Liverpool 2 Skrtel 60, Kuyt 108
After extra time. Liverpool won 3-2 on penalties.
Cardiff City Heaton - McNaughton (Blake 106), Hudson (A Gerrard 99), Turner, Taylor - Cowie, Whittingham, Gunnarsson - Mason (Kiss 91), Miller, Gestede. Booked: Turner, Kiss. Subs not used: Marshall, Earnshaw, Conway, Naylor.
Liverpool Reina - G Johnson, Skrtel, Agger (Carragher 86), Enrique - Henderson (Bellamy 58), S Gerrard, Adam, Downing - Suarez, Carroll (Kuyt 103). Booked: Henderson. Subs not used: Doni, Maxi, Spearing, Kelly.
Attendance 89,044 at Wembley Referee Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear)
Kick-off at 4pm. Live on BBC and Sky.
Penalties: 0-0 S Gerrard saved, 0-0 Miller misses, 0-0 Adam misses, 0-1 Cowie scores, 1-1 Kuyt scores, 1-1 Gestede misses, 2-1 Downing scores, 2-2 Whittingham scores, 3-2 G Johnson scores, 3-2 A Gerrard misses.
LIVERPOOL made a winning return to Wembley, beating Championship side Cardiff City on penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw.
The shootout began and ended with unsuccessful spot-kicks from a player named Gerrard.
But, while Steven's effort brought a fine save from Cardiff City goalkeeper Tom Heaton, cousin Anthony's miss proved to be decisive.
It was a cruel way for the Final to end for the Welsh side who had defended stoutly and pushed their Premier League opponents throughout the contest.
Indeed, Cardiff took the lead on 19 minutes when Joe Mason lost his marker and slotted cooly past Pepe Reina.
Before and after the goal, though, Cardiff impressed with a tenacious performance in defence.
Malky Mackay's men had a little bit of luck, too, when Glen Johnson curled a shot against the bar inside two minutes.
But there was nothing fortunate about the way Heaton kept goal or skipper Mark Hudson marshalled the back line.
Eventually, though, on the hour mark, the waves of pressure from the Reds paid off.
Slovakian centre-back Martin Skrtel converted from Stewart Downing's corner, putting the ball through Heaton's legs after a Luis Suarez header had hit the post.
Following the goal, Cardiff regrouped admirably - and even had the best chance to win the game at the end of normal time.
But, having done the hard work with a neat first touch and turn, Scottish striker Kenny Miller blazed wastefully over the bar.
In extra time, Cardiff's players visibly began to tire and it was no surprise that an injection of fresh legs from Kenny Dalglish put Liverpool on the edge of victory.
Substitute Dirk Kuyt, who had failed to win a trophy in his six years at Anfield, got two bites at the cherry after sending a weak shot straight at Cardiff's Gerrard.
The Dutchman then made a much better attempt with his follow-up, driving the ball low past Heaton and into the net.
That looked as if it was going to be the winner but, incredibly, Cardiff had enough energy for one last burst.
The Bluebirds almost scored when Kuyt cleared a point-blank effort from a corner off the line for another corner.
And, from that resultant kick, Ben Turner - playing as an auxiliary centre-forward - bundled the ball in from just a couple of yards out.
It really looked as if it was going to be Cardiff's day when Steven Gerrard and Charlie Adam failed to convert Liverpool's first two penalties.
But Miller had also missed from the spot meaning Don Cowie was the first successful man from 12 yards with four kicks taken.
Kuyt then scored again to make it 1-1 and it stayed like that when Frenchman Rudy Gestede hit the base of the post.
Stewart Downing and Peter Whittingham traded penalties before Johnson fired his kick into the roof of the net.
All of the pressure was on Anthony Gerrard and, sadly, he was unable to handle it, sending a weak effort wide before collapsing to the Wembley turf.
That was the cue for Liverpool's players to converge on Reina even though the Spaniard did not actually make a single penalty save.
However, the Reds' celebrations showed just how much this triumph meant to them and Dalglish with the King of the Kop securing a trophy inside 14 months of his return to Anfield.
Indeed, this was Liverpool's first major prize since their dramatic FA Cup win in 2006, and their first at Wembley since beating Bolton Wanderers in the 1995 League Cup Final.
Furthermore, this success extends the Reds' dominant League Cup-winning record to eight. Aston Villa are next on the list with five victories.
Of course, Dalglish will hope that this win lifts Liverpool for the rest of the campaign.
For, despite an indifferent few months, victory at home over Arsenal next Saturday will put the Reds back in the running for final Champions League spot.
Also, having thrashed Brighton & Hove Albion 6-1 last week, a Cup double remains a distinct possibility.
In short, it could yet still be a memorable season at Anfield.
ROAD TO WEMBLEY
Cardiff City
R1 beat Oxford United (A) 3-1 aetR2 beat Huddersfield Town (H) 5-3 aet
R3 beat Leicester City (H) 7-6 on penalties after 2-2 draw aet
R4 beat Burnley (H) 1-0
R5 beat Blackburn Rovers (H) 2-0
SF beat Crystal Palace 3-1 on penalties after 1-0 defeat (A) and 1-0 win (H)
Liverpool
R2 beat Exeter City (A) 3-1
R3 beat Brighton & Hove Albion (A) 2-1
R4 beat Stoke City (A) 2-1
R5 beat Chelsea (A) 2-0
SF beat Manchester City 3-2 on aggregate after 1-0 win (A) and 2-2 draw (H)
PREVIOUS LEAGUE CUP FINAL APPEARANCES
Cardiff City
NoneLiverpool
1978 lost 0-1 to Nottingham Forest in replay after 0-0 draw1981 beat West Ham United 2-1 after 1-1 draw
1982 beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 aet
1983 beat Manchester United 2-1 aet
1984 beat Everton 1-0 in replay after 0-0 draw
1987 lost 1-2 to Arsenal
1995 beat Bolton Wanderers 2-1
2001 beat Birmingham City 5-4 on penalties after 1-1 draw
2003 beat Manchester United 2-0
2005 lost 2-3 aet to Chelsea
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