Bellamy seals it for Liverpool

Four managers have come and gone, countless millions has been squandered on players not good enough to wear the shirt and many a tear has been shed.

But 16 years after their last Wembley appearance, Liverpool are back at the famous venue in the final of theCarling Cup after Craig Bellamy, the former Manchester City striker, sealed a thrilling aggregate victory over the Premier League leaders on the most dramatic of nights at Anfield.

A journey that started in Exeter back in August and included stops at Brighton, Stoke, Chelsea and the Etihad Stadium, will now conclude on February 26 at a venue where Liverpool have not played since Eric Cantona sent them home in tears in the 1996 FA Cup final.

Of course, it had to be Bellamy — the scorer of 12 goals in 40 top-flight games for City before joining Liverpool for a second spell five months ago on a free transfer after spending the whole of last season on loan at Cardiff — who settled it.

How ironic that it is Cardiff who now stand between Liverpool and their first trophy for six years. Kenny Dalglish’s side meet the Championship club on February 26 at Wembley — Liverpool’s first final at the famous stadium since losing 1-0 to Manchester United in the 1996 FA Cup final.

A dramatic evening had started with City opting not to appeal against Mario Balotelli’s four-match suspension for violent conduct in last Sunday’s 3-2 victory over Tottenham.

As well as the temperamental Italian striker, City manager Roberto Mancini was also without suspended captain Vincent Kompany.

Mancini surprised everyone by starting without Sergio Aguero and James Milner in a game City had to win if last season’s FA Cup winners were to secure a second cup final appearance at Wembley in nine months.

City lined up with Pablo Zabaleta and Aleksander Kolarov as wing-backs yet, just as in the first leg, it was Liverpool who made the better start with Joe Hart forced to save with his foot to deny Jose Enrique in the fifth minute following a poor clearance by Kolarov.

Boasting a slender first leg advantage thanks to Steven Gerrard’s 13th minute penalty at the Etihad Stadium, the lively hosts looked in the mood to kill the tie off early.

Charlie Adam forced England keeper Hart into a full-length stop after letting fly from 25-yards before Bellamy was denied after turning City defender Stefan Savic and darting into the area.

But the visitors took the lead against the run of play through De Jong, who found the net with a swerving shot from 30 yards after Liverpool had failed to close him down.

But City’s lead lasted just nine minutes as Liverpool levelled before half-time in controversial cirumstances, Gerrard burying the ball beyond Hart after Micah Richards was harshly adjudged to have handled Daniel Agger’s shot. Although television replays showed the defender did touch the ball after it bounced from his shin, it was not intentional.

Leading 2-1 on aggregate, Liverpool went in search of the goal that would kill the tie off and confirm their place at Wembley. Dirk Kuyt fired straight at Hart from a good position in the 48th minute before the City keeper produced another fine save to deny Martin Skrtel from close range. But for Hart, City would have been dead and buried long before the final whistle.

Stewart Downing was the next to be frustrated by City’s stopper after Kuyt had whipped in a cross while Bellamy mis-kicked in front of goal in the 62nd minute.

And the squandered opportunities appeared to prove ever so costly when Dzeko hauled City back on the level terms on aggregate and into a 2-1 lead on the night, side-footing home from three-yards after Kolarov’s fine cross.

But once again City failed to failed to defend their lead as Bellamy exchanged a one-two with Johnson inside the City box before placing a low curling shot beyond the outstretched hands of Hart.

City poured forward in an attempt to force the tie into extra time but this was Liverpool’s night.

LIVERPOOL: Reina 7, Johnson 7, Agger 7, Skrtel 7, Enrique 7, Gerrard 8, Henderson 7, Adam 7, Downing 7, Kuyt 7 (Carroll 90, 3), Bellamy 9 (Kelly 88, 3).

MANCHESTER CITY: Hart 8, Richards 6, Lescott 6, Savic 5 (Aguero 46, 6), Zabaleta 6, De Jong 7 (Johnson 78, 4), Barry 6, Silva 6, Kolarov 6, Nasri 6, Dzeko 7.

Referee: Phil Dowd 5

Given lauds Hart display

Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given hailed his old Manchester City adversary Joe Hart last night, labelling his display against Liverpool in the Carling Cup semi-final ‘phenomenal’ and insisting he ‘didn’t deserve to be on the losing side’.

‘‘Joe was phenomenal tonight and didn’t deserve to be on the losing side,” Given, who was analysing the game for Sky, said. ‘‘He was fantastic. Some of the saves were world-class.’’

Given added: ‘‘The pressure is on the manager (City boss Roberto Mancini) now. They really need to get the Premier League now and they’ve spent a lot of money getting these players in and the pressure builds.’’

Darren Norris