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Barnsley draw Cardiff City
10/03/2008 16:00 - (SA)
London - Giant-killing Barnsley's reward for FA Cup wins over Liverpool and Chelsea was a semi-final clash with fellow Championship outfit Cardiff City.
Portsmouth, whose win over Manchester United on Saturday left them as the only Premier League club in the last four, will face Championship high-flyers West Brom in the other semi with both matches to be played at Wembley on the first weekend in April.
Barnsley's young manager, Simon Davey, said he had been unconcerned about which of the other sides his side drew.
"You'd probably say we wanted to avoid the Premier League club (Portsmouth) but we beat two in the previous rounds," Davey said.
"Cardiff are a good side. We've played them at home this season and drew 1-1. They play good football and we know it is going to be a tough game. But we are 90 minutes away from an FA Cup final and we will be looking for it."
It is the first time in a century that only one top-flight side has made the last four of the world's oldest Cup competition.
Cardiff will be contesting their first semi-final since they lifted the Cup in 1927 but it is Barnsley's remarkable progress that has captured the imagination.
Having stunned Liverpool with a 2-1 win at Anfield in the 5th round, the Tykes provided an encore by beating Chelsea 1-0 on Saturday at their own Oakwell ground to complete an astonishing double for a club who are threatened by relegation to League One, the third tier of English football.
Portsmouth are the bookmakers' favourite to win the competition but Harry Redknapp's side will be given a stern test by Tony Mowbray's West Brom, regarded as the finest footballing side in the Championship.
- SAPA
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