Cardiff booked their place in the Carling Cup final with a 3-1 penalty shoot-out victory over Crystal Palace.

The two teams were locked together at 1-1 on aggregate after extra-time on Tuesday night.

Bluebirds goalkeeper Tom Heaton saved the first two Palace kicks from Jermaine Easter and Sean Scannell before Jonathan Parr blazed horribly wide of the target to the delight of the vast majority in the Cardiff City Stadium.

Cardiff had levelled the aggregate scores in only the seventh minute of the clash when Anthony Gardner, who had given his side the edge in the first leg, could only divert Don Cowie's dangerous cross into his own net at the near post.

Kenny Miller twice went close to putting the Bluebirds ahead on the night, rolling one effort agonisingly wide after a swift break, before rattling the upright with Julian Speroni well beaten after a smart turn and shot from the edge of the box.

Palace were reduced to ten men 12 minutes from the end of normal time when captain Paddy McCarthy, who had already been booked for one challenge on Miller, elected to go through the back of the striker, leaving referee Howard Webb with little option.

Malky Mackay's side pressed for a winner with the benefit of their numerical advantage, but could not find a way through although they came agonisingly close when Aron Gunnarsson somehow headed against the face of the bar from no more than three yards out in the final seconds before the drama of penalties.

Semi-final hero Heaton vowed after the game that Cardiff will go to Wembley believing they can beat Liverpool or Manchester City in the final.

"It's massive," he told Sky Sports News. "It's something you dream about as a boy.

"We'll look forward to the game but we'll try to win the game. We won't just be there for the day out.

"[There are] two great teams in the other semi-final but I think we've got enough about us in this team with the players and the management that we can go and get a result."