Liverpool win Carling Cup after dramatic shoot out

Anthony Gerrard misses the decisive spot kick as Liverpool won the Carling Cup Final on penalties after a dramatic final at Wembley. The Premier League side started brightly but were left shellshocked on 19 minutes as Kenny Miller found Joe Mason with space in the box and the young winger kept his cool to slot through the legs of Pepe Reina. Liverpool were kept frustrated throughout a first half in which they were limited to long range shots and the goal that got them back into the game was a scrappy one as Luis Suarez's flicked header rebounded off the post to Martin Skrtel who drove home on the hour mark. Much to everyone's surprise it was Cardiff who had the best chances to win the game in the dying minutes of normal time and they will live to rue the moment Kenny Miller found himself in on goal but culd only blaze over from six yards with just seconds left on the clock. Both sides made changes in the early moments of extra time and it was one of them who looked to have won the game for Liverpool in the 109th minute as Dirk Kuyt reacted superbly to flash home from the edge of the box. However, Cardiff were not to be beaten and moments after Kuyt had cleared Filip Kiss' header off the line the Bluebirds did level as Ben Turner bundled over the line from two yards out with just one minute of extra time remaining. That meant we would have the drama of penalties and after Steven Gerrard, Miller and Charlie Adam had all missed the tension continued to rise until Anthony Gerrard stepped up and screwed his kick wide of the post. So, its Liverpool who are left to celebrate their first success of the season as Kenny Dalglish goes level with Bill Shankly in terms of pieces of silverware won as Liverpool manager. For Cardiff it was more Wembley heartbreak but they will now want to be back in May trying to win Premier League status in the Championship Playoffs.