Gerrards Missing In Action

Cardiff line-up: Heaton, McNaughton (Blake, 106'), Taylor, Hudson (Gerrard, 99'), Turner, Whittingham, Cowie, Gunnarsson, Miller, Gestede, Mason (Kiss, 91') 
Liverpool line-up: Reina, Johnson, Enrique, Agger (Carragher, 86'), Skrtel, Gerrard, Henderson (Bellamy, 58'), Downing, Adam, Suarez, Carroll (Kuyt, 103')


Liverpool win the 2011/2012 Carling Cup via a penalty shoot-out in which both Gerrards missed their respective penalties. Liverpool came out stronger in the first half and Glen Johnson almost gave them the lead within the first five minutes, but his shot crashed off the bar and was cleared away.


Cardiff defended well throughout the game and after the initial quarter of an hour, they started to get on the ball. Joe Mason was then played in by Kenny Miller and the striker slotted under Pepe Reina to give Cardiff a surprise lead. From there Cardiff again had to defend for their lives as they went back to the dressing rooms with that slender lead.


The second half continued in the same vain as Liverpool had to search for that equaliser. It came on the hour mark with Martin Skrtel firing them level from a corner. From there, both teams were beginning to create chances to try and win the game for themselves. The best chance fell to Miller with less than ten minutes to go, he turned to find himself one-on-one with Reina but fired the ball over as Andy Carroll came sliding in. 


The game fell into extra time and Liverpool thought they won it with 12-minutes to spare. Dirk Kuyt had only been on the pitch for five minutes but he managed to spike a returning ball in the net from 16-yards, catching Tom Heaton unaware as it flew into the bottom corner. Kuyt then did his best to prevent Cardiff coming back, he headed a ball off the line from Cardiff's first corner with only three minutes left. A second corner came in and the Dutchman couldn't get Ben Turner off the ball as the defender scrambled it into the net to make it 2-2 and took the game into the penalty shoot-out.


This was Cardiff's third penalty shoot-out in the tournament with Heaton providing heroics against Crystal Palace in the semi-final. The ever reliable Steven Gerrard stepped up for Liverpool's opening penalty, but it was expertly saved by a strong left hand. Cardiff's ever reliable, Kenny Miller, then also missed his spot-kick by hitting the post. Charlie Adam was next to take a penalty but blasted his effort over the bar, allowing Don Cowie to give Cardiff a 1-0 lead in the contest. Dirk Kuyt equalised before Rudy Gestede also hit the post to make it 1-1 after three penalties each. Stewart Downing and Peter Whittingham both converted to take it to the final penalties. Glen Johnson smashed his effort into the roof of the net, leaving Anthony Gerrard to force sudden death. Nerves got the better of him though and the cousin of the Anfield legend fired wide to hand Steven and Liverpool the trophy.