Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has revealed that he had his vision temporarily impaired during the Carling Cup final defeat to Tottenham at Wembley.

The Czech international had Didier Zokora's shot blast against his face (pictured) in the closing stages of normal time.

Cech said: "After the blow to my head, I started to see badly with my left eye. I could not even recognise faces at first.

"But I did not want to be substituted, it would seem like I was running away from the battle. I just asked the doctor if there was something which could make my eye focus better.

"During extra time I saw better, though. After a while the situation improved and so there was no reason to leave the pitch," he said.

The 25-year-old, rated as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, was involved in Tottenham's winning goal in the first period of extra time, when he punched Jonathan Woodgate's header back onto the defender's head, the ball rebounding into the empty net.

"It was clear that he would be the first one to reach the ball so I tried to be there before him. The ball did not even bounce off my fists, it was more off my wrist, back to his head," Cech said.

He added, in a thinly-veiled criticism of his defence: "It was a pity. It was not the first incident where their player was alone in the box. The only question was whether I was to go there or not. That was the only way I could affect it."

Cech was one of five players booked by referee Mark Halsey, though he was given his yellow card after the final whistle, which was blown just as substitute Salomon Kalou was through on goal.

"When I kicked the ball (in injury time) the referee still was not blowing the final whistle. Then we won the aerial challenge and at that moment the referee blew the whistle," Cech said. "Then I ran towards him, asked him why he ended the game but he just showed me yellow card. That is not an explanation for me."

Tony Mabert / Vasek Kadlec / Eurosport