Bellamy sends Liverpool into League Cup final

Reuters: Craig Bellamy scored the decisive goal against his former club as Liverpool reached the League Cup final on Wednesday by beating Manchester City 3-2 on aggregate, prompting manager Kenny Dalglish to go all teary-eyed.

A thrilling semi-final second leg finished 2-2 at Anfield but the advantage carved out in Manchester a fortnight ago booked Liverpool a date at Wembley next month where they will face Cardiff City, another of Bellamy’s old clubs.

“It couldn’t be a better final for me,” Bellamy, who left the pitch to a standing ovation when he was substituted late on, told Sky Sports.

“Cardiff means so much to me, it’s where I’m from, I’ve never played at Wembley and to beat a club like Man City with all the players they have, it was just so fitting for us to get to the final.”

City started without striker Mario Balotelli after deciding not to appeal his four-match ban for stamping on Tottenham Hotspur’s Scott Parker at the weekend.