Portsmouth beats Cardiff for FA Cup title
Kanu's first-half goal holds up for club's first championship since 1939
![]() | Portsmouth's David James, left, and Glen Johnson celebrate after beating Cardiff City 1-0 to win the FA Cup final Saturday. |
Alastair Grant / AP |
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WEMBLEY, England - Nwankwo Kanu scored a first-half goal Saturday for Portsmouth to beat Cardiff 1-0 and win the FA Cup final for the first time since 1939.
The Nigerian striker took advantage of a fumble by Cardiff goalkeeper Peter Enckelman in the 37th minute of the 127th FA Cup final to give manager Harry Redknapp his first major trophy in 25 years of coaching.
"Fantastic. For everybody, especially my family,'' said Redknapp, whose sister-in-law, Pat Lampard — mother of Chelsea's Frank Lampard — died of cancer last month. "The fans, the players. It's been a difficult year off the field so this is a dream come true. We're a very close family - it's for all my grandchildren and everybody. The players are all great, I love them all.''
Bidding to become the first lower-league team to win the famous trophy since West Ham beat Arsenal in 1980, League Championship club Cardiff threatened occasionally.
Cardiff's only FA Cup triumph was in 1927, and the Welsh club hasn't been in the top flight of English soccer since 1962. But Dave Jones' team gave the Premier League's eighth-place finisher an early scare when Paul Parry got past Sol Campbell, only for Pompey goalkeeper David James to race off his line and block his shot with his legs.
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