The first trophy of the season goes to Liverpool! Can't do any more than that, only one piece of silverware up for grabs so far and we have our hands firmly gripped on all three handles. Well done to all the lads, not just the ones who played today but practically the entire first team squad has been involved in this competition at some point and contributed to us reaching the final so congratulations all round.
The game itself was a curious affair, Liverpool almost totally dominating possession and having not just the bulk of the goal attempts but pretty much all of them, Cardiff defending not only stubbornly but expertly at times and providing a real advert for the quality of Championship football.
To say Cardiff's opener was against the run of play would be an understatement, it was one of only two attempts on goal they had in the entire first half, but it gave them an advantage to defend and they did that very well, any time we went forward we struggled to find any space in the box as their two banks of four closed down our danger men effectively. Long range attempts were our best form of goal threat, none more so than when Glen Johnson hit the bar from twenty five yards in the opening couple of minutes. Slack defending cost us dear after eighteen minutes when the unmarked Miller played through the unmarked Mason to put a tidy finish past Reina. The first half continued as it had begun, a red tide sweeping forward time after time but unable to fashion a real clear cut chance until Daniel Agger headed straight at the keeper form Gerrard's free kick.
The second half was more of the same, Bellamy replaced the ineffective Henderson and we looked more likely to score but a set piece was always going to be our best option against such a resolute defensive unit. And so it proved to be, Carroll heading goalwards, Suarez almost turning it in but finding the post in the way and Martin Skrtel placing the rebound into the Cardiff net. The Bluebirds tired as the game went on and it looked like we were going to win inside the ninety minutes but despite mounting pressure the clear cut chance we craved eluded us. Carra came on for Agger just before the end of normal time, the Dane off with a suspected broken rib.
'The man for the big occasion' arrived early on in extra time, replacing Any Carroll who had a solid but unspectacular game. And Kuyt it was who put us in front with ten minutes or so remaining, a determined run at a tiring defence gave him a shooting chance, blocked, but the rebound fell kindly for deadly Dirk and he finished powerfully into the bottom corner. Despite it being all Liverpool and our opponents clearly tiring the game somehow never felt safe and a succession of corners three minutes from time gave them their equaliser. Cardiff really didn't deserve two goals from their afternoons attacking but they certainly merited a draw for their organisation and hard work and 2-2 wasn't an unfair reflection on the afternoon's efforts though it certainly didn't mirror the pattern of the game.
Our first two penalties missed, Gerrard with a decent attempt very well saved and Charlie Adam blazing high over the bar, Kuyt and Downing coolly putting their spot kicks away. Cardiff hit the post with two of their first four kicks, setting up sudden death for the final kicks of the regulation five each. Alot of credit goes to Glen Johnson for stepping up as taker number five, not a regular penalty taker but his attempt didn't show that, flying straight into the top corner, advantage Liverpool. Anthony Gerrard came forward for Cardiff and put his shot wide, we win 3-2 on penalties without Reina making a save!!
It was so good to see Liverpool lifting a trophy at Wembley for the first time in over a decade, let's hope it is the first of many in the coming seasons. After watching other teams picking up silverware it's fantastic for us to be back in the mix, adding the FA Cup in May remains a realistic target and today's win sets us up nicely for that.
Being ahead so late on today but conceding, added to missing our first two spot kicks, gave the victory a strange feeling, it almost felt like we escaped losing rather than we actually won. But a victory it is and it will help our developing side improve, it was a tough game and the effort required to bring home the trophy shows everyone at the club the levels they need to reach and maintain for success in the future. I will look at what today's victory means for the rest of the season and how it will affect the club in a post later this week.
A final note from today, that's now three finals in a row we've won on penalties, and in all of them we've conceded the first goal. It would be nice to win the next one more convincingly and not test all of our nerves but it has to be said, winning the hard way is infinitely better than not winning at all. I'm off for a Carling........
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