LIVERPOOL won the FA Cup in dramatic circumstances in Cardiff yesterday, triumphing 3-1 on penalties, with keeper Jose Reina saving from Bobby Zamora, Paul Konchesky and Anton Ferdinand in the shootout. Rafael Benitez's side had looked to be dead and buried, trailing 3-2 as the game moved into the last minute of normal time but Steven Gerrard produced a cracker from 30 yards to take the game into injury time and penalties.

West Ham manager Alan Pardew was able to include both of his injury doubts in the club's first FA Cup final in 26 years. Both Dean Ashton and Matthew Etherington were passed fit after hamstring and ankle injuries respectively. Liverpool were able to include Xabi Alonso in their midfield after the Spaniard recovered from an ankle injury picked up last weekend at Portsmouth.

Liverpool had a free-kick in the opening seconds for a foul on Steven Gerrard by Paul Konchesky, but the opening was wasted. With Djibril Cisse and Harry Kewell playing wide, Liverpool were at times choosing a 4-3-3 formation and it gave them success down the wing. Fletcher gave away a free-kick in a dangerous position 10 yards outside the penalty area by impeding Gerrard. But Riise fired the ball into the wall.

In the 20th minute West Ham took the lead when Jamie Carragher put the ball in his own net. Yossi Benayoun neatly laid the ball off to Ashton in midfield after Alonso lost possession, and the striker cleverly slid the ball through the Liverpool defence for Scaloni to run on to down the right. He fired the ball across the area towards the waiting Harewood but Carragher, while trying to intercept, got it all wrong and deflected the ball inside the near post to put the Hammers in front.

Liverpool responded but Cisse was penalised for handball as he tried to bring down the ball just outside the area.

But they were rocked when West Ham doubled their lead in the 28th minute. Ashton challenged for the ball just outside the area and it fell to Etherington, who squeezed in a shot despite the close attention of three Liverpool defenders. It should not have troubled Jose Reina but the Spaniard spilled it and Ashton was in like a flash to poke the ball past the keeper.

Crouch thought he had pulled a goal back for Liverpool from Gerrard's quick free-kick. He volleyed past Shaka Hislop but was harshly adjudged to be offside. But the Merseyside club were right back in the game just after the half-hour mark when Alonso squared the ball to Gerrard deep in midfield and his glorious long ball into the area was fired past Hislop by Cisse. Back came West Ham and Ashton's slaloming run into the danger area ended with an angled shot which flashed past Reina's post.

Within seconds of the second half starting West Ham almost got a third goal. Etherington raced down the left and fired low into the box for Harewood to see his shot blocked by Reina. The ball fell to Benayoun and he created space but still could not beat Reina who blocked the shot.

A minute later Liverpool replaced Kewell with Morientes, pushing Cisse onto the left. Liverpool were level on 54 minutes when Crouch headed down Alonso's long ball for Gerrard to smash home from 12 yards. West Ham had refused to stop going forward, Benayoun running Liverpool ragged and the Hammers grabbed the lead again on 63 minutes. Konchesky hurled in a deep cross from the left that sailed over the head of Reina and into the top corner.

And when Alonso fouled Benayoun on 66 minutes he immediately signalled to the bench that his ankle was worsening and Kromkamp took over. On 70 minutes West Ham sent on Bobby Zamora for Ashton and at the same time Liverpool replaced Crouch with Dietmar Hamann.

Rafael Benitez was becoming an increasingly animated figure on the sidelines as Riise blazed over from long range.

West Ham brought on Christian Dailly for Fletcher as they tried to protect their 3-2 lead with Danny Gabbidon and Anton Ferdinand repeatedly forced to clear their lines. With 10 minutes remaining, Cisse crossed but Morientes could not direct his header goalwards. Benayoun broke forward and fed Etherington on the left, who aimed a long punt towards Harewood in the box.

The ball did not reach its target but, worringly for Liverpool, Reina was nowhere near claiming it either.

Liverpool looked to be dead on their feet . . . only for Gerrard to save them yet again with an astonishing finish from 30 yards. Moments after the fourth official had signalled there would be four minutes of injury-time, Gabbidon headed away but Gerrard, who had been struggling with cramp, was on the ball in a flash and slammed it in past Hislop to send the game into extra-time.

There were few incidents of interest in extra-time, and with both managers having used all their substitutes in regular time, the extra 30 minutes were filled with players going down with cramp. West Ham almost stole the win with two minutes left. Benayoun's free-kick from the left ricocheted off a ruck of players but Reina clawed the ball onto the post, with Harewood firing the rebound wide. After which we were left with the lottery of penalties.

In Scotland, the cup final also went to penalties with Hearts beating Gretna 4-2 after a 1-1 draw.

LIVERPOOL Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Gerrard, Alonso (Kromkamp 67), Sissoko, Kewell (Morientes 48), Cisse, Crouch (Hamann 70) WEST HAM Hislop, Scaloni, Ferdinand, Gabbidon, Konchesky, Benayoun, Fletcher (Dailly 76), Reo-Coker, Etherington (Sheringham 85), Ashton (Zamora 70), Harewood Referee A Wiley (Staffordshire)