King Kenny Ends Six Years of Hurt

 
As overwhelming favourites it would be easy to be disappointed with today’s performance against a spirited Cardiff side who can count the themselves unlucky.  But, that would be churlish, as we now have an eighth win in this competition and even though seemingly hamstrung by the spectre of 6 years without a trophy and with the embarrassment of our linen being washed in the public eye over the last few years we have silverware in the trophy cabinet once more.

As I took my seat next to Tria and Matt the news that Bellamy was not in the first XI was beginning to permeate.  Henderson adopted a familiar right hand side role, although seemingly a fish out of water in that position.  We started on the front with the skipper driving the team forward from a right-back position deep into the final third, before relaying the ball wide to Downing, who instantly played inside to Johnson, who’s curling shot left Tom Heaton floundering with Gerrard blasting over the rebound.

We controlled possession from here on in, but time after time the quality of delivery was found wanting and with Cardiff defending deep it would taken something precise to break down the defence, especially with Liverpool’s lack of movement failing to offer targets to the creative passing elements of the team in Gerrard and Adam. Once again, the jury is out on Gerrard and Adam as a twosome, as Adam loses most of his cutting-edge languishing so deep and Gerrard having to provide the legs for the two.  Cardiff were seemingly first to every fifty-fifty ball with the lack of pressure from the Liverpool midfield.  The Cardiff goal came against the run of play, a subtle slide rule pass by Miller to the goal scorer, Mason was exactly the missing ingredients from our pantry.

I am loathed to pick on one individual, but one wonders whether Dalglish persistence in picking Henderson out of position is hindering not only the balance of the team, but the youngsters development.  He often drifts off the line into his more favoured central role, which leaves us overly dependent on Johnson, and is also often found inside leaving Glen Johnson to deal with two on one defensive situations.  Downing, was one of very few on show with the courage of his convictions, showing himself for the ball and aiming to get to the bye-line at every opportunity.

That Henderson was to make way for Bellamy early in the second-half was no surprise, with Liverpool's slow laborious build-up seemingly in need of some surgery,  and his volley which was closer to the corner flag than the goal was inication of the quality of his play. The crowd around me were scathing in their condemnation of Carroll, who having provided the knockdown to Suarez, sat back on his heels while Suarez cross-shot was palmed out which would have left him with chance for the equaliser had he shown a striker’s instinct.

Minutes after Henderson substitute Liverpool were back on equal terms with Suarez heading his strike partner’s flick-on against the post, Skrtel showed his predators instinct in the box to swivel on the rebound, coolly placing his shot under Heaton.  He almost repeated feat in the area with a fine volley.  Liverpool continued to apply pressure, but failed to press the Cardiff  goal in the remainder of normal time.  Cardiff cleverly kept the Liverpool centre-half’s busy with the robust nature of their play, which would eventually end Daniel Agger’s tenure in the game.

Stevie G lifts a Wembley trophy (Image: Belfast Telegraph)

In extra-time Liverpool’s better fitness began to show.  Within the first minute Suarez almost put Liverpool ahead from a Bellamy corner, having a header saved off the line by Andy Taylor.  With Cardiff players seemingly dropping like nine-pins, Carroll flashed a header by the upright before leaving the arena for Kuyt, who would make a significant late bid at the Oscars for the Best Supporting Actor prize.  Minutes after coming on he joined up beautifully with Bellamy in a one-two which saw Welshman cut in from the left to fizz a shot just over.

Liverpool continued on the front foot in the second-period and it came as no surprise as the club’s very own ‘Duracell Bunny’ sluiced through the flagging Cardiff defence and after having his first effort, blocked showed his perseverance and power to brilliantly power home a shot from an almost horizontal position.  But it wouldn’t be Liverpool if we didn’t make it hard on ourselves by dropping back deeper and deeper and inviting pressure.  Kuyt almost single handily saved Liverpool from two last ditch corners, saving a header off the line from the first, but he failed to stop Turner’s last ditch equaliser at the death.

When Steven Gerrard sauntered up to take the first penalty which was brilliantly saved and Charlie Adam’s balloon his into the crowd [Miller missing his in between] one felt the writing was on the wall.  But cometh the hour, cometh Dirk Kuyt with Liverpool one down he brought us back on an equilibrium.  With the pressure firmly heaped back towards them, Cardiff buckled, with Downing and Johnson showing their experience in tucking away penalties, with Gestede and finally Paul Gerrard becoming the second individual  in the shoot-out to fail for the Gerrard family, but with Stevie knowing the cup beckoned, he lovingly went over to console his younger cousin.

Image: Kop-Post

Kop-Post Man of The Match: Martin Skrtel – Was the foundation victory was built on. Scoring the equaliser and making crucial tackle and headers.

Speakers Corner - Liverpool fan’s after match thoughts:

Jan Hodge

Dips LFC Fan

Paul & Liz White

Nas–LFC Fan