Cardiff reaches League Cup final

Published : Jan 25, 2012 - 17:28 Updated : Jan 25, 2012 - 17:28

Cardiff City’s Aron Gunnarsson (third from left) heads the ball against Crystal Palace. (AFP-Yonhap News)

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) ― Tom Heaton saved two penalty kicks, and Cardiff reached its first English League Cup final by beating Crystal Palace 3-1 in a shootout on Tuesday night.

Cardiff dominated but only managed a 1-0 edge on a seventh-minute own goal by Anthony Gardner, leaving the aggregate 1-1 in the home-and-home, total-goals series. Gardner had scored in the first leg.

Palace played a man short after captain Paddy McCarthy received his second yellow card in the 78th, and Cardiff hit the crossbar twice in overtime.

Cardiff’s Kenny Miller started the shootout by sending his penalty kick well high. Heaton saved Palace’s first two efforts from Jermaine Easter and Sean Scannell before Jonathan Parr put the decisive spot kick wide.

Second-tier Cardiff plays either Liverpool or Manchester City in the final at Wembley on Feb. 26. Liverpool leads 1-0 going into the second leg at home on Wednesday.

Scotland

Motherwell overcame an early sending off to beat last-place Dunfermline 3-1 Tuesday for its first home win in the Scottish Premier League since September.

Captain Stephen Craigan was given a straight red card in the 18th minute, but the hosts still went ahead in the 29th through Henrik Ojamaa.

Italy

Alessandro Del Piero scored his first goal of the season on a perfect curling shot in the 30th minute, helping Juventus beat Roma 3-0 to reach the Italian Cup semifinals.

Emanuele Giaccherini put Juventus ahead in the sixth minute, and Simon Kjaer had an own goal in the 90th. Erik Lamela was ejected in the 69th for kicking Giorgio Chiellini.

Juve plays AC Milan or Lazio in the semis.

Spain

Third-division Mirandes reached the Copa del Rey semifinals when Cesar Fernandez de la Heras headed in Pablo Infante’s free kick in the second minute of second-half stoppage time for a 2-1 win over Espanol.

With the aggregate 4-4, Mirandes advanced 2-1 on away goals to a matchup against Athletic Bilbao or Mallorca and became the first third-tier club to reach the last four since Figueres in 2002.