It is now 13 years since Cardiff City came close to pulling off one of the great League Cup shocks when they made it all the way to the final before losing out to Liverpool in a penalty shootout. A Bluebirds side featuring the likes Peter Whittingham, Kevin McNaughton and Aron Gunnarsson – plus goalscorers Joe Mason and Ben Turner – pushed Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Co all the way before being beaten in agonising fashion at Wembley. Cardiff begin this year's crack at what is now the Carabao Cup when they host League Two Swindon Town on Tuesday (19:45 BST).
It is now 13 years since Cardiff City came close to pulling off one of the great League Cup shocks when they made it all the way to the final before losing out to Liverpool in a penalty shootout.
A Bluebirds side featuring the likes Peter Whittingham, Kevin McNaughton and Aron Gunnarsson – plus goalscorers Joe Mason and Ben Turner – pushed Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Co all the way before being beaten in agonising fashion at Wembley.
Cardiff begin this year's crack at what is now the Carabao Cup when they host League Two Swindon Town on Tuesday (19:45 BST).
Brian Barry-Murphy's team will be keen to continue their unbeaten start to the season, even if there will be no great expectation regarding a cup run in a campaign where efforts will be focused on a potential promotion push.
In truth, Cardiff have not had a great deal to shout about in the League Cup since that memorable run to the final, having made it beyond the second round on just three occasions since.
In 2023-24, they overcame Colchester and Birmingham before being well beaten at Blackburn.
That was the first time Cardiff had reached the third round since 2014-15, when they saw off Coventry and Port Vale before being well beaten by Bournemouth.
Cardiff's one other visit to the third round since Wembley was in 2013-14, when the then Premier League club were knocked out at West Ham having overcome Accrington Stanley after entering at the second-round stage.
Cardiff's uninspiring record over the past 13 years has included several disappointing losses, including two round-one defeats to Northampton Town and a first-round exit at the hands of Bristol Rovers in 2016-17.
Last year, Erol Bulut's team got past Rovers before being outplayed by Southampton in round two.
The hope will be that after an encouraging opening-day win over Peterborough and last Thursday's draw at Port Vale, Cardiff can maintain momentum by getting the better of Ian Holloway's Swindon side.
"There was too much goalmouth action for my liking and we didn't have enough control," Barry-Murphy said in the wake of the trip to Vale Park, where Cardiff were fortunate to avoid defeat.
"That's great for us because it gives us a lot of areas to improve through the season."
Category: General Sports
