Andy Carroll feels Stewart Downing was at his best for Liverpool in Sunday's Carling Cup final win.

Downing netted a crucial penalty in the shoot-out and Carroll paid tribute to the winger's willingness to take on opponents and the quality of his crossing.

"He was unbelievable," the No.9 told Liverpoolfc.tv. "That's what he's all about: he gets the ball, he puts it in the box and he beats players. He was great today.

"It's a great feeling to win. There were a few scary moments. When they went 1-0 up we had to fight back and all the lads did well to fight back to 1-1. I thought as the game went on we deserved the win. But it was a tough game.

"Liverpool's a massive club and we should be winning competitions like this. We're still in the FA Cup and we're looking to get to the final of that. So, it's all going good at the minute. The fans are unbelievable. We came into the dressing room and they were still out there celebrating."