Liverpool progressed to the fourth round of the Capital One Cup at Anfield last night - but only after winning the joint-longest penalty shootout in English football history against Middlesbrough.
After the match ended 2-2 after extra time, with young English player Jordan Rossiter, who has been described as the "new Steven Gerrard", scoring on his Liverpool debut, it took 30 penalties before Boro winger Albert Adomah missed to send the Reds through.
Amazingly, twenty penalties in succession were successfully converted as player after player from each side - including both goalkeepers - handled the pressure with aplomb, with several scoring twice.
But when Adomah pushed his kick wide, Liverpool could finally celebrate victory.
The 14-13 scoreline matched the outcome of a Football League Trophy shootout between Dagenham & Redbridge and Leyton Orient in August 2011.
It was also the highest-scoring penalty shootout ever in the League Cup.
17-year-old Rossiter, who has been with Liverpool Football Club since he was six, is now the second-youngest ever Liverpool goalscorer.
Capital One Cup
Liverpool 2-2 Middlesbrough
Rossiter 10....................Reach 62
Fernández Saez 109.... Bamford 120 (pen)
After Extra Time. Liverpool won 14-13 on penalties
At Anfield
Att: 41,857
23 September 2014
By Sam Sheringham
BBC Sport
Penalty shootout goes to 30th kick
Adomah misses vital kick for Boro
Both goalkeepers score in shootout
20 penalties scored in a row
Liverpool players celebrate after finally securing their passage into the last-16 of the Capital One Cup with an incredible 14-13 victory over Middlesbrough on penalties
Liverpool won a record-equalling penalty shootout 14-13 to progress to the fourth round of the Capital One Cup at Middlesbrough's expense.
After the match ended 2-2, it took 30 penalties before Boro winger Albert Adomah missed to send the Reds through.
Liverpool had taken the lead through debutant Jordan Rossiter but Boro equalised when Adam Reach headed in.
In extra-time, Suso drilled home for the Reds but Patrick Bamford's last-minute penalty forced a shootout.
Then came the real drama as the joint highest-scoring spot-kick contest in English professional football unfolded in front of a barely believing Kop.
Simon Mignolet saved Boro's first penalty from Bamford only for Raheem Sterling to miss Liverpool's fifth and send the shootout to sudden death.
Amazingly, the next 20 penalties were all scored as player after player from each side - including both goalkeepers - handled the pressure with aplomb, with several scoring twice.
But when Adomah pushed his kick wide, Liverpool could finally celebrate victory.
The 14-13 scoreline matched the outcome of a Football League Trophy shootout between Dagenham & Redbridge and Leyton Orient in August 2011.
Paying the penalty
The previous longest League Cup penalty shootout was 9-8 on three occasions - Arsenal v Rotherham in 2004, Man City beating Stoke in 1982 and Aston Villa beating Colchester in 1979
The longest in the FA Cup was Macclesfield beating Forest Green 11-10 in November 2001 in the first round
The record for the most successful consecutive kicks in English football is 29 when Brockenhurst beat Andover 15-14 in the Hampshire Senior Cup last year
The result will relieve Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, whose side have lost three of their first five league matches and face Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday.
Boro, in contrast, will be devastated to have come so close to recording their first win at Anfield since 1976 after more than matching the Reds over 120 minutes of a pulsating cup tie.
With captain Steven Gerrard rested, 17-year-old academy product Rossiter was given his debut at the base of the Reds midfield, and he only took 10 minutes to make his mark.
After a long ball caused chaos in the Boro defence, debutant goalkeeper Jamal Blackman saved sharply from Rickie Lambert. But the ball fell kindly to Rossiter, who swept a low shot past Blackman's flailing legs before wheeling away in delight.
Boro scored a deserved equaliser on the hour after Mamadou Sakho was penalised for handling a cross.
Grant Leadbitter's free-kick from the right flank eluded the Liverpool defence and invited Reach to apply the headed finish from inside the six-yard box.
Watch the highlights, including the amazing shootout:
Liverpool Vs Middlesbrough 2-2 [14-13] - All Goals & Match Highlights + Full Penalty Shoot-Out - YouTube
Ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher on Jordan Rossiter
"Not celebrated as passionately since Dudek saved that pen! Absolutely delighted for @jordan_rossiter and his family & friends watching."
How BBC Radio 5 live commentator Conor McNamara described the finale
"The standard of penalties has been fantastic! Somebody somewhere will be working out what the record is for the most penalties in a shootout as here come Middlesbrough again - and it's wide! Albert Adomah has put wide and that ends a penalty shootout that went through 15 kicks each! Liverpool celebrate as Albert Adomah is immediately consoled by his team-mates. Such drama at Anfield, such brilliant, brilliant penalties to watch from both teams. Middlesbrough go home disappointed. Incredible! Brilliant to be here for that."
Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka:
"These are the kind of games where you have to be very proud of your players, your group, your club, everything.
"I think we have shown everybody what kind of club Middlesbrough are. I don't have many words to explain my feelings right now.
"We have played against a Champions League team at Anfield and you know how difficult this is for us - and we have played face to face against them.
"Although we have lost, our players should enjoy this."
Adomah's miss brought a 19-minute shootout to an end
Liverpool have won the League Cup a record eight times
Suso's goal in extra time was his first for Liverpool
Jordan Rossiter has been likened to captain Steven Gerrard
Adam Reach scored a deserved equaliser for Middlesbrough
BBC Sport - Liverpool 2-2 Middlesbrough (14-13 on penalties)
After the match ended 2-2 after extra time, with young English player Jordan Rossiter, who has been described as the "new Steven Gerrard", scoring on his Liverpool debut, it took 30 penalties before Boro winger Albert Adomah missed to send the Reds through.
Amazingly, twenty penalties in succession were successfully converted as player after player from each side - including both goalkeepers - handled the pressure with aplomb, with several scoring twice.
But when Adomah pushed his kick wide, Liverpool could finally celebrate victory.
The 14-13 scoreline matched the outcome of a Football League Trophy shootout between Dagenham & Redbridge and Leyton Orient in August 2011.
It was also the highest-scoring penalty shootout ever in the League Cup.
17-year-old Rossiter, who has been with Liverpool Football Club since he was six, is now the second-youngest ever Liverpool goalscorer.
Capital One Cup
Liverpool 2-2 Middlesbrough
Rossiter 10....................Reach 62
Fernández Saez 109.... Bamford 120 (pen)
After Extra Time. Liverpool won 14-13 on penalties
At Anfield
Att: 41,857
23 September 2014
By Sam Sheringham
BBC Sport
Penalty shootout goes to 30th kick
Adomah misses vital kick for Boro
Both goalkeepers score in shootout
20 penalties scored in a row
Liverpool players celebrate after finally securing their passage into the last-16 of the Capital One Cup with an incredible 14-13 victory over Middlesbrough on penalties
After the match ended 2-2, it took 30 penalties before Boro winger Albert Adomah missed to send the Reds through.
Liverpool had taken the lead through debutant Jordan Rossiter but Boro equalised when Adam Reach headed in.
In extra-time, Suso drilled home for the Reds but Patrick Bamford's last-minute penalty forced a shootout.
Then came the real drama as the joint highest-scoring spot-kick contest in English professional football unfolded in front of a barely believing Kop.
Simon Mignolet saved Boro's first penalty from Bamford only for Raheem Sterling to miss Liverpool's fifth and send the shootout to sudden death.
Amazingly, the next 20 penalties were all scored as player after player from each side - including both goalkeepers - handled the pressure with aplomb, with several scoring twice.
But when Adomah pushed his kick wide, Liverpool could finally celebrate victory.
The 14-13 scoreline matched the outcome of a Football League Trophy shootout between Dagenham & Redbridge and Leyton Orient in August 2011.
Paying the penalty
The previous longest League Cup penalty shootout was 9-8 on three occasions - Arsenal v Rotherham in 2004, Man City beating Stoke in 1982 and Aston Villa beating Colchester in 1979
The longest in the FA Cup was Macclesfield beating Forest Green 11-10 in November 2001 in the first round
The record for the most successful consecutive kicks in English football is 29 when Brockenhurst beat Andover 15-14 in the Hampshire Senior Cup last year
The result will relieve Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, whose side have lost three of their first five league matches and face Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday.
Boro, in contrast, will be devastated to have come so close to recording their first win at Anfield since 1976 after more than matching the Reds over 120 minutes of a pulsating cup tie.
With captain Steven Gerrard rested, 17-year-old academy product Rossiter was given his debut at the base of the Reds midfield, and he only took 10 minutes to make his mark.
After a long ball caused chaos in the Boro defence, debutant goalkeeper Jamal Blackman saved sharply from Rickie Lambert. But the ball fell kindly to Rossiter, who swept a low shot past Blackman's flailing legs before wheeling away in delight.
Boro scored a deserved equaliser on the hour after Mamadou Sakho was penalised for handling a cross.
Grant Leadbitter's free-kick from the right flank eluded the Liverpool defence and invited Reach to apply the headed finish from inside the six-yard box.
Watch the highlights, including the amazing shootout:
Liverpool Vs Middlesbrough 2-2 [14-13] - All Goals & Match Highlights + Full Penalty Shoot-Out - YouTube
Ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher on Jordan Rossiter
"Not celebrated as passionately since Dudek saved that pen! Absolutely delighted for @jordan_rossiter and his family & friends watching."
How BBC Radio 5 live commentator Conor McNamara described the finale
"The standard of penalties has been fantastic! Somebody somewhere will be working out what the record is for the most penalties in a shootout as here come Middlesbrough again - and it's wide! Albert Adomah has put wide and that ends a penalty shootout that went through 15 kicks each! Liverpool celebrate as Albert Adomah is immediately consoled by his team-mates. Such drama at Anfield, such brilliant, brilliant penalties to watch from both teams. Middlesbrough go home disappointed. Incredible! Brilliant to be here for that."
Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka:
"These are the kind of games where you have to be very proud of your players, your group, your club, everything.
"I think we have shown everybody what kind of club Middlesbrough are. I don't have many words to explain my feelings right now.
"We have played against a Champions League team at Anfield and you know how difficult this is for us - and we have played face to face against them.
"Although we have lost, our players should enjoy this."
Adomah's miss brought a 19-minute shootout to an end
Liverpool have won the League Cup a record eight times
Suso's goal in extra time was his first for Liverpool
Jordan Rossiter has been likened to captain Steven Gerrard
Adam Reach scored a deserved equaliser for Middlesbrough
BBC Sport - Liverpool 2-2 Middlesbrough (14-13 on penalties)
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