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From The Sunday Times

May 18, 2008

Kanu's goal clinches FA Cup for Portsmouth

Joe Lovejoy at Wembley

They called it the fans’ final but in reality the FA Cup belongs to Harry Redknapp, who has spent 25 years in management waiting for a moment like this, and to Portsmouth, who have been waiting since 1939. The only goal was a scruffy one, gifted to Nwankwo Kanu, but their legions of fans cared not a jot for that as the famous “Pompey Chimes” rang round Wembley and all the way back to the south coast.

For Cardiff there were only tears at the end of a marvellous run and some tiny consolation in the fact that they played football that was a credit to the Championship. For most of the match, they were the equal of their more celebrated opponents and they can take heart from the infinite promise shown by two young stars of the future, Joe Ledley and Aaron Ramsey. If they can keep them, promotion beckons next season. Unfortunately, the likelihood is that their financial predicament will dictate that one or both is sold. They will be no lack of Premier League takers after this.

Sadly for the individual concerned, the outcome was determined by one mistake by Peter Enckelman, the Cardiff goalkeeper. The position has been a problem for the Welsh club all season and never more so than after 37 minutes here when Enckelman palmed a cross from John Utaka straight to Kanu, who scored from two yards. Cardiff contributed to their first final since 1927 in handsome measure and would have had an equaliser at the end of the first half but for the gimlet eye of the referee, Mike Dean, who spotted that Glenn Loovens, the Dutch centre-half, had handled the ball before beating David James with a shot reminiscent of Ledley’s against Middlesbrough in the sixth round.

Ramsey’s precocious second-half cameo, when he came on in place of Peter Whittingham, was one of the highlights, his intelligent movement and clever passing a delight, but the day belonged to Portsmouth and how they loved it. Typically, after embracing his assistant Tony Adams at the final whistle, Redknapp’s first thought was for his opposite number, Dave Jones, to whom he offered both commiserations and congratulations for a thoroughly creditable performance.

Neville Chamberlain was still in appeasement mode the last time either of these teams got to the final but, contrary to the snobs’ view, it was a breath of fresh air to have a break from the endless familiarity of the Big Four. For the neutral observer, the hope had to be that Cardiff would rise to the occasion more competitively than the last Championship side to get to the final. Dennis Wise’s Millwall were not only poor but woefully unambitious in losing 3-0 to Manchester United four years ago. To universal relief, Cardiff were much better. Their progress has bordered on the fairytale, the club having been perilously close to insolvency and administration in mid-season. Their expectations were so limited that there was no provision for getting to Wembley in the bonus system agreed by the players.

Portsmouth retained their tried-and-trusted 4-5-1 formation, with Kanu preferred to Milan Baros as the lone striker. If there was a surprise in their lineup, it was the selection of Pedro Mendes in place of the man mountain that is Papa Bouba Diop in midfield. Cardiff were at full strength, which meant no place – even on the bench – for Robbie Fowler, fit again after five months out with a hip injury. Their formation was marginally more adventurous, with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink playing just behind Paul Parry and supported by Ledley on the left flank.

Cardiff have a reputation for playing good, constructive football and lived up to it from the start. They were encouraged by their success in fashioning the first chance, when Ledley’s through-pass played in Parry, who was halted in the act of shooting by James’s well-timed advance from his line. Pompey should have scored midway through the first half when Kanu, supplied by Sulley Muntari’s cross, turned with characteristic dexterity to evade Loovens then took the ball past Enckelman, only to shoot against the goalkeeper’s right-hand post from barely three yards. Within five minutes, Cardiff had a decent chance of their own, when Roger Johnson, who scored a memorable headed goal in the sixth-round victory at Boro, nodded over from Tony Capaldi’s free kick.

The goal took the form of a self-inflicted wound. Utaka’s right-wing cross was a good one but Enckelman should have dealt with it without great difficulty. Instead, he spilled the ball at the feet of Kanu, who gratefully knocked it into the unguarded net with Johnson looking at his maladroit goalkeeper in despair. Cardiff hit back immediately but Parry’s cross from the left asked too much of the incoming Kevin McNaughton at the far post.

They had the ball in the net as the first half went into its second minute of stoppage time after a handling error by James, which will not have gone unnoticed by Fabio Capello who was in attendance. Fortunately for James, and Portsmouth, the referee had spotted Loovens’s handball before he shot past the England goalkeeper.

The force was with Portsmouth after their goal, and in attempting to remedy that situation Jones introduced Ramsey in place of Whittingham with two-thirds of the match played. Redknapp in turn sent on David Nugent, who made his fast-diminishing reputation against Championship opposition. Within a minute of getting on, the striker quirkily capped by England tested Enckelman’s dodgy hands with a rasping drive, repelled with something that looked suspiciously like alarm.

Conceding had sapped Cardiff’s belief but they pressed forward in increasingly urgent pursuit of equality and threatened to regain it with 15 minutes left when Loovens met Ramsey’s corner with a firm, downward header that bounced over James’s crossbar. Young Ramsey had some delightful moments and Roger Johnson had a shot blocked right at the death but the cup was Portsmouth’s and they knew it, so much so that Redknapp sent on Milan Baros in place of Kanu – a classic case of counting headless chickens.

I expected Portsmouth would win and it did.Ever since the Big
Four were kicked out of F.A.cup,I thought I would have not focus on the cup.But Portsmouth gave me the hope for it.I turned around to it after Harry Redknapp leading his players to the final game.They make it right now.

cristiano, Wuhan, China

May the farce be with you British!

Jon Kasagi, Sydney,

I am delighted for Portsmouth, but how dull! Backpassing and lacking pace towards the goal (isn't that the point?) have they forgotten that they are in the entertainment business?.
Is it about time we scrapped the offside rule and brought some more goals into the game instead of these 1-0 durges?

Steve Harradon, Southampton, UK

What a load of crap. I use to rate Harry as a manager,but to have just Kanu up front against Cardiff has to be a joke. Especially when the worst player they had was the Goalkeeper.
He played like a vampire:averse to crosses. The technique that was on display was appalling.

A Walton, Leicester, England

Katie Carr in Bahrein, Wales is not , nor ever has been a country .. it is a principality.

It's individual parading on the world sporting scene is because the British invented most modern sports and before they took off internationally we had to play amongst ourselves !

andy James, Lyon, France

this match was the most boring match and for a Cup final it should have been better how much did it cost for a seat?

Dennis, Worcester, Uk

Lets not detratct away from the football, Its a shame politics gets involved in football, lets just appreciate the efforts put in by the players.

Paul, Perth, Australia

I'm Welsh. I love Cardiff have doing what they HAVE done this season - its totally great. I cry when they sing the Welsh anthem at Wales Rugby internationals,BUT I hope that all Cardiff fans sang not only the Land of my Fathers today, but also the British anthem. I know us competing is complicated

Mark, Cardiff,

The FA Cup Final is not what it used to be; the top Premiership clubs have 'bigger fish to fry'. 50 years ago Stanley Matthews, Jackie Milburn and Nat Lofthouse used to make it the football event of the year but times have changed unfortunately and the game is ruled by money.

john, milton keynes,

Britain is NOT a free country - Britain isn't a country at all.

England, Scotland and Wales are all countries and part of Great Britain, and in case James Mc would like to know, they 're all part of the UK - which is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; FOUR free countries!

Katie Carr, Riffa, Bahrain

who cares whether cardiff fans boo the british anthem - they can't boo an English anthem as we never have one played.

it's more of a shame they can't sing like their rugby compatriots!

jim, burnley, england

I don't see why speculation is put on the Welsh booing the, English anthem. I'm sure some Pompey fans will boo the Welsh. But honestly, I think God Save The Queen should be played.

And people, stop being so narrow minded. Not all us Welsh hate England. It's just some people act like dipsticks.

Tom, Caernarfon, Wales

Oh my goodness! What are we going to do if Cardiff fans boo the national anthem? How will we ever be able to carry on after such an event? The country will crumble under the scorn of such a significant bunch of people!

Andrew , Godalming, UK

I'm a proud Welshman and Unionist. God Save the Queen should be respected (this is an English FA competition)... however, I still see this as an English anthem -this is the anthem played before all English games. When England have their own anthem, so the UK's anthem will really be for all the UK

P Rees, London/Port Talbot,

“All of us lucky enough to be going to Wembley should 'respect' their anthem. If we must show our feelings, simply turn our backs and greet it with silence, that's what I will do."

That's 'respect' in Wales, is it???

John Anyan, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Mr Dixon from London. Pompey fans travel up the A3. The M3 is for the unmentionables.

Micky, Carmarthen,

Er...surely the possibility of Portsmouth fans booing the Welsh National Anthem as that will be played before the English one?

terry james , cardiff, cardiff

It is acknowledged that the Cardiff fans spat on the Bobby Moore statue when they were a Wembley for the semi-final. What a shame we don't have the will to get rid of them and have an independent England.

steve, chester, england

I am Welsh and I dont think the Welsh anthem should be played. The only people to blame are the FA. This is only causing animosity. There will always be stresses between the Welsh and English, the national anthem along with the Prince of Wales, who is not Welsh is an extension of colonialism.

Gareth Jenkins, Pwllheli, UK

Perhaps if Cardiff fans hate Britain and its anthem so much they should refuse to enter next year's competition?

Thank you Cardiff fans for making up this neutral's mind with rgard to which team to support today.

Come on Pompey!

J. Wilkes, Gloucester,

god save the queen and england.

ian, london, england

Cardiff are probably taking more English players to the FA Cup Final than the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd over the last few years; and when was the last time two English managers contested the FA Cup Final.

John Davies, Preston, still part of UK

All this nonsense about 'Welsh' and 'English' national anthems! The last time I checked God Save the Queen was the national anthem of the United Kingdom! And, Cardiff is certainly a part of the UK. We don't see anyone booing at the amount of money allocated to Wales from Central Government!

Tony Halliday, Manchester, UK

The few Welsh clubs that play in the FA league were invited to play on it's formation over a hundred years ago. When being British was more important. However I do agree that the Welsh NA should not be played.
English border teams play in the Welsh FA competition.

Jeff P, Newport, Wales

May the best team win. What does it matter that one team comes from down the M4 and the other from down the M3? Both sets of supporters should have a geat day out, enjoy the atmosphere and applaud the winners. I've been to many finals at the old ground & can still remember winning & yes, losing.

R. P. Dixon., London,

I think the decision to play the welsh anthem is disgraceful. This is an English cup final and Cardiff are lucky to play in the English League. GSQ shouldn't be played, it should be Land of Hope and Glory which is the English anthem. Pompey fans will boo the Welsh anthem and its the FA's fault

Paul, Bucks, England

They should take a leaf out of Southend and Doncaster's book. The Southend fans were brilliant, singing and bouncing, though their team were 4-0 down at the time and the Donnie fans were equally good at the end, in the pitch invasion, a sizeable amount went up to the southend end and applauded them!

glyn, telford, shropshire

Would you have respect for your oppressor that tried to erase your culture ? The fruits of colonialism are coming home to roost. Some people are so myopic that they jump on the front carriages of a sort of memory-train whilst the preceding carriages are conveniently forgotten.

DYLAN RIVIS, MONTPELIER , VT, USA

Why cant we all be British and have respect for each other. But If the welsh are that upset with england and its anthem cut off all ties with wales and stop all subsidies made by central government let their workers find work in wales and not in england and so on Live in the real world stop whinging

DB, Bournemouth, UK

God Save the queen, is the British/Commonwealth anthem, not the English one. Scotland and Wales have their own anthem and England should too. God Save the Queen is not an inspiring anthem, like other countries have. Land of Hope and Glory, or Jerusalem, would be a lot more inspirational.

Tony, victoria bc, Canada

I'm sick and tired of hearing the word "respect". Like "passion" it's overused in the world of football by those don't know the true meaning of either.

Brett, Manchester, UK

Who really cares how a bunch of overgrown schoolboys behave watching more overgrown schoolboys kicking a ball around. Football is over rated and occupies far to much TV and newspaper columns.

PJ, Northampton, UK

why not boo it?

Free country innit?

Britain that is. I'm English btw.

James Mc, bournemouth, England

A Welsh team shouldn't even be competing in the English FA Cup Final. Farcical.

Tony Storm, London,

He says:
"I know the majority of us have a hatred of God Save the Queen and I am no exception,"
So why play in an Enlish league?
The scots don't
Bit of hypocrisy there.

Bob, abergavenny, UK