Chelsea 1-2 Man Area - FA Cup semi-final CHELSEA'S stirring fightback fell just short as their amazing run of FA Cup achievement at Wembley finally found an end. They seemed dead and buried after going 2-0 down from the beginning of the second half, but somehow lifted themselves out of their lacklustre style to offer an almighty fear to Man City. Demba Ba's goal midway through the second half a ' the first City have conceded on their way to the final - changed the environment instantly and the Blues thought a reprise of these great quarter-final return at Old Trafford. In the end, though, they were left lamenting an unhealthy first half show as they experienced their first defeat in eight FA Cup games at the ground. The fact theyAcame up short will inevitably give rise toAthe uncomfortable thoughtAthat they nowAdo not have the one man they can always rely on to rise to the event a' the good Didier Drogba no longer about to strut his stuff on the point he liked. A tough opening was endured by the Blues to the game, which hinted at the trouble ahead. Area pinned them them back and almost took the lead when Gareth Barry drilled a in from the left and Petr Cech was pushed into a smart save low to his to reject Sergio Aguero following the Argentinian had automatically served on a Yaya Toure chance. They also went near when Aguero reached a long ball from Vincent Kompany, but the volley was blocked by Branislav Ivanovic. Chelsea slowly got a foothold in the match and from a Juan Mata free-kick, Eden Hazard sent a volley goalwards that Kompany had sufficient time to head off the line. Then came the operator on 35 minutes. Yaya Toure drove at the center of a retreating Blues defence from half way and Aguero, picking up the Ivorian's cross, handled the ball back for Nasri to place away at the next attempt a Cesar Azpilicueta having got in the way initially. Mata clipped an Oscar pass barely wide with a first-time work, nonetheless it had not been an excellent half and may have been a whole lot worse in injury time whenever a breakaway from City ended with Cech spooning a James Milner mix in to the air for the late-arriving Kompany to half-volley wide. With a tad bit more composure, the Town chief could have found the internet. But they did not have to wait too much longer to establish a two goal lead. The next half was just two minutes old when Barry trimmed a ball in from the best and Aguero got before Azpilicueta to send a header in off a post a' Cech left helpless. Chelsea had everybody thinking again with a sudden surge of power that managed to get look as if a change somewhere had been flicked, if that appeared to be game set and match. Minutes after Fernando Torres had seriously rather than John Obi Mikel to change the development, a long high baseball from David Luiz was missed by Komany and Ba spun sharply to send a past Costel Pantilimon. Energised by the moment, the Blues poured forward, and twice in one minute, only the fantastic treatment of Joe Hart's understudy saved the day for City. First, Pantilimon timed a low dive at the feet of Mata to efficiency to take the ball off the Spaniard, then he got behind a push from Ba (pictured) after Hazard had skipped to the byline and pulled the ball back across the six yard box. So near the goal, it looked as if the Senegal striker should report. Brian Luiz curled a free-kick only wide as the Blues continued to trust there clearly was anything in the game for them and on a later date, Torres might have got a fee after Kompany had tussled with him a' both participants desperately lunging for the ball. It was never to be this time around, and as a possible piece of carpet now only the Europa League remains. Line-up: Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, David Luiz, Bertrand; Ramires, Mikel (Torres 66 ); Oscar, Mata, Hazard, Ba. Subs perhaps not used: Turnbull, Lampard, Moses, Terry, Benayoun, Ake. Attendance: 85,621 Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest Chelsea media.
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