Liverpool 2 Cardiff City 2 (AET, 3-2 on pens): Reds lift Carling Cup after fizzing final which had it all

As Steven Gerrard said, this epic encounter was always going to end in bitter disappointment for one of them. But this was football at its cruelest as well as its most dramatic for the Gerrard family.

The younger of the two Gerrard cousins missed the decisive penalty and so enabled his father’s brother’s son (the one who is the Liverpool and possible England captain) to add another trophy to an already impressive collection.

Cup of joy: Gerrard lifts lifts the Carling Cup trophy as Liverpool celebrate

MATCH FACTS

CARDIFF: Heaton; McNaughton (Blake 106), Hudson (Gerrard 99), Turner, Taylor; Mason (Kiss 91), Gunnarsson, Whittingham, Cowie; Miller, Gestede.

Subs not used: Marshall, Earnshaw, Conway, Naylor.

Goals: Mason 19, Turner 118.

Booked: Kiss.

LIVERPOOL: Reina; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger (Carragher 87), Jose Enrique; Henderson (Bellamy 58), Gerrard, Adam, Downing; Suarez, Carroll (Kuyt 103).

Subs not used: Doni, Maxi, Spearing, Kelly.

Goals: Skrtel 60, Kuyt 108.

Booked: Henderson.

Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear).

To the considerable credit of Steven, he sought out Anthony to offer a few words of consolation, as the Cardiff sub stood isolated and distraught in front of 40,000 ecstatic Liverpool supporters.

Never had a Gerrard’s misfortune been greeted with such joy by Liverpool.

What an extraordinary final. From the moment when Joe Mason sent Malky Mackay’s gallant side into the lead to the two chances Cardiff squandered in the dying minutes of normal time after Martin Skrtel’s equaliser.

From what appeared to be Dirk Kuyt’s extra-time winner, and the goal-line clearance the Dutchman made to deny Filip Kiss an equaliser, to the equaliser Ben Turner then scored from the resulting corner.

It meant 120 minutes of wonderful theatre would end with a mesmerising finale; the brutal lottery of spot-kicks.

Steven Gerrard won the toss that enabled him to select Liverpool’s end for the penalties only to then miss the opening effort, Tom Heaton producing a quite brilliant one-handed save to deny the Liverpool captain.

But then just to underline the fact that yesterday really wasn’t Miller time, Kenny, the veteran Cardiff striker, sent his shot against the post.

When Charlie Adam missed his too and the excellent Don Cowie buried his, the advantage was with Cardiff.

Soaking up the atmosphere: Cardiff's Malaysian chairman and owner greeted the fans before the match

Atmospheric: Liverpool fans held a protest inside the ground against the launch of the Sun on Sunday

IN FOCUS - Dominic King

Don Cowie

Cardiff’s Scottish midfielder has had a nomadic career but the 29-year-old revelled in playing on the biggest stage, creating several chances for his team-mates with a number of adroit flicks.

Lucas Leiva

Liverpool have missed their Brazilian midfielder since he injured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee at Chelsea in November. He spent the game tweeting, his best referring to Martin Skrtel as ‘terminator’.

Andy Carroll

While his team-mates soaked up the pre-match atmosphere in smart charcoal suits, Liverpool’s £35million man came out on to the Wembley turf in his shorts and flip-flops.

But Kuyt levelled, Rudy Gestede found an upright and Stewart Downing crowned one of his better displays by seizing an advantage for Liverpool.

When Peter Whittingham converted for a Welsh side notable for the absence of a single Welshman until Darcy Blake joined the action in the 106th minute, Glen Johnson had to hold his nerve to put the pressure on young Gerrard.

He did so in some style, that pressure then proving too much for a centre half who had only come on after 99 minutes.

The significance of this win cannot be underestimated for Liverpool, even if it did come against a Championship side who never should have been allowed to make such a contest of the game.

It was Liverpool’s first trophy since 2006 and a trophy that enabled Kenny Dalglish to join the pantheon of managers who have won a clean sweep of domestic trophies.

Bright start: Cardiff's Joe Mason casually rolled his side into the lead in the first half

But it was also a victory that bought the Scotsman time with the American employers who were here to see the first real reward for their investment.

Just as it was something that will help considerably in repairing the damage of what has been a difficult few months.

Struggles: Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard failed to make an impact in a sloppy first half

Maybe, just maybe: Cardiff were well worth their lead after a spirited start

The Luis Suarez affair has been such a harmful episode but this was a return to what Liverpool are supposed to be about and that moment when the two Gerrards embraced is the kind of image the club should be focusing on now. An image, let’s face it, far more worthy of a T-shirt.

For Dalglish the sight of that final penalty drifting wide must have been met with enormous relief, particularly when he chose yesterday to pack his side with the six major signings that amount to £108million he has spent on rebuilding this Liverpool side.

Bodies on the line: Cardiff did everything they could to stop Liverpool's danger man

It meant there was no place for Kuyt or former Cardiff striker Craig Bellamy and the longer Jordan Henderson and Andy Carroll stayed on the field the more questionable a decision it seemed. Henderson was dreadful, Carroll not much better.

But Skrtel was outstanding and someone who just about pipped Turner for the best player on the pitch. For Cardiff Cowie, Mason, Mark Hudson, Andrew Taylor and Heaton were excellent too.

While Liverpool had unleashed 42 shots by the time Kuyt scored, they lacked cohesion in a manner that has been all too typical this season.

Comeback: After plenty of near misses, Liverpool hit back through Martin Skrtel

Pure delight: Skrtel was mobbed by his team-mates after scoring Liverpool's first goal at the new Wembley

They still threatened first, Johnson sending a curling effort against the Cardiff crossbar after less than two minutes.

But when Kevin McNaughton met a 19th-minute clearance from Skrtel with a ball in to Miller, the Scot split Liverpool’s defence with a pass that Mason slipped under Pepe Reina. It was some goal.

Dalglish replaced Henderson with Bellamy in the 58th minute — a change that brought both sets of fans to their feet. Within two minutes Liverpool had levelled, Carroll rising to meet a Downing corner that Suarez then diverted against a post before Skrtel seized on the rebound to score.

Super sub: Kuyt scored within five minutes of coming on

Dramatic scenes: Ben Turner took the game to penalties

In extra time, more breathless drama: Taylor’s clearance off the line to deny Suarez, the cry from Cardiff’s fans of ‘only one Gerrard’ when Anthony came on and Kuyt meeting Turner’s attempt to clear his ball for Suarez with a thumping finish.

That arrived three minutes into the second half of extra time, but secured a lead that only lasted 10 minutes before Turner struck to spark pure pandemonium.