FA Cup - Lampard screamer wins it for Chelsea

Eurosport - Sun, 31 May 09:20:00 2009

Frank Lampard scored a stunning winner as Chelsea came from behind to beat Everton 2-1 and win the FA Cup final at Wembley.

Chelsea's John Terry and Frank Lampard hold aloft the FA Cup, after beating Everton 2-1 at Wembley - 0

Lampard fired home from 25 yards to give Chelsea their fifth FA Cup triumph and provide departing manager Guus Hiddink a glorious send-off.

Louis Saha struck with just 25 seconds on the clock to put Everton ahead, before Chelsea drew level through Didier Drogba's header midway through the first half.

Chelsea's superiority told in the second half and after Lampard struck, Hiddink's men should have been awarded a third goal when Florent Malouda's long-range effort hit the bar and went over the line.

Everton were making their first cup final appearance since 1997, but David Moyes's side came out of the blocks firing and could not have got off to better start in searing Wembley heat.

When Steven Pienaar found space on the left, his deflected ball was headed into the path of Saha by Marouane Fellaini.

Saha took his opportunity superbly, fizzing a volley past Petr Cech from just inside the box to give Everton a sensational lead, and in so doing record the fastest goal in FA Cup final history.

For a brief period Chelsea looked shell-shocked, but Hiddink's men soon gathered themselves and began to assert real pressure on the Everton goal.

On 13 minutes Drogba's persistence on the left led to a chance for Michael Essien, but he blazed his shot over the bar from 20 yards.

Everton were defending in numbers, but they could do nothing to stop Chelsea pulling level through Drogba on 21 minutes.

Nicolas Anelka started the move, drifting across from right to left before playing in Malouda on the touchline.

The impressive Malouda set himself, before curling in an inch-perfect cross that Drogba headed powerfully past Tim Howard to make it 1-1.

Chelsea continued to press, but in committing numbers forward always looked susceptible to the counter-attack.

Saha released Tim Cahill on the half-hour mark, but Cech was alert to the danger and just got there ahead of the Australian.

The final chance of the half fell to Chelsea's Ashley Cole, who got in behind Tony Hibbert, but fired well over the bar from a tight angle.

Chelsea came out for the second half in dominant mood.

On 59 minutes Malouda put Anelka through on goal, but the Frenchman's lob sailed over the bar with Howard beaten.

Everton struggled to create chances, and when Saha headed over from Leighton Baines's cross on 67 minutes, it proved their last genuine opening.

Five minutes later Chelsea found a winner, when Lampard twisted away from Phil Neville and shot left-footed past Howard from 25 yards.

Soon after Malouda's spectacular effort struck the underside of the bar and bounced out - only for replays to show the ball clearly crossed the line.

In the dying minutes Everton pressed hard for an equaliser, but it was Chelsea who continued to threaten - Anelka chipping over the bar after being sent through by Lampard.

Chelsea held on and deservedly claimed their first trophy for two years, in so doing handing man-of-the-match Cole a record fifth FA Cup winners' medal.

Will Tidey / Eurosport

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  1. lh your team were out classed out played and well­ beaten best in the world? your tiny world maybe

    From virgilsonia, on Sun 31 May 7:58PM

  2. burt is a tool

    From virgilsonia, on Sun 31 May 7:57PM

  3. the whingers cheat to another win thanks to w a n k­ lampard.

    From Burt, on Sun 31 May 7:19PM

  4. congrats chelsea well deserved win

    From dazmanutd, on Sun 31 May 1:19PM

  5. The name calling from our fans is probably the younger­ ones Simon not all Liverpool fans are that way or­ jealous, id grant that majority are jealous but can you­ blame them we have not won the premier league yet and­ our fans are hungry and getting frustrated. People like­ NORMAN are the ones who give us a bad name he probably­ at a guess is a teenager judging by his comments. And­ before I forget congratulations Chelsea ;o)
    Rachael x

    From LFC fans sound like a 'scratched cd', on Sun 31 May 12:16PM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    UTD ARE STILL THE BEST..EVEN BARCELONA SAY WE ARE THE­ BEST IN THE WORLD.

    From L H, on Sun 31 May 11:21AM

  7. simon is a wa^ker

    LFC YNWA

    From Norman, on Sun 31 May 11:13AM

  8. cheers for that

    From Norman, on Sun 31 May 11:13AM

  9. .

    From Skittles, on Sun 31 May 10:55AM

  10. dolegrass post 407 simply go to the top of this page­ type in the search box, my yahoo profile, then click on­ yahoo profile in the list that appears, you can then­ upload any image you want, its pretty straight forward,­ hope this helps

    From fluffy.bits, on Sun 31 May 10:50AM

  11. Select the More dropdown above
    Select Message­ Boards
    Select an category
    Keep selecting until you see­ a message and then hit the reply button
    The you will­ see how to change your image (avatar) and ID

    From Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (nee Ulyanov), on Sun 31 May 10:38AM

  12. 323 hannahcued
    Thats an excellent post hannah and bang­ on the truth about liverpool supporters, I might add­ another point, so often I read chelsea and man utd­ supporters congratulating each other when either side­ has won something, fans of other teams do the same,­ except liverpool fans all you ever read from them is­ insults and abuse, I think it must have something to do­ with their bitter jealousy. They are like a scratched­ record, a record that perhaps got scratched in the­ 80's and is still playing the words 'we will­ win the title' 'this will be our season'­ 'man utd are @#$%' chelsea are @#$%'
    As­ you have already pointed out its the same old s h i­ t
    Anyway well done Chelsea ;o)

    From Skittles, on Sun 31 May 10:35AM

  13. how do you put an avarta on? I can't find the­ options anywhere

    From Norman, on Sun 31 May 10:25AM

  14. Ooops nearly forgot.

    zrashid473 I think the lovely­ Mary is a bit out of your class muppet but then so is­ any women you t0sser. Keep to your five-fingered­ it's gonna be your best bet for your future sex­ life. lmfao

    From Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (nee Ulyanov), on Sun 31 May 10:09AM

  15. Mary Mary quite contrary how does your garden grow ?

    From Bike 69, mabaho ka !, on Sun 31 May 10:09AM

  16. Mary I have heard a lot of talk about your porno avatar­ but I missed it, can you put it back on please? Ta­ Love.

    btw the match was a good 'un yersterday,­ best cup final of seen since Corinthian Casuals beat a­ Lakeside XI. No doubt the best side won and Chelsea­ should have had another goal - it crossed the line­ muppets.

    As the lovely Mary said Everton's game is­ built on speed whereas Chelsea are more like a South­ American side. Great goals, well done all the players­ and club staff.

    From Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (nee Ulyanov), on Sun 31 May 10:07AM

  17. BETTHEREDS 200. ONLY BECAUSE YOU HAD THE REF ON YOUR­ SIDE ALL THE TIME.DREAM ON

    From Peter saint george, on Sun 31 May 9:54AM

  18. Mary go and do something useful like moaning your­ husband to death, or the dishes or some ironing­ scrubber

    From Norman, on Sun 31 May 9:45AM

  19. P.s. IF "Mary, I mutst admit i've only just­ logged on. So­ haven't seen your infamous­ "porn pic"­ LOL! But what i will ask is­ this... What are the points­ of your messages? So far­ all you've done is moan!­ You haven't commented­ on the footy as far as i can­ see? So what did you make­ of the game?" Is being rude then you need to get­ in the real world? Any swearing? NO? Insults? NO!? Just­ a simple remark and question, here's an insult for­ ya, go do the housework it is Sunday afterall you sill­ litle @#$%!

    From d.papas, on Sun 31 May 9:39AM

  20. Mary, Well if ya waited a while longer you'd of­ seen it! As for being the taliban, why, coz i asked you­ in the first comment i wrote today what i thought of­ the game? Get of you're high horse. You sent one­ comment on footy the rest on moaning! Guess that is a­ typical female ratio!!!

    From d.papas, on Sun 31 May 9:36AM
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