Football: Wembley date for Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday. . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Blackburn Rovers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

(Sheff Wed win 6-3 on aggregate)

DAVID HIRST'S arrival, 10 minutes into the second half, yesterday gave Sheffield Wednesday the explosive charge they needed to consolidate their first-leg lead and ensure they meet Arsenal in the Coca-Cola Cup final at Wembley on 18 April.

This was not, by a long way, the best semi-final seen at Hillsborough, and if the governing body of world football, Fifa, wanted to improve football dramatically they would forbid all two-legged ties.

Suspense was the missing ingredient on this perfect day for football - sunny with a cool breeze and a yielding surface. The Owls had a 4-2 lead from the first leg and no team in Britain can afford to give Trevor Francis's team a two- goal start - or so we thought.

After half an hour filled with dross, Henning Berg lofted the ball into Stuart Ripley who, shielding it, set up Patrik Andersson to shoot low past an unsighted Chris Woods and put Blackburn ahead.

The next Scandinavian intervention came two minutes later, in the 37th, and silenced what has become the Premier League's noisiest ground. Sweden's right-back, Roland Nilsson, seeking to square across goal, somehow sliced the ball so it curved wickedly past a horrified Woods, hit the base of the far post and rolled clear.

Both clubs were holding back a little because both have FA Cup replays this week. Thus Hirst did not appear until the 54th minute while Rovers kept Roy Wegerle on the bench for another 12.

No sooner had Wegerle arrived than Wednesday equalised. Chris Waddle, who occupied two markers all afternoon, swung a curling cross to the far post where Hirst climbed above the defence and headed into the goal. It was the end for Blackburn.

Mark Bright hit a post a minute after the goal and four minutes later the game was put beyond recall when Hirst's diagonal pass was timed exactly for Bright to run clear of the advancing defence. Bobby Mimms parried his first shot but Bright was able to run the rebound into an empty net.

Wednesday now have a golden opportunity to play at Wembley twice in a matter of weeks. If they win their replay against Derby on Wednesday they will play a semi- final at Elland Road against whoever wins the Sheffield United- Blackburn replay tomorrow night. But as Sheffield is asking, if it is a one city semi-final, as in London, then why not at Wembley?

Blackburn, meanwhile, are furious at the FA's ruling which forces them to play their two most important matches of the season in three days. They wanted to play the FA Cup tie on Thursday and it is difficult to see a footballing objection.

Trevor Francis, in his second season, has brought a Wembley appearance to Wednesday, a deserved reward for the consistently entertaining football from his team, although it is not difficult to imagine the damage Ian Wright might do to his defence.

Sheffield Wednesday: Woods; Nilsson, King (Hirst, 54), Palmer, Hyde, Anderson, Wilson, Waddle, Warhurst, Bright, Sheridan (Stewart 85).

Blackburn Rovers: Mimms; May, Berg, Sherwood, Hendry, Atkins, Ripley, Andersson (Brown, 64), Livingstone (Wegerle, 66), Newell, Wilcox.

Referee: K Redfern (Whitley Bay).