Steven Gerrard scored two goals and a crucial shootout kick to lead Liverpool to victory over West Ham and a seventh FA Cup title -- showing why he will be one of England's key players at the World Cup.
The Liverpool captain had already 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 then won the shootout 3-1.
Liverpool, which also made a comeback and won a shootout in last season's Champions League final, was trailing 2-0 and then 3-2 in the 125th final until Gerrard's 30m half volley in injury time dashed the Hammers' hopes of a first FA Cup triumph for 26 years.
Goalkeeper Pepe Reina tipped an effort 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 headed goal started Liverpool's fightback from 3-0 down at halftime to draw 3-3 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 acknowledged that 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."
The manager commended his players for winning its 62nd game of a grueling season, with Gerrard playing all but five of them.
"It was a fantastic final with two teams who played really well," he said. "You must give credit to my players who had a lot of cramps after 62 games. All the players kept going until the end. Reina is famous in Spain for saving penalties. We had confidence in him."
But it was hard on the Hammers, who were only four minutes of injury time away from a famous triumph.
A year ago, West Ham manager Alan Pardew guided his team to promotion through the playoffs having finished sixth in the League Championship at a time 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."
The Hammers had been 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 through Djibril Cisse and Gerrard, but Konchesky put the Hammers 3-2 ahead with a miss-hit cross in the 64th minute. Gerrard then fired his late drive through a crowded area to make it 3-3 before 71,140 fans at the Millennium Stadium.
After 30 scoreless minutes of extra time, the final went to penalties for the second straight year. Arsenal beat Manchester United a year ago after a 0-0 draw in the final's first ever shootout.
Dietmar Hamann, Gerrard and John Arne Riise all beat goalkeeper Shaka Hislop, who saved a spot kick from Sami Hyypia. But Reina saved from Bobby Zamora, Paul Konchesky and Anton Ferdinand. The only West Ham player to beat him from the spot was 40-year-old Teddy Sheringham -- the third oldest man ever to play in the final.
"I'm gutted, very disappointed because I thought we deserved to win it," West Ham captain Nigel Reo-Coker said. "We worked extremely hard, it was a fantastic effort. It just wasn't our day today."
Hearts won their sixth Scottish Cup final, beating third-tier champion Gretna 4-2 on penalties after scores were locked at 1-1.
With Hearts leading 3-2 in the shootout, goalkeeper Craig Gordon saved a penalty from Derek Townsley before Michael Pospisal made it 4-2. Gretna's Gavin Skelton hit the bar with the final penalty.
It was Hearts' first Scottish Cup title since 1998. They finished runner-up to Celtic in the Premier League -- matching their best season since 1986.
"We are delighted but let's not forget the performance of Gretna -- they were absolutely excellent," Hearts captain Steven Pressley said. "This was for all of the supporters. It has been a turbulent season. Credit to all the players, they have shown great unity."
Hearts took the lead in the 38th minute when Rudi Skacel hooked the ball into the net from close range after teammate Robbie Neilson's throw-in into the area.
Gretna equalized in the 75th through Ryan McGuffie from the penalty spot after John O'Neil was fouled by Deividas Cesnauskis. McGuffie's shot was parried by Gordon -- but he netted the rebound.
Hearts playmaker Paul Hartley was sent off in the last minute of extra time for a second yellow card.
Four years ago, Gretna was playing in an English semiprofessional league.
Gretna won the Scottish third division in 2005 and, after winning the second division this season, won promotion to the first division -- one step below the Scottish Premier League. The club will now play in the UEFA Cup next season.
"The boys gave us all we could ask for and we are so proud of them," Gretna manager Rowan Alexander said. "But this is the way the game should be -- it is what football is all about. Friendship and an entertaining game."
It was the first Scottish Cup final since 1997 not featuring league heavyweights Celtic or Rangers. Then, Kilmarnock beat Falkirk 1-0.
Hearts have also been turned around by investment with the arrival of Lithuanian businessman Vladimir Romanov as majority shareholder in June last year.
But it hasn't been a smooth season, with manager George Burley and several board members quitting in October because of alleged interference from Romanov.
Graham Rix took over from in November when Hearts were top of the league. He was fired on March 22, with Valdas Ivanauskas, the club's Lithuanian assistant manager, appointed interim first-team coach until the end of the season.
Romanov has also denied rumors he -- rather than the manager -- selects the team.
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