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West Ham in FA Cup final
23/04/2006 20:17 - (SA)
Birmingham - Marlon Harewood fired the winner 12 minutes from the end as West Ham beat Middlesbrough 1-0 at Villa Park on Sunday to reach the FA Cup final for the first time in 26 years.
In the May 13 final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, Alan Pardew's Hammers will face six-time FA Cup winner Liverpool who beat Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Three-time winners - in 1964, '75 and '87 - the Hammers have only lost once in the final, in 1923.
With Liverpool third in the Premier League and certain to play in next season's Champions League, West Ham will be in the Uefa Cup just by reaching the final.
For Boro manager Steve McClaren, who has also taken his team to their first Uefa Cup semi-final, Sunday's loss was a blow for a coach who is the favourite to replace Sven-Goran Eriksson in charge of England after the World Cup.
Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer went off with a broken cheekbone three minutes before halftime after a challenge in the air with West Ham striker Dean Ashton.
The injury rules him out of Thursday's Uefa Cup second leg against Steaua Bucharest and could endanger his chances of playing for Australia at the World Cup.
Ashton headed a left-wing cross against the top of the crossbar in the 55th minute before he set up the goal.
Ashton won the ball in the air and he headed it down for Harewood to control it and fire a left footer past substitute goalkeeper Bradley Jones.
Boro had a chance to reply five minutes later when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was hauled down just outside the West Ham area, but Franck Queudrue's left-footed free kick was punched clear by goalkeeper Shaka Hislop.
- AP
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