrard.

103: LIVERPOOL SUB
Andy Carroll is replaced by Dirk Kuyt.

106: CARDIFF SUB
Kevin McNaughton is replaced by Darcy Blake.

108: GOAL - CARDIFF 1-2 LIVERPOOL
Liverpool attack and Dirk Kuyt (4) drags an effort which is going wide of goal. Mark Hudson turns it away but it falls back to Kuyt again and he smashes it into the bottom right corner.

118: GOAL - CARDIFF 2-2 LIVERPOOL
Cardiff win a corner and Liverpool fail to clear the ball away, before Ben Turner (2) bundles the ball in from close range.

119: CARDIFF BOOKING
Ben Turner receives a yellow card (2) for over-celebrating.

PENALTIES
Steven Gerrard misses for Liverpool (0-0)
Kenny Miller misses for Cardiff (0-0)
Charlie Adam misses for Liverpool (0-0)
Don Cowie scores for Cardiff (1-0)
Dirk Kuyt scores for Liverpool (1-1)
Rudy Gestede misses for Cardiff (1-1)
Stewart Downing scores for Liverpool (1-2)
Peter Whittingham scores for Cardiff (2-2)
Glen Johnson scores for Liverpool (2-3)
Anthony Gerrard misses for Cardiff (2-3)


LAST MATCHES

Cardiff
Saturday 18 February 2012
npower Championship
Ipswich 3-0 Cardiff

Liverpool
Sunday 19 February 2012
The FA Cup with Budweiser Fifth Round
Liverpool 6-1 Brighton

Head to head
Wednesday 31 October 2007
Carling Cup Fourth Round
Liverpool 2-1 Cardiff


TOP SCORERS

Cardiff
Kenny Miller - 10
Peter Whittingham - 10
Joe Mason - 8

Liverpool
Luis Suarez - 10
Craig Bellamy - 9
Andy Carroll - 6