Liverpool survive League Cup scare, Newcastle out

Liverpool’s Adam Bogdan celebrates with Emre Can and Alberto Moreno after winning the penalty shootout – Reuters

AFP: Liverpool survived an almighty scare in the League Cup by edging fourth-tier Carlisle United on penalties on Wednesday, while Sheffield Wednesday dumped Newcastle United out of the tournament.

Carlisle, the lowest-ranked team in the competition, took Liverpool to penalties at Anfield after the game finished 1-1 following extra time, Derek Asamoah having cancelled out Danny Ings’ 23rd-minute opener.

Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho both saw penalties saved by Mark Gillespie, but reserve goalkeeper Adam Bogdan parried the decisive kick from Carlisle’s French forward Bastien Hery to earn Liverpool a 3-2 shootout win and spare Manager Brendan Rodgers a humiliating exit.

Liverpool followed Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City in going through and will host Bournemouth in round four.

But while they avoided a defeat that would have recalled their elimination on penalties by Northampton Town at the same stage of the competition five years ago, it was not a result that will enhance Rodgers’s position amid speculation about his future at the club.

Liverpool’s inefficiency was demonstrated by a shot count that read 47-5 in their favour, while centre-back Dejan Lovren had to be stretchered off after injuring his ankle in extra time.

Newcastle Manager Steve McClaren is another manager feeling the heat after his side, who have won none of their first five Premier League games, lost 1-0 at home to Wednesday.

Lewis McGugan scored the game’s only goal, beating Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul with a low shot from outside the box in the 76th minute to send Wednesday into round four for the first time since they reached the semi-finals in 2002. Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea continued their recent revival by winning 4-1 at third-tier Walsall to record a third consecutive victory. Anthony Martial’s assured start to life at Manchester United continued as the French striker scored his fourth goal in three games in a 3-0 victory against second-tier Ipswich Town at Old Trafford.

Wayne Rooney opened the scoring and 19-year-old Brazilian Andreas Pereira crowned his full debut with a stylish free-kick before substitute Martial found the net in stoppage time with a classy finish into the bottom-right corner. Next up for Louis van Gaal’s United is a home game with second-tier Middlesbrough.

Elsewhere, Jay Rodriguez, Sadio Mane and Shane Long all scored twice as Southampton swept into round four with a 6-0 rout of second-tier Milton Keynes Dons, who conquered Manchester United in last season’s competition.

Dwight Gayle claimed a hat-trick, including two penalties, as Crystal Palace beat Charlton Athletic 4-1, while Norwich City beat top-flight rivals West Bromwich Albion 3-0 courtesy of goals from Matt Jarvis, Kyle Lafferty and a Sebastien Pocognoli own goal.