Matt Dunham / AP

Liverpool's players celebrate winning the penalty shootout against West Ham during the FA Cup final Saturday.

updated 4:25 p.m. ET May 15, 2006

CARDIFF, Wales - Steven Gerrard scored two goals and a shootout kick to lead Liverpool to victory over West Ham for a seventh FA Cup title, showing why he could be one of England’s key players at the upcoming World Cup.

The Liverpool captain already had set up a goal for Djibril Cisse and scored once when he made the game 3-3 and sent it into extra time. After a scoreless extra period, Liverpool won the shootout 3-1.

Liverpool trailed 2-0 and then 3-2 in the 125th final until Gerrard’s 30-yard half volley in injury time dashed the Hammers’ hopes of a first FA Cup triumph in 26 years. Goalkeeper Pepe Reina tipped a shot by Nigel Reo-Coker onto the post with a minute of extra time left before saving three kicks in the shootout.

Gerrard lifted the famous trophy, adding it to last season’s European title — when his goal started Liverpool’s comeback from 3-0 down at halftime against AC Milan.

“It’s very special, the supporters are fantastic and West Ham were brilliant today, but we had the never-say-die attitude,” Gerrard said. “We felt our best chance was penalties, because we had no energy left.”

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said his team gave him some scares.

“We like to do the difficult things, but it’s not best for the heart,” Benitez said. “It’s better to start winning and keep calm.”

A year ago, West Ham manager Alan Pardew guided his team to promotion through the playoffs, having finished sixth in the League Championship while Liverpool was preparing for its Champions League triumph against Milan.

“We were up against a team packed with internationals with players who have won medals and have huge reputations,” he said. “We put all that aside and almost pulled it off. I told the players that perhaps they have been part of one of the great finals ever and they can take great dignity and pride from their performance.

“You can’t come much closer than this and next time we know we have just got to cross that line and get a trophy. I’m not going to say we deserved to win because that would be unfair on Liverpool. Both teams perhaps deserved to win.”

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The Hammers were in control midway through the first half with two goals in seven minutes. Defender Jamie Carragher turned a cross from Lionel Scaloni into his own net and Dean Ashton added the second after Reina failed to hold a shot by Matthew Etherington.

Liverpool hit back on goals by Cisse and Gerrard, but Paul Konchesky put the Hammers ahead 3-2 in the 64th minute. Gerrard fired his late drive through a crowded area to make it 3-3 before 71,140 fans at the Millennium Stadium.

“I’m gutted, very disappointed because I thought we deserved to win it,” West Ham captain Reo-Coker said. “We worked extremely hard, it was a fantastic effort. It just wasn’t our day today.”

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