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

Comment 341 - 360 of 400

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  1. OMG - whatever goes through the minds of some of you­ sad old men? A picture taken of me reading a magazine­ somehow makes me look like "a porn star"? You­ need help....

    From Mary, on Sun 31 May 8:13AM

  2. eh mary you would have to av it

    From zrashid473, on Sun 31 May 8:12AM

  3. OMG they're harping on about Chelsea being a dream­ team, behave everone, they have only won a mickey-mouse­ cup.....again, they FAILED in europe (again) FAILED in­ the league (again) why don't they accept (and all­ our biased media) that THEY ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH

    From BigMonkey, on Sun 31 May 8:08AM

  4. 368, Mary hav`nt you got any dishes to wash or ironing­ to do !

    From Bike 69, mabaho ka !, on Sun 31 May 8:08AM

  5. Mary, your current picture makes you look like a porn­ star!!!

    From OldRedDevil1962, on Sun 31 May 8:04AM

  6. 360, being a chelsea fan i would`nt expect you to­ understand, i`m saying how can the ref give a goal if­ he has not seen the ball cross the line, yes i agree,­ if the ref needs help then give it to them. You smelly­ turd !!

    From Bike 69, mabaho ka !, on Sun 31 May 8:03AM

  7. These boards are starting to get ridiculous. Grown men­ (supposedly) throwing schoolboy insults at each other­ and constantly using foul and abusive language. Racist­ abuse is also creeping in these days - shameful.

    When­ the ORIGINAL Donneysbeck started posting here, I for­ one found him quite amusing. But when others realised­ that he was a little "different", the­ bandwagon started rolling and folks started jumping on.­ The Stupid Squirrel being the perfect example. I'm­ not even sure if the latest "reincarnation",­ going under the name of Donney, is the original­ Donneysbeck. But if it is, I'm very disappointed­ indeed. If it IS the original Donneysbeck, instead of­ his usual off-the-wall amusing quips, we now have­ meaningless drivel, punctuated with foul language.­ Clearly, he is running out of steam because the­ spelling of the dialect has started to slip, and not as­ much care is being used.

    Come on guys - try to be­ original at least - you look so STUPID trying to copy­ everyone else. If you haven't got anything­ interesting to say, wouldn't you be better off­ blogging on Bebo or similar?

    From Mary, on Sun 31 May 7:58AM

  8. BENITES IS A CHANCER

    From handyandyisalways, on Sun 31 May 7:56AM

  9. Well done Chelsea and well done Gus Hiddink (a man whom­ I have the greatest respect for - unusual for a manager­ of Chelsea of the last few years!). You deserved to win­ the cup yesterday, unlike two years ago!
    So then . . .­ . MURKEYSIDE, A TROPHY FREE ZONE!!!! (not for the first­ time!).

    From OldRedDevil1962, on Sun 31 May 7:53AM

  10. GKANZI F OFF BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM

    From handyandyisalways, on Sun 31 May 7:53AM

  11. SHORT MEMORY 327 EYH YOU WERE OWNED AT STAMFORD BRIDGE­ ,EVEN WITH UEFA CHEATING FOR YOU

    From handyandyisalways, on Sun 31 May 7:51AM

  12. If only the MONEYMAN could still pressurize GUSS to­ keep watch on his team for another season, I am of the­ belief that Chelsea could have made it to the CL next­ season and also take the EPL TROPHY 2009/10. This is a­ true fact. I do not understand why Chelsea should be­ letting off good coaches when they are on their way to­ taking charge of good trophies that matters in Europe­ this day. What ever it is that has been causing this­ problem, I bind and cast In the Name of JESUS­ CHRIST!!!!!!!!!!!! Secondly, I am not in support of­ Chelsea loosing DIDIER now, as he is and remains the­ king of that club till date. He has saved so many­ souls, healed so many wounds, healed so many hearts and­ in conclusion, I can him (AGBARA OF CHELSEA). A good­ brother from Africa. May nothing happen to you and my­ other good brother (ESSIEN) the (STONE OF CHELSEA). NO­ INJURIES SHALL BEFALL YOU GUYS AGAIN!!! ATLEST, at lest­ this trophy has consoled we fans for this bad­ refereeing season that caused us the CL trophy. We­ could have beaten MANCHESTER UNITED 3-1. This is a true­ fact. Kudos to all you CHELSEA FANS, WE LOOK FORWARD TO­ HAVING A BETTER COACH NEXT SEASON, TILL THEN, LETS PRAY­ AND WATCH!!!!!!!!! (ONYEOMA AFRICA 00)!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

    From gkanzi, on Sun 31 May 7:46AM

  13. JAMES D VERY HARD TO WIN TROPHIES WHEN UEFA DONT WANT­ YOU TO ,W AN KER

    From handyandyisalways, on Sun 31 May 7:45AM

  14. LARD AT LEAST ONE SIDE OF LITTLEPOOL WAS CONTESTING­ SOMETHING ,FOR A CHANGE , @#$%

    From handyandyisalways, on Sun 31 May 7:42AM

  15. 356 are you saying that long range shots wont be given­ if they go in ??????? i think there is a little problem­ there ! malouda knew it went in so why didn't the­ officials and if they need help give it to them !­ stupid statement i feel .well done chelsea

    From handyandyisalways, on Sun 31 May 7:39AM

  16. Howard Webb - best ref in england. All yellow cards he­ gave were wrong. The only yellow card should have gone­ to essien, but he never gave it. I bet if ovrebo is­ plying his trade in the epl he would be heads above­ webb. Remember a certain graham poll who had the title­ before webb.

    From bosun_dele, on Sun 31 May 7:31AM

  17. Great to see bluenose scum lose yesterday, I couldnt­ choose yesterday it was gonna be bluenoses or rent­ boys, but once the bluenose singing started it made my­ mind up and i actually gave a cheer when the rentboy­ scored the winner

    From lard, on Sun 31 May 7:28AM

  18. chelsea is the best

    From tthotgabreil, on Sun 31 May 6:58AM

  19. No:354, eric you turd, how the hell was the ref and­ linesmen supposed to see if the ball had crossed the­ line from where they were stood, which as it happened­ was in the correct place according to the state of­ play, that was a long rang effort and almost impossible­ to follow by sight alone, the ref had a good game, wind­ your neck in and get off the ref bashing bandwagon.

    From Bike 69, mabaho ka !, on Sun 31 May 6:25AM

  20. At least drogba managed to stay on his feet,
    well,­ most of the time anyway !!!!!!

    From Bike 69, mabaho ka !, on Sun 31 May 6:15AM
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