Ivorian engine

Senior Sports Writer

Sunday 6 May 2012

DIDIER Drogba made history last night when he became the first man to score in four FA Cup finals.

Didier Drogba celebrates scoring what proves to be the winning goal in Chelsea's 2-1 FA Cup final victory Photograph: Kerim Okten/EPA

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Ronnie Cully

But a linesman almost stole his show.

The Ivorian struck what turned out to be the winner nine minutes into the second half, and shattered Liverpool's hopes of ending a troubled season with an unlikely cup double having previously secured the Carling Cup.

Andy Carroll – only sent on after Drogba's goal – did lift Kenny Dalglish's side, making it 2-1 with 27 minutes to go, and thought he had levelled with a close-range header after 81 minutes, but Petr Cech pushed it on to the bar, and assistant referee Andrew Garrett ruled the ball had not crossed the line.The controversy will be of little concern to Roberto Di Matteo and his side who are now setting their sights on two trophies, with the biggest prize of all, the Champions League, up for grabs in two weeks' time in Munich.It is a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for the club who were rudderless when Andre Villas-Boas was in command, and the results over the past three months have put severe pressure on Roman Abramovich to make Di Matteo's appointment permanent.For Dalglish's American employers, watching from the main stand at Wembley, there are more difficult questions to be asked after a season in which the Anfield side have plunged to eighth place in the Barclays Premier League.The decision to leave £35million man Carroll on the bench confirmed Dalglish's aim to stifle Chelsea and hit them on the break utilising the pace of Craig Bellamy and the predatory instincts of Luis Suarez.As if to trump him, Di Matteo could afford to leave £50m Fernando Torres on his star-studded bench, safe in the knowledge that 34-year-old Drogba is a frequent provider of big goals at Wembley.However, the Ivorian was a spectator when Chelsea took the lead after 11 minutes. Juan Mata provided the killer pass, picking out Ramires with a perfectly weighted ball outside Jose Enrique.He elected to shoot from 14 yards, but Pepe Reina anticipated an effort across his goal and was already going that way when the ball deflected back towards him. The Spaniard could only get a toe to it – a costly error in a season already pockmarked with them,Bellamy did his best to try to restore parity, but his volley after a Glen Johnson cross was poorly defended, then bravely blocked, by Branislav Ivanovic.How Reina would have welcomed such protection, and his discomfort was still evident when he almost allowed a speculative Ramires lob to evade his unconvincing grasp.The nerves permeated the rest of the team and, with Chelsea driving at the Liverpool defence from wide areas, it made it very hard for Dalglish's men to make significant inroads into Blues territory.Liverpool were crying out for another big effort from captain Steven Gerrard but, throughout a sticky first half for his team, he looked ponderous and was slowed even further when John Obi Mikel caught him late, earning the game's first booking seven minutes before the break. He was followed by Daniel Agger, this time Mikel on the receiving end of a late tackle.Gerrard did give the Merseyside fans some hope when tumbling in the box under a John Terry challenge early in the second half, but referee Phil Dowd immediately waved away the claims.The moans became groans when, within 60 seconds, Mikel and Frank Lampard combined to feed Drogba just inside the box. He drew Martin Skrtel, then slid his shot through the defender's legs and in at the far corner to double Chelsea's lead.With the game stretching away from them, Dalglish sent on Carroll for Jay Spearing, and the tide finally turned – the Geordie showing nimble footwork in the box to deceive Terry and shoot high into the net.Carroll believed he had got the ball over the line again late on, only to have his celebrations curtailed by the well-placed linesman. Liverpool declared squatters' rights in the Chelsea box in the closing quarter, but were left to rue another one that got away.

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