result match between Chelsea and Portsmouth

Chelsea 1-0 Portsmouth: Didier Drogba free-kick wins FA Cup for Carlo Ancelotti’s men

Blues secure league and cup double with Wembley victory…

Chelsea 1-0 Portsmouth

Chelsea beat Portsmouth 1-0 at Wembley to win their third FA Cup in four years and secure the club’s first double in their history.

Frank Lampard, John Terry, Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou all struck the woodwork in the first half before Drogba’s second-half free-kick secured the win for the Blues after Kevin-Prince Boateng had seen his weak penalty saved by Petr Cech. Lampard then missed a spot-kick late on but Ancelotti’s men held on to run out winners at Wembley.

Chelsea were unchanged from their 8-0 thrashing of Wigan Athletic last weekend. John Terry started alongside Alex at centre-back after scans confirmed he had not fractured his right foot and Branislav Ivanovic, who was a doubt with a knee injury, passed a late fitness test to retain his place at right-back.

Meanwhile, Portsmouth manager Avram Grant made four changes to the starting line-up from their 1-0 loss to Everton with David James, Michael Brown and Aruna Dindane replacing Jamie Ashdown, Anthony Vanden Borre and John Utaka, while Jamie O’Hara recovered from a back problem to take the place of Marc Wilson.

There has been plenty of talk about the state of the Wembley pitch over the last few weeks and it was apparent from the kick-off that there had been no signs of improvement. In just the second minute Terry’s attempted pass to Ballack took a bobble and landed at head height to the German before Dindane inexplicably stumbled to the ground without an opposition player in sight moments later.

Lampard has been in sensational goalscoring form for Chelsea this season and he had a chance to add to his tally after just five minutes. The England international laid the ball off to Anelka and continued his run towards the edge of the area and after the Frenchman’s shot at goal was closed down by Mokoena, the ball fell back to the feet of Lampard, but his first-time strike flew just wide of the far post.

Chelsea had another opportunity to open the scoring when they were awarded a free-kick in a promising position. Diop hacked Anelka to the ground 25 yards out to present Lampard with a chance to score but his low right-footed strike was straight into the Portsmouth wall and the ball was promptly cleared.

The game’s early chances all went he way of Lampard and he was inches away from putting Chelsea ahead. He received a pass around 25 yards out from goal and after taking one touch to get the ball under control, his powerful right-footed strike just swerved away from the top right-hand corner and hit the outside of the post, with the outstretched James beaten.

Chelsea continued to dominate the match and had two chances to go in front. Ivanovic played a neat one-two with Lampard on the right side of the penalty area and squared the ball for Malouda, who nudged the ball to the unmarked Drogba to his left, but after seeing his low strike blocked by Mokoena, the South Africa captain was there again to put in a last-ditch challenge to thwart the Chelsea striker’s second stab at goal.

Portsmouth defended for their lives in the opening stages of the match but had an excellent chance to score themselves. Dindane broke down the right wing and picked out Boateng on the left side of the Chelsea area. The Ghana international then found Piquionne unmarked six yards out but the man on loan from Lyon could only divert the ball straight at Cech, who reacted quickly to parry the ball away.

Piquionne’s effort seemed to rejuvenate Portsmouth but it was still Chelsea who continued to create chances. Ashley Cole raced down the left wing to latch onto Malouda’s excellent pass and drilled the ball across the face of goal to Kalou, who managed to escape his marker Mullins to somehow hit the crossbar from inside the six-yard box when it looked easier to score.

Chelsea had already hit the woodwork through Lampard earlier in the match and it was Terry’s turn next as he struck the crossbar. Malouda curled an inswinging free-kick into the area and the Blues skipper leapt above Rocha and Boateng to loop a header towards the top left-hand corner but his effort had just too much on it and cannoned back off the bar.

Portsmouth had their best chances on the counter attack and Dindane should have done better from close range. Mullins’ long pass over the Chelsea defence played in Piquionne on the left wing and he cut inside before laying the ball off to the onrushing Dindane to strike at goal but he fluffed his lines and scuffed the ball straight into the ground.

Inexplicable | Kalou missed open goal

Malouda had a long-distance strike which was over the line but not given in the final against Everton last season and there was another moment of controversy for the Blues this year. Drogba’s excellent 30-yard free-kick was palmed onto his own crossbar by James and bounced onto the goal line but referee Chris Foy correctly opted not to award a goal.

Drogba hit the bar with his free-kick and added Chelsea attempts shots against the woodwork to four as the first half drew to a close. Finnan and Mokoena failed to head Ivanovic’s looping cross away and Drogba was presented with another chance but his toe-poke from close range, which squirmed underneath James, bounced off the post and out for a goal-kick.

Ballack was forced off by an injury to his right ankle in what could have been his final appearance and was replaced by Belletti as Chelsea went close again. Ivanovic stormed forward from right-back and played a wonderful one-two with Kalou before playing the ball back to the Ivorian 12 yards out but he could only direct his side-volley wide of James’ goal.

Despite Chelsea’s dominance in the first half, the second half began fairly equal and Portsmouth went close to taking a shock lead. Boateng peeled away from Drogba at the far post to collect the ball completely unmarked from O’Hara’s inswinging free-kick and he took a touch to control the ball before firing left-footed on the half-volley over the bar.

Portsmouth then came into the game a bit more and earned a penalty on 54 minutes. Dindane combined with Finnan down the right wing and worked his way into the area to go down under the challenge of Belletti to earn a penalty. Boateng scored a penalty in the semi-final but had his spot-kick saved this time as his weak strike through the centre of the goal was kicked away by the outstretched leg of Cech.

Drogba showed his frustration at his side hitting the woodwork by pushing the post and crossbar after he saw his first-half strike hit the post but this time it worked in their favour. Chelsea were awarded a free-kick around 25 yards out and the Ivorian side-footed the ball over the wall and into the bottom right-hand corner after taking a deflection off the post to score his 37th goal of the season.

Chelsea looked the stronger side after going in front and Kalou came close to redeeming himself for his horrific first-half miss. The Blues forward played a clever one-two on the right side on the Portsmouth penalty area and struck the ball first-time after receiving the return pass, but saw his right-footed effort roll a couple of yards wide of James’ right-hand post.

Kalou was replaced just minutes later and on came Joe Cole in his place and he almost had an instant impact. Drogba cut inside from the left side of the Portsmouth penalty area to shoot at goal but after James’ palmed the ball back to the Ivorian, he laid the ball off to Cole, but his snapshot was blocked by Finnan.

Avram Grant then responded with a change, bringing on Utaka for Boateng, but he couldn’t stop Anelka nearly doubling Chelsea’s lead. The Frenchman worked his way into the centre of the pitch from the left and skipped past Mokoena to unleash a fierce right-footed strike towards the top right-hand corner, but there was just too much power on it as the ball swerved wide of the goal.

Anelka caused problems for Portsmouth back four and he provided Lampard with another shooting opportunity on 78 minutes. The France international teased Finnan on the left wing before cutting the ball back into the penalty area for Lampard to arrive late and attempt to score one of his trademark goals but his first-time left-footed effort sailed over the bar.

Diop and Mullins were sacrificed for FA Cup winning goalscorer Kanu and Belhadj with eight minutes remaining and the latter almost grabbed an assist. The left-back met a cross-field ball and drilled the ball across the face of goal towards the onrushing Dindane and after Alex missed his sliding clearance, it looked as though the Ivorian would equalise, but Terry nudged the ball away from the Pompey strike to prevent him having a strike at goal.

Utaka had a good chance to score for Pompey but couldn’t get on the end of Belhadj’s cross and Chelsea went straight down the other end to earn a penalty. Lampard surged into the penalty area and earned a penalty after being brought down by Brown. The England international then stepped up and fired wide of James’ right-hand post, but the Blues held on until the final whistle to win the first league and cup double in the club’s history.