Chelsea give Hiddink perfect gift

Chelsea gave departing coach Guus Hiddink the perfect farewell when they came from behind to beat Everton 2-1 in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium yesterday.

Striker Louis Saha put Everton ahead after just 25 seconds - the fastest goal ever scored in the FA Cup final. The previous fastest of 30 seconds was scored by Bob Chatt, of Aston Villa, in 1895.

Chelsea, playing under Hiddink for the last time before he returns to coaching Russia's national team, equalised after 20 minutes when Didier Drogba rose virtually unmarked to head past Tim Howard. Frank Lampard curled in the winner from outside the box in the 72nd minute of a match played in blistering heat.

"It was amazing," Lampard said on ITV.

"To be 1-0 down in one minute, we showed a lot of character. We basically dominated the game. The second half wasn't quite so good, but I always felt like we could win the game so I'm pleased to get the goal to help us win it."

Chelsea did indeed deserve the victory, which put England defender Ashley Cole in the record books as the first player since the 19th century to win five FA Cup winner's medals. He has won three with Arsenal and now two with Chelsea.

Everton made the perfect start when Steven Pienaar's cross from the left was weakly headed out by Jon Obi Mikel straight to Marouane Fellaini, who nodded it back for Saha to crash it past keeper Petr Cech.

The goal also took the Wembley FA Cup final scoring record away from Chelsea's Roberto Di Matteo who had scored the fastest Wembley FA Cup final goal after 41 seconds in 1997.

Chelsea, trailing for the fourth time in an FA Cup match this season, then began to dominate.

The equaliser came when the superb Florent Malouda crossed for Drogba to head home.

With Lampard, Michael Essien, Mikel and Malouda keeping possession almost at will in midfield, Chelsea should have taken the lead just before half-time.

Cole broke in space down the left but smashed his shot wide from only six metres out with only Howard to beat. Saha had a chance to put Everton ahead again but headed over the bar after 67 minutes and they paid for that miss when Lampard scored at the other end five minutes later.

Lampard switched the ball from his right foot to his left, slipped but still scored with a sweet, curling shot that Howard could only help into the net.

Chelsea went close to a third six minutes later when Florent Malouda's ferocious 30-metre shot hit the bar, bounced downwards and was cleared from the line.

Everton, without a number of injured players including Phil Jagielka, Mikel Arteta and Aiyegbeni Yakubu, simply ran out options as Chelsea went on to win the trophy for the fifth time.

FA Cup winners

(competition began in 1871)

11 - Man. United

10 - Arsenal

8 - Tottenham

7 - Aston Villa, Liverpool

6 - Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle

5 - Everton, The Wanderers, West Brom, Chelsea

4 - Bolton, Manchester City, Sheffield United, Wolves

3 - Sheff. Wednesday, West Ham 2 - Bury, N. Forest, Old Etonians, Preston, Sunderland, Portsmouth

1 - Barnsley, Blackburn Olympic, Blackpool, Bradford City,Burnley, Cardiff, Charlton, Clapham Rovers, Coventry, Derby, Huddersfield, Ipswich, Leeds, Notts County, Old Carthusians, Oxford University, Royal Engineers, Southampton, Wimbledon.