Liverpool beat Cardiff on penalties to win League Cup

Liverpool beat Cardiff City 3-2 on penalties to win the English League Cup for the eighth time following a thrilling game which ended 2-2 after extra time at Wembley on Sunday. Cardiff's Anthony Gerrard, cousin of Liverpool's Steven, fired the final spot kick wide as the Championship (second division) side's hopes of becoming the first Welsh club to win the trophy ended in heartache.

Dirk Kuyt, Stewart Downing and Glen Johnson converted their spot kicks for Liverpool while Cardiff missed three of theirs.

Substitute Kuyt appeared to have sealed victory for Liverpool when he put his side 2-1 ahead at the start of the second half of extra time after a nailbiting final had ended 1-1 after 90 minutes.

The Dutchman then turned savior as he headed a Cardiff effort off the line but from the resulting corner Ben Turner prodded in a dramatic equaliser to take the game to penalties. Cardiff, the first Welsh side to reach the League Cup final in the competition's 52-year existence, stunned Liverpool when they took the lead after 19 minutes through Joe Mason's smartly taken shot and they almost snatched victory near the end of full time after defender Martin Skrtel had equalised for Liverpool on the hour.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman)