Adam Bogdan saved three spot kicks as Liverpool beat League Two Carlisle 3-2 on penalties in the third round of the Capital One Cup.
Liverpool had taken the lead through Danny Ings' header midway through the first half before Derek Asamoah levelled for Carlisle before the break.
The scoreline remained 1-1 at the end of extra time, the Reds being unable to add to their solitary goal despite having a total of 47 shots.
Roberto Firmino drew a save from Mark Gillespie within the opening 15 seconds as Liverpool laid siege to the Carlisle goal for the opening 10 minutes.
Adam Lallana was next to try his luck before Firmino unleashed a ferocious drive with his left foot that Gillespie could only watch as it flashed past the post.
Ings was also causing problems for the Carlisle defence as he combined well with Firmino and Lallana.
The visitors managed to weather the initial Liverpool storm and even made the odd foray into Liverpool territory despite the hosts continuing to press them with real intensity.
The breakthrough finally come in the 23rd minute as Alberto Moreno slid a ball through to Lallana on the left, he measured his cross perfectly and Ings met it with a firm header from point blank range.
However, Carlisle were not going to take the setback lying down and by the time they equalised 11 minutes later, they had already troubled Liverpool with a swift counter-attack.
When the goal came it was all rather straightforward. A pass was played into Bastien Hery in the centre circle and he was able to turn and run through the middle of the pitch, skip past Dejan Lovren and slide in Asamoah.
The forward shot first time and beat Bogdan to send the travelling support wild.
Firmino was replaced as Carlisle celebrated, the Brazilian having fallen awkwardly after jumping for a header soon after Liverpool's opener.
Liverpool stayed on top until the break and it was much the same in the second half. However, as the game wore on, the more comfortable Carlisle seemed.
The hosts were reduced to shots from long range and even the introduction of Philippe Coutinho was unable to give them the spark needed to break through a resolute Carlisle defence.
Divock Origi tested Gillespie with a left foot strike and Coutinho himself went close with a couple of shots from the edge of the box but the Cumbrian side made it through to extra time with relative ease.
It was more of the same in extra time, James Milner and Origi coming closest in the first period. The former's shot blocked when it seemed destined for the net and Origi's follow up deflected over the bar.
Coutinho's through pass found Moreno in the box late in the second period of extra time as Liverpool pressed for a winner but the Spaniard's shot was smothered by Gillespie and after Alex Gilliead's swerving shot flew wide of Bogdan's goal, it was time for penalties.
Milner stepped up first for Liverpool and scored before Emre Can's ice cool chip put the home side in control after Bogdan had saved Danny Grainger's kick.
Gary Dicker scored but Lallana saw his effort saved. Bogdan kept Liverpool ahead by saving from Luke Joyce but it was all square after Alexander McQueen scored and Gillespie saved from Coutinho.
However, after Ings buried his penalty, Hery had to score to keep Carlisle in it. His kick was a poor one though and Bogdan saved it low to his left to send Liverpool through.
Liverpool progress to face Bournemouth, again at Anfield, but failing to beat lower league opposition over 120 minutes will have done nothing to ease the pressure on Brendan Rodgers.