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Liverpool beat Middlesbrough after 30-penalty Capital One Cup shoot-out Liverpool beat Middlesbrough after 30-penalty Capital One Cup shoot-out
(about 1 hour later)
When it was all over, 27 of the 30 penalties had been converted, Middlesbrough were on their knees in despair and Liverpool were too shattered to indulge in celebration. One of the most remarkable shoot-outs in English cup history brought relief for Brendan Rodgers’ team as they edged into the fourth round courtesy of an exhausting finale at Anfield and one final miss from the unfortunate Albert Adomah. When it was all over, 27 of 30 penalties had been converted, Middlesbrough were on their knees in despair and Liverpool were too shattered to indulge fully in celebration. One of the most remarkable shoot-outs in English history brought relief for Brendan Rodgers’ team as they edged into the fourth round courtesy of an exhausting finale at Anfield and one final miss from the unfortunate Albert Adomah.
Adomah sliced the 30th and final spot-kick wide after both teams had gone through the card, goalkeepers included, to settle a tie that Middlesbrough took so far thanks to a 122nd-minute penalty from Patrick Bamford. The on-loan Chelsea player had his first effort of the shoot-out saved, as did Raheem Sterling for Liverpool, and there appeared no end in sight to the penalties until Adomah missed at 10.40pm. The Middlesbrough winger sliced the 30th and final spot-kick into the Kop to settle a seemingly never-ending tie at 10.42pm. Both teams had gone through the card in the shoot-out, goalkeepers included, with Patrick Bamford, whose penalty in extra-time stoppage time carried the Championship club so far, and Raheem Sterling having efforts saved before Adomah’s miss.
This could have been a night for Jordan Rossiter to hog the headlines having marked his Liverpool debut with the opening goal from 30 yards. But that proved a rare moment of creativity from a home side intent on turning both barrels towards its feet. It was the longest penalty shoot-out in the history of the League Cup, the previous record set at 9-8 on three occasions, and more extensive than the FA Cup’s highest total when Macclesfield beat Forest Green 11-10 in 2001. Of major English competitions only the Football League Trophy can equal it, also boasting a 14-13 shoot-out.
Rodgers’ team again struggled to deal with set pieces and the Championship club deservedly equalised when Adam Reach headed in Grant Leadbitter’s free-kick. With Boro tiring in extra time, the substitute Suso fired through a crowded penalty area to give Liverpool the lead once more only for Kolo Touré to send Bamford sprawling in the final moments. Bamford sent Simon Mignolet the wrong way to deliver a shoot-out. Rodgers could afford a wry smile afterwards, even though Liverpool’s defending and lack of creativity were evident again, and this time against Championship opposition. It was simply cruel for the Boro manager, Aitor Karanka, having seen his side twice come from behind and pose a persistent threat all night.
Rodgers’ faith in Rossiter had been repaid rapidly as the teenager opened the scoring with the first shot of his senior Liverpool career. There can be no finer way to settle the nerves. “I don’t have words to explain my feelings now,” said the former Real Madrid assistant manager. “I’ve never experienced anything like that before. We have played a Champions League team at Anfield and we’ve met them face to face. Everything was brilliant except the last penalty.”
Rossiter, born not too far from Anfield, has caught the eye in Liverpool’s youth teams in recent years and prompted inevitable comparisons with a young Steven Gerrard with his position, background and severe teenage haircut. Premature of course, even though Robbie Fowler has also claimed the midfielder has the potential to follow the Liverpool captain’s career path, but a 30-yard goal on debut is not a bad way to start. In normal circumstances this would have been the night Jordan Rossiter claimed the headlines, having marked his Liverpool debut with the opening goal from 30 yards. But with Liverpool unable to defend set pieces, enabling Adam Reach to head in a deserved Middlesbrough equaliser, Kolo Touré conceding a ridiculous penalty in the 122nd minute and both sides showing rare composure during the shoot-out, normality took its leave at Anfield.
Aitor Karanka’s Middlesbrough team had opened confidently, befitting a team with five wins from eight games in the Championship this season, and produced the first effort of note when Simon Mignolet saved a header from the former Liverpool defender Daniel Ayala following a Grant Leadbitter corner. Their attacking threat was growing with Liverpool unable to find their rhythm but their defending wilted under the first hint of pressure. “It’s good to win no matter how you win,” said the Liverpool manager. “We played OK, we didn’t create much to be honest but we showed good perseverance. We made too many mistakes, as it has been for us at the moment, and we got punished.”
A through-ball from Lucas Leiva should have been routine for the on-loan Chelsea pairing of Kenneth Omeruo and goalkeeper Jamal Blackman as it rolled into the Middlesbrough area with the central defender shielding Rickie Lambert. Blackman, making his Boro debut, came but failed to collect, spilling the ball to Lambert but blocking the Liverpool striker’s first-time shot. The rebound fell to Rossiter who drove a low shot from distance under the keeper’s poor attempt at an interception and into the centre of an unguarded goal. The goalscorer’s reaction was one to behold: a combination of astonishment, bewilderment and delirium producing a celebratory routine that had clearly not been rehearsed. Rossiter, a 17-year-old born not far from Anfield, has caught the eye in Liverpool’s youth teams in recent years and prompted inevitable comparisons with a young Steven Gerrard given his position, background and severe teenage haircut. It is premature of course, even though Robbie Fowler has also announced the midfielder has the potential to follow the Liverpool captain’s career path, but a long-range goal on debut is not a bad way to start.
Unsurprisingly the goal helped Rossiter, Liverpool’s Academy Player of the Season last year, ease into the contest. His passing and willingness to bark instructions at £20m Lazar Markovic plus those established figures around him also encouraged for the future. Lucas Leiva’s through-ball should have been routine for the on-loan Chelsea pairing of Kenneth Omeruo and the goalkeeper Jamal Blackman as it rolled into the Middlesbrough area. Blackman, making his Boro debut, came but failed to collect, spilling the ball to Rickie Lambert but blocking the Liverpool striker’s first-time shot.
Rossiter’s arrival aside, however, the visitors had the better of the limited first-half chances with set pieces proving troublesome for Rodgers’ team throughout. Kike and Lee Tomlin both came close to scoring from further Leadbitter corners. The rebound fell to Rossiter who drove low from distance under the goalkeeper’s poor attempt at an interception and into the centre of an unguarded goal. The goalscoring debutant’s reaction was one to behold: a combination of astonishment, bewilderment and delirium producing a celebratory routine that had clearly not been rehearsed.
There was greater energy and purpose to the Liverpool performance after the interval with Sterling looking to work his way through or around the Boro defence at every opportunity. A criticism of Liverpool, aired too often already this campaign, was that few others matched the 19-year-old’s industry, touch and movement in the final third. Boro threatened on the counter-attack and from set pieces all game. There may have been greater energy and purpose to the Liverpool performance in the second half but, as has been the case for most of the season, it came almost entirely from Sterling, whose 122-minute outing was not ideal preparation for Saturday’s Merseyside derby.
Markovic was largely anonymous on his second start for the club, Lallana’s work-rate could not be faulted but the £25m summer recruit was unable to find an end product while his former Southampton team-mate Lambert endured a difficult first start of the season. The boyhood Liverpool supporter was also handed the captain’s armband for the night, despite having only appeared as a substitute previously. It was a strange choice, one that demonstrated the fresh, inexperience nature of the Liverpool side on display, and even stranger when Kolo Touré took on the responsibility when Lambert was withdrawn in the 74th minute. Lazar Markovic was anonymous on his second start for the club, Adam Lallana’s work-rate could not be faulted but the £25m summer recruit was unable to find an end product while his former Southampton team-mate Lambert endured a difficult first start of the season. The boyhood Liverpool supporter was also handed the captain’s armband for the night, despite having appeared only as a substitute previously.
Having repeatedly served notice of their threat from Leadbitter set-pieces Middlesbrough duly levelled from one just after the hour. Mamadou Sakho was penalised for handball outside the corner of the Liverpool box and, from the visiting captain’s inviting free-kick, Reach got in front of José Enrique to send a glancing header into the bottom corner. Middlesbrough levelled from an inevitable source when Mamadou Sakho was penalised for handball and Grant Leadbitter’s free-kick was glanced in by Reach. Adam Clayton had a chance to knock Liverpool out in the 85th minute but his close-range shot, after he was released by Lee Tomlin’s clever reverse pass, struck the outside of a post. Then Suso appeared to have decided the outcome when he fired through a crowded area in extra time. Bamford’s penalty, after Sterling had surrendered possession and Touré sent the on-loan Chelsea player sprawling, confirmed otherwise. It was merely a dress rehearsal for the madness to come.
Boro almost edged ahead when Mignolet parried Clayton’s drive into the path of Tomlin and it needed a vital challenge from Touré to prevent the midfielder converting the rebound. With five minutes remaining Tomlin released Clayton inside the area with a fine reverse pass but, from a difficult angle and with Mignolet advancing, his shot cannoned off the outside of a post.