PORTSMOUTH, EXETER GRAB GLORY

 

 

Well, the last time Portsmouth made the FA Cup Final was way back in 1939! Neville Chamberlain was still hoping for "peace in our time" and Pompey faced Wolves at the old Wembley. Bert Barlow, John Anderson and Cliff Parker scored the Pompey goals in a 4-1 win. None of that team are still alive! In 1927 Cardiff had their big day under the twin towers against Arsenal. A Scotsman called Hugh Ferguson hit the winner for a Welsh based team, in an English competition.

Returning to the 21st century, well both sides have become the main beneficiaries of what will go down in English football history as the wierdest FA Cup for a very long time. Portsmouth seeing off United in the quarters was one thing. Championship Cardiff making it through to the final wasn't that big a deal either, Milwall made it to the '04 final after all! Three Championship sides in the semis though? Either way that's how it's gone down. Portsmouth vs Cardiff(complete with 'Land of our Fathers' being played alongside 'God Save the Queen' in the FA Cup final at Wembley. Once in a lifetime!

Well credit to Cardiff it was them who had the better match early on, Pompey weren't able to get much play going and Cardiff were looking the far smoother side and made their Premiership opposition dodge more than a few bullets. However eventually Pompey were able to get some attacks in and despite their defensive formation made a breakthrough in the 37th minute when John Utaka crossed to Nwanko Kanu after a fumble from the Cardiff goalie! Cardiff came back before half time and actually put the ball in the net but it was ruled out for a foul.

Portsmouth made the better start to the second half but could make use of their chances and so Cardiff stayed in the game. Scratch that they gave as good as they got and if their bigger names had managed to turn back the clock then who knows what would have happened. As it was it was guys who I'd never heard of that were giving Pompey issues, particularly a 17 year old called Aaron Ramsey who came the closest to forcing extra time. Will these players ever make it to another FA Cup final? Who knows. It was Harry Redknapp who was cheering at the final whistle though.

Credit where credit's due, Cardiff gave Premiership opposition a better match in the FA Cup final than the Millwall side of '04! However they couldn't stop Harry Redknapp from claiming the first FA Cup win of his football career! Portsmouth get to compete in the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history(Man City having secured a UEFA Cup spot as well through the fair play league) and the place has every right to go nuts! This team will go down as the side that survived an insane tournament but they have enough good players to get some degree of succsess in saner environments next season.

Going down a few levels, it's been another very good season for Exeter City. What was the Conference National has been renamed the Blue Square Premier this season. City's form was certainly hit and miss at times but a late season surge saw them finish 4th, good enough for a playoff spot. They faced Torquay in the semis, lost the first leg at home but still turned the tie round in the 2nd away leg to win 5-3 on aggregate and have this city dreaming again.

So, what does this mean? Another trip to Wembley for City fans! Not for Matt G though, after last year's trip I decided it was someone else's turn. My uncle and cousin got to go instead, me I settled for a few VBs in front of the big screen at the Walkabout! City were up against Cambridge in the Blue Square Premier playoff final, the team that finished 2nd in the division and the hot favourite to win the playoffs before the semis but after the Torquay comback the bookies were suddenly undecided. Second time lucky?

Well Cambridge had some pretty good play early on but weren't able to do much with it. Exeter were happy to match them and gradually got the edge in the game before a Dean Moxey corner was headed in by Rob Edwards for City to take the lead! Me, I was getting deja vu and for the wrong reasons - City opened the scoring in last year's game as well! Cambridge weren't out of it but City looked to be the side with the class and they came into half time 1-0 up, things were looking up.

Cambridge looked to have reloaded in the second half though and were battering the City goal, limiting the Grecians to counter-attacks and making any fans wearing red nervous! The clock ticked, Cambridge brought on Magno Viera(what a Brazilian is doing in England's fifth tier I haven't a clue). As the clock ran down it looked as though City might just be celebrating. The U's had shots cleared off the line untill the end, everyone was holding their breath, missed shots were being cheered...and then the final whistle!

Exeter City will be playing in League Two next season, making their return to the Football League for the first time since '03! A brilliant result for a team that's used to playing in the top four tiers of English football and probably needs larger gates anyway! Aldershot will be joining them having deep-fried all opposition to win the Blue Square Premier itself. Those two replace Mansfield and Wrexham. City will also face Brentford, who finished 14th in L2 this time round, think I might turn down tickets for that match.

And next, the biggest match of the European football season!

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