Fulham (0) 0 Chelsea (1) 1
On a day when injury stalked two England centre-backs in the first FA Cup
semi-final, John Terry used the second last night to demonstrate the qualities
which might have found him being put on World Cup stand-by today but for a court
case this summer.
The Chelsea defender, sporting a headband in the best traditions of Terry Butcher
and Steve Foster to protect a wound sustained when he collided with a post against
Everton recently, even found time during a commanding display to score the goal
which finished off Fulham five minutes before half-time.
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Fulham midfielder Sylvain Legwinski ran at the Chelsea defence, and on
reaching the 18-yard area played a deft one-two with Steve Marlet.
Carlo Cudicini made a marvellous one-handed save from Legwinski's drive.
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Claudio Ranieri's team thus go through to face Arsenal in Cardiff the first
all-London final since Tottenham overcame Queen's Park Rangers in 1982 in
a pairing which also guaranteed Leeds a Uefa Cup place next season. Fulham, meanwhile,
were left to focus on Premiership survival.
Chelsea, who have won the trophy twice in the past five years, deserved their
success, even if the Battle of SW6 proved a phoney war at times. They created
the more clear-cut openings, with Fulham's second-half fightback producing little
tangible threat to Carlo Cudicini's goal.
Jean Tigana's side have not scored twice in a League match since November,
so Terry's opportunism, following a goalkeeping gaffe by Edwin van der Sar,
was always likely to be decisive.
Victory came at a price for Chelsea, however. Their left-back, Graeme Le Saux,
was carried off after only three minutes with a calf injury and may miss the
final on 4 May. His deputy, Albert Ferrer, performed soundly alongside Terry
and the majestic Marcel Desailly. Just as well, because Ranieri's expected match-winners,
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen, can seldom have been so ineffectual.
Incredibly for a derby with a final place at stake, albeit a west London affair
staged in Birmingham on a Sunday evening, the stadium was 6,000 below capacity.
Fulham had failed to sell all their tickets, leaving large swathes of empty
claret seats in the Doug Ellis Stand.
The Chelsea sections were bulging and buoyant. In the "Other Doug Ellis
Stand", as Ken Bates had impishly dubbed the imposing new structure, their
followers followed up a pre-match flurry of celery sticks hurled at the
opposing chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed with a barrage of noise.
They were temporarily silenced when Le Saux crumpled to the turf almost before
you could say "metatarsal". Le Saux, who had been stretching to clear
the ball, could muster no more than a thin grin in response to the Chelsea supporters'
sympathetic applause when he hobbled along the touchline on crutches 20 minutes
later.
Despite the setback, Chelsea looked the more confident and positive side during
the first-half sparring. But while they had the greater share of possession,
they struggled to bring Hasselbaink and Gudjohnsen into the action in the face
of relentless pressuring by Fulham.
The underdogs, in fact, had the best scoring opportunity before the goal. It
came shortly before the half-hour, just when Tigana must have been despairing
of one of his midfielders ever breaking in support of an isolated front two.
Sylvain Legwinski ran at the Chelsea defence, and on reaching the 18-yard area
played a deft one-two with Steve Marlet. Carlo Cudicini made a marvellous one-handed
save from Legwinski's drive.
| Match Stats |
Fulham |
Chelsea |
| Goal attempts |
8 |
10 |
| On Target |
5 |
4 |
| Hit woodwork |
0 |
1 |
| Fouls |
17 |
10 |
| Offsides |
2 |
1 |
| Corners |
5 |
8 |
| Yellows |
2 |
2 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source: www.sports.com |
Prior to that, Fulham had been thankful to see Van der Sar doing what he does
best. Perversely for one who stands 6ft 7in, his strength is shot-stopping. The
Dutchman showed great agility to arch backwards and claw out Terry's 12th-minute
volley. Then he kept the ball out with his feet after Mario Stanic swerved past
Andy Melville and John Collins in a thrilling slalom.
From the ensuing corner we saw what Van der Sar does worst. Fatally for Fulham,
that is catching flag-kicks. He was nowhere near the ball which his compatriot,
Hasselbaink, landed in the six-yard box. The ball broke off Mario Melchiot to
Terry, whose momentum had carried him to the dead-ball line. From a difficult
angle he played the ball back in low, whereupon it struck Louis Saha on the
line and shot into the net.
Facing a familiar scenario their only wins in the previous 11 fixtures
came in the Cup Fulham began the second period with an urgency and spirit
which suggested they believed the tie was far from over. The pace of Marlet
and Saha at last made Terry and Desailly turn and face their goal.
At one point, Collins embarked on a dribble into the Chelsea area which left
three defenders standing. There was to be no Ricky Villa-style romance, though,
the Scot being crowded out by blue shirts. Rolling the ball wide to Steed Malbranque,
Collins was irritated to see him cross wastefully over the bar.
Fulham could not sustain their impetus, their revival merely rousing Chelsea
from their languor. Jesper Gronkjaer, hitherto virtually invisible, at last
delivered a worthwhile cross from which Emmanuel Petit trundled wide in the
64th minute. Two minutes later, Gudjohnsen's chip from the right sailed over
Van der Sar and slapped against the far upright before being cleared.
As a familiar story unfolded for Fulham, one of pressure without penetration,
Chelsea should have added to their lead on the break. Gronkjaer twice set up Gudjohnsen
for what looked certain goals. Both were wretchedly spurned, but that did not
prevent Ranieri repeatedly using one word later when summing up the contributions
of Desailly and Terry: "Fantastic."
Fulham:
Van der Sar, Finnan, Melville, Goma, Brevett, Malbranque, Davis, Legwinski (Hayles
87), Collins (Boa Morte 65), Saha, Marlet.
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Knight, Ouaddou.
Booked: Finnan(70, F), Boa Morte(90, F).
Chelsea:
Cudicini, Melchiot, Terry, Desailly, Le Saux (Ferrer 4), Stanic (Zenden 76), Lampard,
Petit, Gronkjaer, Gudjohnsen, Hasselbaink (Jokanovic 85).
Subs Not Used: de Goey, Zola.
Booked: Ferrer, Gronkjaer.
Goals: Terry 42.
Att: 36,147 Ref: G Poll (Tring).