League Cup - Penalties send Cardiff to final

Cardiff booked their place in the Carling Cup final by knocking Crystal Palace out after a penalty shootout followed a 1-0 second-leg victory for the Bluebirds on Tuesday evening.

Related links

• Matchcast: Cardiff City v Crystal Palace
• Carling Cup photos
• Carling Cup fixtures/results
• Bet on Football - Get £25 Free

Anthony Gardner’s seventh-minute own goal gave Cardiff the lead on the night and equalled matters on aggregate, and after extra time a penalty shootout was the deciding factor between two sides who gave absolutely everything over 120 minutes of gruelling football, during which Cardiff struck the woodwork three times.

Trailing by a 1-0 deficit after a first-leg defeat at Selhurst Park a fortnight earlier, Cardiff flew out of the blocks as they sought an early riposte and they got what they wanted after just seven minutes. Don Cowie made it to the by-line down the right and drilled a low cross to the near post, which a stooping Gardner – who scored the only goal of the first leg – headed into his own net.

With that the tie was finely balanced and fairly even first half played out, with Wilfried Zaha causing problems for Cardiff down their left side, whilst Kenny Miller’s movement for the home team posed a real threat for the visitors.

The midfield turned into a battleground as both teams tried to establish themselves, and when some flowing play did come it produced a smattering of decent opportunities.

Palace were first denied a good shout for a penalty when Aron Gunnarsson appeared to have a good handful of Chris Martin’s shirt when Darren Ambrose whipped in a free-kick. Miller then went within inches of scoring for Cardiff at the other end when a swift counter attack saw him go one on one with Julian Speroni, but a combination of a tight angle and Speroni’s rush saw the Scot shoot just wide from 20 yards.

On the stroke of half time Miller had the whole stadium on its feet once more, this time striking the post as he swivelled and got a shot off which had Speroni well beaten.

The second half failed to produce a telling goal but there were moments of real promise, a Peter Whittingham free-kick tipped over by Speroni being one before the Cardiff man floated a second set-piece into the area which Anthony Gerrard nodded past the Palace goalkeeper, only for Paddy McCarthy to clear the danger.

It was one of the Palace defender’s last significant contributions to the game as he received his marching orders shortly afterwards, picking up a second booking as he ploughed into the back of Miller in the 78th minute.

Both sides pushed for what would have been the decisive goal in normal time, Whittingham flashing a shot wide, Miller hooking a chance over from a tight angle and Zaha blazing high and wide from a Sean Scannell lay-off, but neither could find the breakthrough and it ended 1-0 at full time, sending the game into extra time.

Cardiff started the first period of extra time on the front foot but Palace were not to be taken lightly, organising themselves well in spite of their numerical disadvantage. Half chances came for substitute Rudy Gestede who shot straight at Speroni, and Miller had a dangerous cross cut out by Gardner with another late replacement in Filip Kiss heading the loose ball over.

The second instalment of extra time produced something more of an opening, Kiss lashing a volley onto the bar from Gestede’s lay-off as the substitutes’ fresh legs almost combined to excellent effect.

Whittingham had a shot deflected just wide by Gardner and then in the very last minute of extra time Cardiff almost scored what would have been the winner, but Gunnarsson headed against the crossbar from just yards out as the home team had a last-minute corner from which to mount one last attack.

Penalties therefore became the deciding factor and Cardiff’s Miller stepped up first, firing over the bar but given a reprieve by team-mate Heaton who saved Jermaine Easter’s effort. Conway then put Cardiff ahead before Heaton again saved, this time denying Scannell, and Gestede and Mile Jedinak both scored for either side before Whittingham made it 3-1 to the home team.

The unfortunate Jonathan Parr then missed for Palace as Cardiff were confirmed as winners and sent through to the final, in which they will face either Manchester City or Liverpool at Wembley on February 26.