Saturday, May 17, 2008
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Barnsley 0-1 Cardiff
Joe Ledley scored the only goal to end Barnsley's FA Cup run and send Cardiff through to a final against Portsmouth.
Highlights
Ledley volleyed them in front inside nine minutes after Barnsley failed to deal with a Tony Capaldi long throw.
The Tykes responded well but had keeper Luke Steele to thank for denying Trevor Sinclair from close range.
Steele also kept out a Gavin Rae header but Kayode Odejayi missed a glorious chance to level when he was put clean through on goal only to shoot wide.
It was by no means a Cup classic between two unlikely semi-final opponents from the Championship, but the early goal paved the way for a lively encounter.
But as with Saturday's opening semi-final at Wembley, one goal was enough to decide the game.
606: DEBATE
Just like to say well done to all associated with Cardiff but especially Dave Jones
McHatter
It came from the left boot of Cardiff-born midfielder Ledley, who reacted well to convert the first chance of the game.
Barnsley responded well to such an early setback and they enjoyed the lion's share of the first-half possession.
Dennis Souza had a header just past the post and Brian Howard wasted a good shooting chance after good work from Jamal Campbell-Ryce on the left.
The lively Odejayi got in front of Glenn Loovens at the near post but shot at Peter Enckelman.
However, Cardiff came even closer to adding to the scoreline when Steele failed to deal with a Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink shot but then did brilliantly to keep out Sinclair's follow-up.
Again Barnsley responded well with Istvan Ferenczi heading wide and then Sinclair cleared off the line to deny him.
The Tykes' top scorer Howard also tried his luck from long range and then headed wide from a Martin Devaney cross.
But Barnsley's need to throw men forward allowed Cardiff ample counter-attacking opportunities and Ledley was able to pick out Rae for a free header but it was too close to keeper Steele.
The moment Barnsley will rue came in the 66th minute when Odejayi was put clean through on goal and had all the time in the world to pick his spot past Peter Enckelman.
The striker scored the winner against Chelsea in the sixth round - his only goal since September - but he blew his big chance this time as he shot past the upright.
Pete Whittingham went close to giving Cardiff some daylight but his effort landed on the roof of the net.
It mattered little as Cardiff, who were playing at Wembley for the first time in 81 years, played out time to book another visit there in six weeks.
Highlights
Ledley volleyed them in front inside nine minutes after Barnsley failed to deal with a Tony Capaldi long throw.
The Tykes responded well but had keeper Luke Steele to thank for denying Trevor Sinclair from close range.
Steele also kept out a Gavin Rae header but Kayode Odejayi missed a glorious chance to level when he was put clean through on goal only to shoot wide.
It was by no means a Cup classic between two unlikely semi-final opponents from the Championship, but the early goal paved the way for a lively encounter.
But as with Saturday's opening semi-final at Wembley, one goal was enough to decide the game.
606: DEBATE
Just like to say well done to all associated with Cardiff but especially Dave Jones
McHatter
It came from the left boot of Cardiff-born midfielder Ledley, who reacted well to convert the first chance of the game.
Barnsley responded well to such an early setback and they enjoyed the lion's share of the first-half possession.
Dennis Souza had a header just past the post and Brian Howard wasted a good shooting chance after good work from Jamal Campbell-Ryce on the left.
The lively Odejayi got in front of Glenn Loovens at the near post but shot at Peter Enckelman.
However, Cardiff came even closer to adding to the scoreline when Steele failed to deal with a Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink shot but then did brilliantly to keep out Sinclair's follow-up.
Again Barnsley responded well with Istvan Ferenczi heading wide and then Sinclair cleared off the line to deny him.
The Tykes' top scorer Howard also tried his luck from long range and then headed wide from a Martin Devaney cross.
But Barnsley's need to throw men forward allowed Cardiff ample counter-attacking opportunities and Ledley was able to pick out Rae for a free header but it was too close to keeper Steele.
The moment Barnsley will rue came in the 66th minute when Odejayi was put clean through on goal and had all the time in the world to pick his spot past Peter Enckelman.
The striker scored the winner against Chelsea in the sixth round - his only goal since September - but he blew his big chance this time as he shot past the upright.
Pete Whittingham went close to giving Cardiff some daylight but his effort landed on the roof of the net.
It mattered little as Cardiff, who were playing at Wembley for the first time in 81 years, played out time to book another visit there in six weeks.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
West Brom 0-1 Portsmouth Fa Cup
A second-half goal from Kanu was enough to send Portsmouth through to their first FA Cup final in 69 years.
Highlights
Ex-West Brom striker Kanu side-footed an easy chance to see off the Baggies after Dean Kiely had denied Milan Baros and Zoltan Gera had failed to clear.
Baros, who looked to have handled in the build-up to the goal, missed a simple chance to seal the win.
They were almost made to pay but Robert Koren's shot hit the bar and Ishmael Miller fired wide late on.
Portsmouth will face the winners of the all-Championship tie between Barnsley and Cardiff on Sunday in the final.
Their win carries on the top flight's run of having a team in every FA Cup final.
Pompey were already odds-on favourites to lift the trophy before the game, but for long periods it was West Brom who looked the better bet for a return to Wembley on 17 May.
Harry Redknapp's south coast side were not at the races during a lacklustre first-half display and it Albion who looked like the Premier League thoroughbreds.
Portsmouth's defensive pair of Sol Campbell and Sylvain Distin struggled throughout to deal with veteran forward Kevin Phillips dropping deep.
The former Southampton striker found plenty of space and tested Pompey early on with a long-range shot just over the bar before a neat lay-off that ended with Zoltan Gera causing problems for a fumbling David James with a low shot.
Portsmouth were all at sea going forward, with Baros wasteful and Kanu barely contributing as Redknapp looking increasingly agitated on the sidelines.
They enjoyed their best spell of the first half shortly before the break but Redknapp, on his first appearance in the FA Cup semi-finals and at Wembley as player or manager, would have had strong words at the interval.
There appeared to be little immediate change in Pompey's play, but less than 10 minutes after the break they broke the deadlock.
Glen Johnson played a ball into Baros, who may have controlled the ball with his arm before getting off a shot which Kiely did well to keep out.
However, as Kiely looked to pounce on the loose ball Gera tried to clear and could only steer the ball into the direction of Kanu to slot into the empty net from only a couple of yards out.
It should have been game over as Baros was played in by a slide rule pass from Niko Kranjcar and seemed certain to score, but he made an awful hash of the finish and Kiely produced a desperate save.
The Baggies almost made them pay as the game burst into life in the latter stages.
Carl Hoefkens set up Koren and his shot beat James but smacked the top of the bar.
Moments later substitute Miller got clear on the left and tried to pick out Phillips at the back post, but James anticipated well and plucked his cross out of the air.
There were further worries as Hoefkens set up an onrushing Miller but he side-footed wide and Pompey survived to book their place in the final.
Highlights
Ex-West Brom striker Kanu side-footed an easy chance to see off the Baggies after Dean Kiely had denied Milan Baros and Zoltan Gera had failed to clear.
Baros, who looked to have handled in the build-up to the goal, missed a simple chance to seal the win.
They were almost made to pay but Robert Koren's shot hit the bar and Ishmael Miller fired wide late on.
Portsmouth will face the winners of the all-Championship tie between Barnsley and Cardiff on Sunday in the final.
Their win carries on the top flight's run of having a team in every FA Cup final.
Pompey were already odds-on favourites to lift the trophy before the game, but for long periods it was West Brom who looked the better bet for a return to Wembley on 17 May.
Harry Redknapp's south coast side were not at the races during a lacklustre first-half display and it Albion who looked like the Premier League thoroughbreds.
Portsmouth's defensive pair of Sol Campbell and Sylvain Distin struggled throughout to deal with veteran forward Kevin Phillips dropping deep.
The former Southampton striker found plenty of space and tested Pompey early on with a long-range shot just over the bar before a neat lay-off that ended with Zoltan Gera causing problems for a fumbling David James with a low shot.
Portsmouth were all at sea going forward, with Baros wasteful and Kanu barely contributing as Redknapp looking increasingly agitated on the sidelines.
They enjoyed their best spell of the first half shortly before the break but Redknapp, on his first appearance in the FA Cup semi-finals and at Wembley as player or manager, would have had strong words at the interval.
There appeared to be little immediate change in Pompey's play, but less than 10 minutes after the break they broke the deadlock.
Glen Johnson played a ball into Baros, who may have controlled the ball with his arm before getting off a shot which Kiely did well to keep out.
However, as Kiely looked to pounce on the loose ball Gera tried to clear and could only steer the ball into the direction of Kanu to slot into the empty net from only a couple of yards out.
It should have been game over as Baros was played in by a slide rule pass from Niko Kranjcar and seemed certain to score, but he made an awful hash of the finish and Kiely produced a desperate save.
The Baggies almost made them pay as the game burst into life in the latter stages.
Carl Hoefkens set up Koren and his shot beat James but smacked the top of the bar.
Moments later substitute Miller got clear on the left and tried to pick out Phillips at the back post, but James anticipated well and plucked his cross out of the air.
There were further worries as Hoefkens set up an onrushing Miller but he side-footed wide and Pompey survived to book their place in the final.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Middlesbrough 0-2 Cardiff 03/09/2008
Goals from Peter Whittingham and Roger Johnson helped Championship side Cardiff dump Premier League strugglers Middlesbrough out of the FA Cup.
Highlights
First Half
Second Half
Boro were poor throughout and were behind on nine minutes when Whittingham curled the ball into the net.
And 13 minutes later, Roger Johnson headed home Whittingham's free-kick to leave Boro with a huge uphill task.
Afonso Alves and Stewart Downing both had half chances for the home side but they rarely threatened.
Boro had made a steady opening to the match but were left furious by the Bluebird's opening goal.
Stephen McPhail appeared to handle in mid-air before it fell to Whittingham.
But nothing was given and Whittingham latched on to the ball inside the box and curled it into the top right hand corner after some brilliant skills to find shooting space.
That lead was doubled on 22 minutes after Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink was fouled 30 yards out by Fabio Rochemback.
Whittingham's resulting free kick found Roger Johnson free at the back post to head across the face of goal and into the net past Mark Schwarzer.
Johnson came close to replicating his goal from the opposite side soon after and Paul Parry drilled an effort just wide as Cardiff controlled the game.
Middlesbrough were finding themselves outfought and outplayed in the first half and were restricted to just the one half-chance.
That came from Afonso Alves who cut inside from the left and curled a shot, but Peter Enckelman was able to parry to safety.
The home side were deservedly booed off at the break, but they came out for the second half looking to claw themselves back into the game.
It did not really have any effect though as Cardiff coped with ease everything they tried to throw at them.
Stewart Downing did see an effort go just wide on the hour after Hasselbaink gave away a free kick just outside the box for handball.
But Boro lacked ideas much to the frustration of the home supporters, some of which decided they had seen enough with 20 minutes still to go.
And they missed nothing as Cardiff held on to continue an extraordinary weekend of shocks in the FA Cup and book their place at Wembley in the semi-final.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Man Utd 0-1Portsmouth 03/08/2008
Final Score: Man Utd 0-1 Portsmouth
Harry Redknapp's FA Cup curse struck Manchester United again as Portsmouth won a dramatic quarter-final clash.
Highlights
First Half
Second Half
Sulley Muntari scored the winner from the spot with 12 minutes left after Milan Baros was upended by United's substitute keeper Tomasz Kuszczak.
Kuszczak, who replaced Edwin van der Sar at half-time, was sent off and Rio Ferdinand took over in goal.
United went close to scoring, Sylvain Distin denying Michael Carrick on the line and Patrice Evra hitting a post.
The surprise win took Portsmouth back to Wembley for the first time since 1939 for the semi-finals and ended United's hopes of repeating their 1999 treble triumph.
And for Redknapp, who has previosuly knocked United out of the FA Cup with Bournemouth and West Ham, it was a day of triumph.
Paul Scholes, Carlos Tevez and Owen Hargreaves all returned to United's starting line-up after the Champions League victory over Lyon - and they met with stubborn and well-organised Portsmouth resistance.
United were understandably furious after six minutes when Cristiano Ronaldo was clearly bundled over by Distin as he raced into the area, but referee Martin Atkinson ignored the appeals, to the clear disgust of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Pompey rarely threatened, but United keeper Van der Sar was in some discomfort as he scrambled to save a long-range shot from Niko Kranjcar.
United missed a glorious chance to break the deadlock after 18 minutes when Tevez and Wayne Rooney led a counter-attack, but the England striker was blocked by keeper David James.
The rebound fell for Tevez, but Glen Johnson made a superb recovery to block his goal-bound effort on the line.
James had been well-protected by his defence, but he needed to be sharp to drop to his right and save a low drive from Tevez.
It had been a very satisfactory first half for Portsmouth, but United had a problem in the interval when keeper Van der Sar withdrew through injury and was replaced by Kuszczak.
Pompey almost came unstuck in a goalmouth scramble after 57 minutes, when Tevez was blocked by defenders on the line and Ronaldo's shot snaked just inches wide.
United were taking control, and Evra should have done better than cross behind Tevez after being put clear into the area by Rooney.
Ferguson made a double change after 67 minutes, sending on Anderson and Carrick for Tevez and Hargreaves.
And Carrick was the central figure in a remarkable escape for Portsmouth three minutes later.
Ronaldo's brilliant back-heel played him into area and a goal looked certain as he rounded James, but Distin made a miraculous recovery to make the clearance.
United were turning up the heat, and James then stretched to make a superb save from Evra, turning his shot on to the post.
After surviving a second-half siege, Portsmouth broke out to take the lead in remarkable circumstances with 12 minutes left.
Kranjcar broke down the right and played in substitute Baros, who was felled by Kuszczak. He was shown the red card by referee Atkinson despite the fact that Rooney and Anderson were patrolling the goal-line.
Ferdinand went in goal as replacement, but he stood no chance as Muntari drilled home home the penalty with the minimum of fuss.
Harry Redknapp's FA Cup curse struck Manchester United again as Portsmouth won a dramatic quarter-final clash.
Highlights
First Half
Second Half
Sulley Muntari scored the winner from the spot with 12 minutes left after Milan Baros was upended by United's substitute keeper Tomasz Kuszczak.
Kuszczak, who replaced Edwin van der Sar at half-time, was sent off and Rio Ferdinand took over in goal.
United went close to scoring, Sylvain Distin denying Michael Carrick on the line and Patrice Evra hitting a post.
The surprise win took Portsmouth back to Wembley for the first time since 1939 for the semi-finals and ended United's hopes of repeating their 1999 treble triumph.
And for Redknapp, who has previosuly knocked United out of the FA Cup with Bournemouth and West Ham, it was a day of triumph.
Paul Scholes, Carlos Tevez and Owen Hargreaves all returned to United's starting line-up after the Champions League victory over Lyon - and they met with stubborn and well-organised Portsmouth resistance.
United were understandably furious after six minutes when Cristiano Ronaldo was clearly bundled over by Distin as he raced into the area, but referee Martin Atkinson ignored the appeals, to the clear disgust of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Pompey rarely threatened, but United keeper Van der Sar was in some discomfort as he scrambled to save a long-range shot from Niko Kranjcar.
United missed a glorious chance to break the deadlock after 18 minutes when Tevez and Wayne Rooney led a counter-attack, but the England striker was blocked by keeper David James.
The rebound fell for Tevez, but Glen Johnson made a superb recovery to block his goal-bound effort on the line.
James had been well-protected by his defence, but he needed to be sharp to drop to his right and save a low drive from Tevez.
It had been a very satisfactory first half for Portsmouth, but United had a problem in the interval when keeper Van der Sar withdrew through injury and was replaced by Kuszczak.
Pompey almost came unstuck in a goalmouth scramble after 57 minutes, when Tevez was blocked by defenders on the line and Ronaldo's shot snaked just inches wide.
United were taking control, and Evra should have done better than cross behind Tevez after being put clear into the area by Rooney.
Ferguson made a double change after 67 minutes, sending on Anderson and Carrick for Tevez and Hargreaves.
And Carrick was the central figure in a remarkable escape for Portsmouth three minutes later.
Ronaldo's brilliant back-heel played him into area and a goal looked certain as he rounded James, but Distin made a miraculous recovery to make the clearance.
United were turning up the heat, and James then stretched to make a superb save from Evra, turning his shot on to the post.
After surviving a second-half siege, Portsmouth broke out to take the lead in remarkable circumstances with 12 minutes left.
Kranjcar broke down the right and played in substitute Baros, who was felled by Kuszczak. He was shown the red card by referee Atkinson despite the fact that Rooney and Anderson were patrolling the goal-line.
Ferdinand went in goal as replacement, but he stood no chance as Muntari drilled home home the penalty with the minimum of fuss.
Barnsley 1-0 Chelsea 03/08/2008
A second-half header from Kayode Odejayi was enough to dump Chelsea out of the FA Cup and take Championship Barnsley into the semi-finals.
Highlights
First Half
Second Half
Odejayi netted the winner from six yards out after connecting with Martin Devaney's superb right-wing cross.
The striker also had a shot saved by Carlo Cudicini, while Istvan Ferenczi struck the post with a half-volley.
Chelsea's best chance fell to Joe Cole who struck his angled shot wide from close range.
The last time Barnsley reached the semi-finals was in 1912 - they went on to win their one and only FA Cup that season.
And if they show the sort desire that has seen them overcome Premier League giants Liverpool and, now, Chelsea then few would bet against them picking up their second title.
The Tykes good play started at the back with Chelsea lone marskman Nicolas Anelka often left redundant by Stephen Foster and Dennis Souza who gradually became adept at forcing the Frenchman out wide.
At the other end, Tykes big man Odejayi was a huge nuisance to Chelsea, using his bulk well while holding and releasing intellingently.
The only concern for the home support was that he had not scored since September, but he came close to ending that barren run during a minute spell that saw Simon Davey's side squander two good opportunities.
The first fell to forward Ferenczi, whose volley rattled the foot of Carlo Cudicini's left-hand upright.
And moments later, Odejayi forced his way into the area but his low angled shot was pushed away by the Chelsea shot-stopper.
Avram Grant's men were limited to half-chances, with Cole twice denied by the impressive Robert Kozluk who got his body in the way on both occasions to prevent the England international from netting.
Straight after the break, Cole was presented with arguably his best opportunity to hand the visitors the lead but once again his nemesis Kozluk did enough to force the midfielder to screw his shot wide from eight yards.
Chelsea cranked up the pressure in the second half, knowing that a replay would not benefit a team still fighting on two other fronts.
But try as hard as they did, the team lacked ideas and even with the introduction of attacking duo Salomon Kalou and Claudio Pizarro they failed to carve open the stubborn Barnsley defence.
And as they pressed forward, space was left at the back. That space was exploited by Devaney on the right wing who delivered a stunning ball to the far post for Odejayi to nod past the hapless Cudicini.
The Barnsley area resembled the Alamo in the final 15 minutes, but somehow the Tykes warriors held firm to book their passage into the last four of the FA Cup.
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