Portsmouth have won the FA Cup, beating Cardiff City 1-0 in the final at Wembley with a first-half goal from Kanu.

It was Portsmouth's first victory in the competition for 69 years, but it took a solid performance to overcome the spirited challenge of the Championship side.

The goal came after 37 minutes when midfielder John Utaka whipped in a low cross from the right and Cardiff's on-loan Finland goalkeeper Peter Enckelman could only push it straight into the path of Kanu, who bundled it back past him to make amends for an earlier miss when he hit a post.

Cardiff held their own in a lively first half but the Premier League side took command after the break as the Welsh team ran out of ideas and energy.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp described his side's victory over Cardiff as a "dream come true".

He said: "It's fantastic for everybody - my family, the players, it's great. It has been a difficult year off the field so to win the FA Cup is a dream come true.

"Cardiff were putting us under pressure, putting balls in the box, they played well and worked hard. When we get in front we're difficult to break down and the defence were terrific."

Goalkeeper David James added: "It was another hard game, a bit scrappy again but we deserved to win. The lads held tight, we've only conceded one goal in the whole competition and we've been good."

Defender Sol Campbell, part of the Pompey defence that withstood some late pressure from the Championship side, said: "It's fantastic, this is a brilliant day for everyone who's connected with Portsmouth.

"We worked hard, we had our luck through the rounds but in the end the result was good.

"Cardiff played good football, they had good chances but I think the quality came through in the end."

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