Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers’ torturous season continued as they scraped through a Capital One Cup tie on penalties against League Two Carlisle.

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After Danny Ings’ second goal in as many games for the Reds was cancelled out by Derek Asamoah in the first half to see the scores level at 1-1 after 90 minutes, the match eventually went to spot-kicks where debutant Adam Bogdan was their saviour with three saves.

But the cheer around Anfield as the Hungarian goalkeeper denied Bastien Hery was more relief than anything else.

It was five years and one day after another League Two side Northampton came to Anfield and shocked Roy Hodgson’s side on penalties, one of the many results which contributed to the now England manager’s sacking less than four months later.

Rodgers escaped that ignominy but with the club having to deny reports they had approached Carlo Ancelotti about taking over at Anfield, the Northern Irishman still remains under pressure.

He is without a victory in 90 minutes in the last six games and although he named a side which contained five of the team which drew against Norwich at the weekend they struggled to breach the leakiest defence in League Two, despite attempting an incredible 47 shots.

Liverpool have not kept a clean sheet at home in the League Cup since January 2005 against Watford and that was to prove costly, as was a record which shows only twice in the last 21 matches have they scored more than once in a game – the last time coming on May 2 against relegated QPR.

Penalties ended the agony – with Milner, Emre Can and Ings all scoring against the two successes from Gary Dicker and Alex McQueen – but victory posed more questions than answers for Rodgers.