Blues set up dream date with United
Chelsea remain on course for the quadruple
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Sunday, 15, Apr 2007 08:02
A goal from Michael Ballack in extra time gave Chelsea a 2-1 win over Blackburn at Old Trafford to seal their place in the FA Cup final.
The German midfielder netted his eighth of the season in the 110th minute to set up a dream final with Manchester United next month.
Frank Lampard had given the Blues an early lead which was cancelled out by Jason Roberts' second-half strike.
There were about 26,000 empty seats at Old Trafford as both sides failed to sell out their tickets.
Chelsea made a bright start to the game and created the first chance with the returning Joe Cole finding Ashley Cole whose low shot was saved by goalkeeper Brad Friedel on 11 minutes.
Five minutes later, the Blues took the lead when Ballack teed up Lampard who coolly slotted the ball in for his 21st goal of the season.
The Blues continued to dominate with midfielder Cole firing over the bar on 22 minutes.
A below-par Rovers created little in the first half with Morten Gamst Pedersen's weak shot at goalkeeper Petr Cech their only clear-cut chance.
In an entertaining second-half, Jose Mourinho's side should have doubled their lead early on but Andriy Shevchenko got himself in a tangle and took the ball away from goal after being put through by Didier Drogba.
On 53 minutes, Rovers fired a warning when Pedersen rattled the post with a header from David Bentley's delicious cross.
Three minutes later, Mark Hughes' team equalised when Roberts stuck out a foot to divert Pedersen's free-kick into the net.
Chelsea's frustrations reached boiling point on 71 minutes when Michael Ballack and Benni McCarthy had to be separated.
Pedersen continued to impress for Rovers and came agonisingly close to netting a winner on 82 minutes after flicking his header inches wide.
And the Blues had Cech to thank in the dying minutes when the goalkeeper palmed the ball away after Roberts' free-kick struck skipper John Terry.
In stoppage time, Friedel produced an acrobatic save to deny Ballack in the final action of the 90 minutes.
Mourinho brought on Shaun Wright-Phillips for Joe Cole at the start of extra time in a bid to break the deadlock.
And on 110 minutes it was heartbreak for Rovers as Wright-Phillips' cross found Salomon Kalou whose shot was blocked but Ballack was on hand to knock in the rebound.
The first FA Cup final at the new Wembley will take place on Saturday May 19th.