Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool: Terry hopes FA Cup isn’t the last trophy he lifts this season

Terry and Lampard each held one handle of the cup as it was hoisted aloft after the Blues’ historic 2-1 victory over Liverpool on Saturday night, their fourth triumph in the last six finals.

The win also saw Terry become the first man to captain the same club to FA Cup glory four times. But if Chelsea beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final on May 19, the honour of being the first player to skipper them to the ultimate prize will go to Lampard, with Terry suspended for the Allianz Arena showpiece. UEFA have confirmed Terry would be allowed to lift the European Cup and asked if Saturday’s routine would be repeated a fortnight later, Terry said: “Let’s hope so. We did it when we did the double (in 2010). I said to Frank: ‘Moments like that go down in history’, and it’s important myself and Frank were there when we did the double.”

Terry hailed the result as the “perfect” boost ahead of Chelsea’s showdown with Bayern and the ideal response to the critics who wrote them off before caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo’s remarkable rescue act began two months ago. Terry said: “People wrote us off midway through the season as well, questioning the togetherness and questioning people’s form within the squad. Especially when the backs have been against the wall, it’s been really good.”

No club has dominated the FA Cup in the modern era like Chelsea, with only Blackburn and Wanderers’ records in the competition’s infancy bearing comparison. Terry said: “In the modern era, it’s virtually untouchable, really. The hunger in that dressing room as well to have that feeling, the memories and photos and videos from after the game, is what spurs us on year after year. People can question all they like but the hunger in this squad is incredible.”

That Terry was able to savour more FA Cup glory owed everything to another Wembley goal from Didier Drogba just after the break and one of the great FA Cup final saves from Petr Cech with the Blues leading 2-1 but hanging on against a Liverpool side who had come to life after the introduction of Andy Carroll in the second half. Terry said of Drogba’s record-breaking fourth cup final goal: “You look at big players like him and Lamps, when it’s on the big occasions, they always step up to the mark and he’s done it once again.”

He added of Cech’s wonder-save from Andy Carroll, which sparked another goal-line technology debate: “Pete’s made a great save – let’s not take it away from him – probably one of the best saves in an FA Cup final.”

Terry was adamant the whole of the ball did not cross the line but admitted the clamour for goalline technology had become deafening after a second controversial cup tie in succession.

“Obviously, there is going to be talk of goalline technology again,” Terry said. “I’m sure they’re looking into it and trying to bring it in as quickly as possible.”

While Chelsea were ultimately reliant on Cech’s heroics – and, of course, the right call from referee Phil Dowd in a high-pressure situation – the notion that Chelsea would find themselves hanging on by their fingertips had seemed inconceivable when Drogba fired them into a two-goal lead just after the break. They led courtesy of their first attack of the game after 11 minutes when Ramires capitalised on some poor Liverpool defending before running on to drill past the at-fault Pepe Reina. Chances were few and far between for the remainder of what was a grim first half, but when Drogba collected a superb pass from Lampard to place the second goal past Reina seven minutes into the second half, there seemed no way back for a hitherto ineffective Liverpool side.

However, the introduction of Carroll for Jay Spearing minutes after Chelsea’s second sparked the Anfield men into life and the ex-Newcastle man hauled his side back into it with a superb finish from inside the box after Jose Bosingwa had been caught out in 64 minutes. Liverpool laid siege to the Chelsea goal for the rest of the game, but the closest they came to an equaliser was the Carroll header with nine minutes left which the Reds felt had crossed the line before Cech somehow clawed it out.

Caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo celebrated ecstatically afterwards as the 41-year-old joined the select list of those to win the cup as both a player and manager. Now all the focus is on Munich a week on Saturday.