Cardiff City 0-1 Portsmouth

Welcomed as a breath of fresh air, the first FA Cup final since 1991 not featuring any of the big 4 in England was not as dull as last years snoozefest but it was still a lack lustre affair, rarely punctuated by quality or goalmouth excitement. Kanu was at the centre of the events producing the best moment of the first half when he cleverly turned his marker in the box, rounded the keeper but hit the post with the goal gaping. Kanu soon made amends tapping in Utaka’s whipped cross after Cardiff keeper Enckelman fumbled the ball straight into his path.

Portsmouth’s conservative 4-5-1 formation was never tested in the second half as the Cardiff midfield were never allowed time to work the ball forward and if they did look to hit longer ball’s into the strikers Campbell and Distin were more than happy to clear the danger. The game effectively petered out after the substitution of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink who had been the welsh sides main threat, with 17 year old wonderkid Aaron Ramsey making an uneventful cameo appearance from the substitutes bench. Hopefully whoever is in the final next season will look to attack and play quality football rather than defend resolutely and tentatively snipe on the counter attack.