Cardiff City have dumped Middlesbrough out of the FA Cup and now travel to Wembley for the first time since 1927.
Whittingham and Johnson cause another cup shock
Championship side Cardiff City have dumped Middlesbrough out of the FA Cup and now travel to Wembley for the first time since 1927.
The rainbow over the Riverside was the only ray of light for a below-par Boro as they fell to an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Bluebirds.
Former Aston Villa man Peter Whittingham stunned the Teessiders when his quick feet opened up a tight gap which allowed him to unleash a superb curling effort into the top corner after just nine minutes.
The goalscorer then turned provider when his free-kick was clinically met by Roger Johnson. His diving header sent the ball back across goal evading Mark Schwarzer's outstretched right arm for 2-0.
Dave Jones' men fully deserved their place at Wembley with impressive performances from 17-year-old Aaron Ramsey and former Boro boy Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink leading from the front.
Cardiff's triumph 81 years ago is the only occasion on which either club has won the trophy with Boro's best effort coming in 1997, when they were runners-up to Chelsea.
Carnage
But the carnage which had seen Premier League sides fall like nine-pins in this season's competition presented a genuine opportunity for both, and with home advantage, Boro must have fancied their chances before kick-off.
However, with the Riverside Stadium filled to capacity, their hopes were torn apart within a disastrous first 45 minutes.
Full-back Tony Capaldi's long throw had already caused the home defence problems when they failed to deal with another with nine minutes gone.
With Boro appealing in vain for handball, Whittingham shuffled his feet to get a glimpse at goal and then curled a superb shot past Schwarzer and in off the upright.
There was stunned silence from three sides of the stadium, although little could the red and white faithful have expected what was to follow.
Hasselbaink, who scored 33 goals in 89 appearances for Boro, should have collected his ninth for the Bluebirds this season, but headed Capaldi's cross wide.
However, the reprieve was only temporary and when Johnson dived to meet Whittingham's 22nd-minute free-kick at the far post, he gave Schwarzer no chance once again.
Boro rallied briefly with record signing Afonso Alves forcing a 27th-minute save from Peter Enckelman and then appealing in vain for a penalty after going to ground under Kevin McNaughton's last-ditch challenge.
Threatening
However, Cardiff continued to look the more threatening and Johnson might have doubled his tally had he got any more power or better direction into a 40th-minute header before Whittingham forced an injury-time save from Schwarzer.
Mido's introduction for Alves at the break gave the home side a different focal point, and they started to make an impression as the half wore on.
But Cardiff were not about to surrender their lead without a battle and remained solid in the face of a determined, if often blunt, assault.
They too continued to create chances, Fabio Rochemback having to block a Stephen McPhail drive and then snatch the midfielder's cross just before it made contact with Hasselbaink's forehead with 55 minutes gone.
Stewart Downing curled a 61st-minute free-kick just over Enckelman's bar, but Boro had an escape two minutes later when Hasselbaink only just failed to reach a driven cross with the goal at his mercy.
Substitute Steve Thompson might have wrapped things up in style with an 85th-minute header, but directed his effort straight at the keeper before Boro left the field to a chorus of boos from those who had stayed to the bitter end.
