Saturday May 30, 2009; FA Cup Final.

Chelsea 2 Everton 1

Chelsea: P.Cech, J.Bosingwa, Alex, J.Terry, A.Cole, M.Essien (M.Ballack 61), J.O.Mikel, F.Lampard, N.Anelka, D.Drogba, F.Malouda.

Everton: T.Howard, T.Hibbert (L.Jacobsen 45), J.Yobo, J.Lescott, L.Baines, L.Osman (D.Gosling 82), P.Neville, S.Pienaar, T.Cahill, M.Fellaini, L.Saha (J.Vaughan 77).

The 2009 FA Cup final began more dramatically, and surprisingly, than any in the long history of the competition as Everton swept into a glorious lead but this only ensured that the rest of a long, boiling hot afternoon was spent waiting for the inevitable Chelsea recovery and ultimate victory.

It is possible that Everton might actually have given a better, more positive, performance had they not found themselves with a goal to defend after just twenty five seconds. What is certain is that they did not have the bottle to try and push home their unexpected early advantage and, after Chelsea had settled down, this meant that only one outcome looked likely.

Everton pushed forward from the kick off, initially down the centre and then down the left, and when Chelsea twice wasted chances to clear Fellaini headed down inside the box for Luis Saha, reacting swiftly, to swivel and hit a fierce drive beyond Cech from fifteen yards. Only twenty five seconds had elapsed.

Chelsea were obviously rocked somewhat by this setback and continued to look uncertain at the back throughout the first half. Unfortunately Everton were either unable, or unwilling, to get men forward to really test this deficiency and were soon huddled in a scrum just outside their own penalty area challenging Chelsea to break them down.

This was just about the only challenge anyone from Everton was throwing down, however, and the lack of pressure on the man in possession suggested that an equaliser would not be too long in coming.

Chelsea were enjoying particular joy down their left hand side where Malouda was giving Tony Hibbert a torrid time and the Everton right back was not helped by an extremely harsh early yellow card, picked up when he was actually trying to get out of Malouda's way, or the woefully insipid performance of Leon Osman in front of him on the Everton right.

This latter fact meant that Ashley Cole was soon spending most of his time storming forward to support Malouda and there was danger every time Chelsea attacked down that side of the pitch.

On twenty one minutes the inevitable equaliser arrived and in predictable style. Chelsea were able to move the ball out to Malouda on the left with three, completely untroubled, passes and the winger had the freedom of Wembley to consider his options before sending in a centre which found Didier Drogba roaring in to convert.

Everton now seemed paralysed by the occasion and continued to sit on the edge of their own box without really putting in any tackles.

Lampard, Malouda and Cole all put in efforts that were either blocked or off target with virtually nothing in response at the other end and although half time arrived with the scores level it was surely obvious to everyone that unless Everton could significantly alter the run of play after the interval then they were going to end up defeated.

One other point of note from the first half was the horrible two footed challenge of Essien on Fellaini which could quite easily have brought a red card yet didn't even merit a yellow in the eyes of referee Howard Webb. Not a great decision.

Half Time: Chelsea 1 Everton 1

David Moyes's reaction to his sides' first half difficulties was a straight swap with Lars Jacobsen coming on for Hibbert at right back. It was obvious that his side would need to improve drastically in midfield as well if they were to make an improved showing, however, as Osman and Cahill had been completely anonymous while Phil Neville had never really got to grips with Frank Lampard either.

While Jacobsen was an improvement at right back Chelsea continued to completely dominate in midfield and the second half followed the same pattern as the first, without the early Everton goal.

Anelka saw his lobbed effort just clear the angle of post and bar with Howard stranded as Chelsea continued to probe but with Jacobsen dealing with Malouda much more effectively and the other three Everton defenders all looking strong another Chelsea goal was actually looking less likely despite their near monopoly on possession.

Then came Everton's big chance to regain the lead. The impressive Stephen Pienaar won his side a fcree kick down the left which Leighton Baines whipped into the middle only for Saha to put his firm header a yard over the bar.

Saha was basically unmarked but found himself impeded somewhat by his teammate Cahill who jumped in front of him for a ball he could never reach. This might have been crucial.

This scare might have roused CHelsea as they were soon pressing more menacingly. Malouda got away again for a driven centre which bounced wide of the near post off Drogba's body and then Lampard cut back inside Neville far too easily before sending a left footed shot high past Tim Howard's despairing dive from outside the box.

The goalkeeper might have been slightly unsighted but it looked as though he should have done better with the attempt. Overall, however, the goal had certainly been coming and it was difficult to see how Everton could respond now.

Indeed the game should have been done and dusted minutes later when Malouda slammed in a fine drive that bounced behind the line from the underside of the bar but nobody was in a position to give the goal so Everton were reprieved.

There was another escape when referee Webb decided to book Lampard for diving when he might easily have awarded him a penalty but Everton's feeble attempts at securing an equaliser meant that these decisions were unlikely to really matter and the substitution of James Vaughan for Saha seemed truly inexplicable.

Saha, obviously, might have picked up a niggle and was no doubt very tired but he had offered Everton their one threat and it was depressing to see him coming off and Everton staying with just the one recognised striker even though they were now trailing with only a few minutes left.

Sure enough the Chelsea goal remained untroubled through four minutes of injury time and once more it one was of the "big four" collecting the silverware at the end of the day.

Full Time: Chelsea 2 Everton 1