FOOTBALL LEGENDS - CLASSIC MATCHES - EPISODE 74:
2011/12
Liverpool v Cardiff City
League Cup Final
26/02/12
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The vast majority of the game was played inside the Cardiff City half, with a resilient defence working overtime to try'nd keep Liverpool out.
Liverpool struck the crossbar in the very first minute through Glen Johnson, before Cardiff took a shock lead on 19 minutes. From that point on it was relentless Liverpool pressure, with the Cardiff defence finally cracking on the hour mark when Martin Skrtel knocked a rebound in following a corner.
The match then only ever seemed to have one possible winner, with Liverpool continuing to lay siege on the Cardiff City goal, but they struggled to find a winner before full time, despite countless efforts on goal and 2 very strong penalty shouts turned down.
The same pattern continued into extra time, and Liverpool finally did take the lead, through substitute Dirk Kuyt, who was playing in his final season at Anfield. The cup seemed won, until a shock second goal for Cardiff with just over a minute remaining sent the game to penalties, where Liverpool triumphed 3-2.
Having missed their first two spot kicks from skipper Steven Gerrard and Charlie Adam, no similar mistakes were made by Stewart Downing, Dirk Kuyt and Glen Johnson who all converted.
Cardiff's crucial misses came from Kenny Miller, Rudy Gestede and Anthony Gerrard (the cousin of the Liverpool skipper).
The full Liverpool line-up, managed by Kenny Dalglish, included Pepe Reina, Glen Johnson, Jose Enrique, Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam, Luis Suarez, Andy Carroll, and substitutes Craig Bellamy, Dirk Kuyt and Jamie Carragher. Like Kuyt, this too was Carragher's final season with Liverpool.
The Cardiff line-up, managed by Malky Mackay, included Tom Heaton, Kevin McNaughton, Mark Hudson, Ben Turner, Andrew Taylor, Don Cowie, Peter Whittingham, Aron Einar Gunnarsson, Joe Mason, Kenny Miller and Rudy Gestede, plus substitutes Filip Kiss, Anthony Gerrard and Darcy Blake.