By Caroline Cheese

1838: Despite that miss, Pedersen leads BBC Sport's Player Rater at full-time with 7.95. Andriy Shevchenko trails with 4.67. And that's quite generous, if you ask me. You still have plenty of time to change it though.

1835: FULL-TIME Blackburn 1-2 Chelsea
Michael Ballack's extra-time winner sends Chelsea into the FA Cup final where they will face Manchester United. Blackburn might well look back to Morten Gamst Pedersen's header shortly before the end of normal time as the moment this game slipped away.

1833: Into added time now and Chelsea are still trying to waste time as they go to take a throw-in.

1832: Bit nervous are we Chelsea? The defence is all at sea as Sergio Peter's cross comes in but John Terry scrambles clear. Keeper Brad Friedel is up for the corner but Chelsea counterpart Petr Cech collects.

1831: Just a couple of minutes left for Blackburn to salvage something from a heroic performance. The referee doesn't help matters by wrongly giving Chelsea a throw-in.

1829: Chelsea right-back Michael Essien almost breaks the bar with a thunderous 30-yard effort.

1828: Bit of time-wasting from Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard. Bet they never thought they'd have to sink that low this afternoon.

1826: Striker Matt Derbyshire comes on for David Bentley as Blackburn throw caution to the wind.

1824: There's a very relieved looking Andriy Shevchenko sitting on the bench. His comical miss at the start of the second half does not look like it will prove crucial.

1823: Mark Hughes is considering another change now - too little, too late methinks.

1820: GOAL Blackburn 1-2 Chelsea
Heartbreak for Blackburn. Shaun Wright-Phillips gets to the byeline and cuts the ball back for Salomon Kalou. His shot is blocked but Michael Ballack powers home the rebound.

1819: Blackburn make a very rare foray into the Chelsea half, as Brett Emerton ends a barnstorming run with a lame shot.

1817: So, 15 minutes to book a place in the first FA Cup final at the new Wembley. Who wants it?

1816: German midfielder Sergio Peter is on for David Dunn - who looks gutted to be leaving the pitch.

1815: And that's half-time in extra-time. Warnock is hobbling on for now but boss Mark Hughes must be considering changes.

1813: Stephen Warnock is struggling with an ankle injury after taking an accidental kick from Shaun Wright-Phillips. The former Liverpool man has been one of Blackburn's outstanding performers this afternoon.

"Blackburn look leggy across midfield. They need a fresh injection of pace and energy which will lift the other players."
BBC Five Live's Mark Lawrensen

1811: Frank Lampard floats over the corner but Brad Friedel easily saves from Didier Drogba's glancing header. Not much from Blackburn so far as we approach half-time in extra-time.

1808: Free-kick for Chelsea 30 yards out following Ryan Nelsen's foul on Frank Lampard. Didier Drogba lifts it high over the bar and then moans at the referee. Not his fault, Didier, not his fault.

1804: Stephen Warnock catches Joe Cole with a tackle from behind and the England midfielder limps off to be replaced by Shaun Wright-Phillips. Not sure if that was the planned change.

1802: Blackburn boss Mark Hughes is yet to make a substitution, but striker Matt Derbyshire is warming up on the touchline. Shaun Wright-Phillips looks like being Chelsea's third substitute of the day.

1758: Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is clearly enjoying the game. He's opted against beating the traffic with an early exit and is still sitting in the stands with assistant Carlos Queiroz.

1757: Chelsea get the first period of extra-time under way.

1756: Mark Hughes has a chat with his players and then turns to the Blackburn fans and urges them to get behind their team. He didn't need to. The Blackburn supporters are the only fans you can hear.

1753: FULL-TIME Blackburn 1-1 Chelsea
Extra time it is. Andriy Shevchenko should have won it for Chelsea at the start of the second half and Blackburn deepened his humiliation with Jason Roberts' equaliser.

1752: Brad Friedel makes a remarkable save from Michael Ballack's header only to have his glory taken away from him as the referee blows for a free-kick.

1749: Four minutes of injury time to be played. Joe Cole skips into the area, cuts inside Christophe Samba but has his shot blocked.

1747: Petr Cech keeps Chelsea in the Cup. John Terry inadvertantly flicks Morten Gamst Pedersen's long throw-in goalwards but Cech somehow palms it away. A minute of normal time to go.

1745: Morten Gamst Pedersen wins a free-kick for Blackburn right on the edge of the area. Pedersen picks himself up to take it but sticks it straight into the wall.

1743: This is a cracking semi-final now. Ryan Nelsen stretches to clear Ashley Cole's cross with Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack lurking.

1741: So, so close! David Bentley swings over the cross and an unmarked Morten Gamst Pedersen heads narrowly wide. He may live to regret that.

1739: Michael Ballack curls the resulting free-kick inches wide. Mikel Jon Obi is on for Claude Makelele in a like-for-like swap.

1737: Golden boy Morten Gamst Pedersen sees yellow for threatening to throw the ball at the referee after a decision goes against him. Michael Ballack and Benni McCarthy endulge in a bit of handbags in the aftermath. Frustration is setting in for Chelsea.

"The game is now starting to get stretched..."
BBC Five Live's Mark Lawrenson

1731: After his hand in Blackburn's equaliser, Morten Gamst Pedersen is storming BBC Sport's Player Rater. Incredibly, Andriy Shevchenko is not the lowest rated. That shame still goes to Christophe Samba.

1728: Attendance for today's match is 50,559 - that is around 20,000 short of capacity. Astonishing.

1726: Blackburn fans are belting out "Que sera sera... we're going to Wemberlee". Maybe, just maybe.

"Chelsea only have themselves to blame. They've been far too complacent at the start of this second half."
BBC Five Live's Alan Green

1722: GOAL Blackburn 1-1 Chelsea
Morten Gamst Pedersen fires a low free-kick around the wall and Jason Roberts sticks a foot out to divert it into the net.

1721: As Drogba runs on again like a new man, Jose Mourinho ends Andriy Shevchenko's miserable afternoon, replacing him with Salomon Kalou.

1719: Morten Gamst Pedersen hits the post with a header from David Bentley's cross as Drogba receives treatment off the pitch.

1717: Chelsea striker Didier Drogba lies injured in the penalty area. He appeared to land awkwardly as he challenged for a corner.

1712: Morten Gamst Pedersen's 35-yard free-kick bobbles into the penalty area and comes to David Bentley but the winger is caught unawares and Petr Cech easily tips the ball over the bar.

1708: Blackburn are on the attack and Chelsea keeper Petr Cech has to produce a smart save to keep out Jason Roberts' shot.

"We shouldn't laugh but..."
BBC Five Live's Mark Lawrenson

1705: Catastrophic miss from Andriy Shevchenko. The Ukrainian striker is all on his own in front of goal as the ball comes to him from Didier Drogba but he gets his feet in a tangle and the ball actually ends up going away from goal. He then hobbles away as if injured. Great stuff from the �30m man.

1704: Away we go again. No changes by either manager.

"Blackburn have got to take the bull by the horns here and maybe take some chances defensively."
BBC Five Live's Mark Lawrenson

1658: In the Premiership, Everton break Charlton hearts with a stunning last-minute winner by James McFadden. Darren Bent had made it 1-1 with two minutes left before McFadden flicked the ball over Luke Young and then volleyed into the corner.

1649: From nowhere, Norway's answer to David Beckham, Morten Gamst Pedersen, takes the lead in BBC Sport's Player Rater - which is turning out to be marginally more exciting than this game. Christophe Samba wears the first-half dunce's hat.

1647: HALF-TIME Blackburn 0-1 Chelsea
Frank Lampard's goal puts Chelsea in charge. Blackburn boss Mark Hughes starts his team-talk on the pitch, heading over to Stephen Warnock for a quiet word.

1644: Just as I say that, Blackburn suddenly come alive. Petr Cech saves brilliantly from David Dunn and from the corner, Christopher Samba heads over when he might have done a lot better. Mark Hughes turns away in frustration.

1642: With about five minutes to go in the first half, Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is leading BBC Sport's Player Rater with a pretty average 6.77. Says it all about this game.

"The sum total of Blackburn's attacking in this half has been two Morten Gamst Pedersen crosses."
BBC Five Live's Mark Lawrenson

1636: Blackburn resort to a bit of old-fashioned bullying, giving away three free-kicks in quick succession with robust challenges.

1633: Christopher Samba is a very angry man. With Benni McCarthy down injured, Chelsea refuse to put the ball out and play only stops when the Blackburn defender fouls Ashley Cole. Samba makes his feelings known to Cole.

1631: Frustration all round as Andriy Shevchenko ruins a promising looking Chelsea move by giving the ball away just outside the area. Blackburn not showing much sign of a recovery.

1626: Lampard's goal is the first Blackburn have conceded from open play in the FA Cup this season. Morten Gamst Pedersen attempts to level things up from long range - but his shot dribbles into Petr Cech's arms.

1623: Joe Cole fires over the bar as Chelsea threaten again. Rovers need to settle or this will be over by half-time.

1621: Blackburn boss Mark Hughes said before the game that his side had to score first to have any chance. Oh dear. Any way back for Rovers?

1619: About a nano-second before that goal went in, BBC Five Live's Alan Green and Mark Lawrenson were pondering whether Ballack and Lampard had touched the ball yet. Maybe the Chelsea pair heard.

1617: GOAL Blackburn 0-1 Chelsea
Didier Drogba chests down the ball and lays it off to Michael Ballack. The German's pass finds Frank Lampard who beats Ryan Nelsen's despairing challenge and finishes coolly.

1612: Ashley Cole plays a lovely one-two with Joe Cole but Rovers keeper Brad Friedel is equal to the left-back's shot.

1610: Andriy Shevchenko beats the offside trap but his cross for Didier Drogba is badly overhit and Blackburn survive.

1606: Brad Friedel comes racing out of his goal to meet Didier Drogba. The Blackburn keeper does well to avoid handling the ball outside the box.

1604: Chelsea start with Joe Cole on the right. This is his first start since recovering from foot surgery.

1601: Blackburn, playing in their changed strip of all-red, get the game under way.

1557: The players are out on the pitch, and there are smiles all round as they shake hands.

1556: Big news this. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is at Old Trafford.

1551: Both sets of fans are joining in with The Proclaimers' '500 miles'. Blackburn supporters would only have to walk 223.5 miles to get to the new Wembley Stadium. For Chelsea, it's a mere 10.6 miles. More of a stroll.

"Mark Hughes has picked a team to win this game - rather than stop Chelsea playing."
BBC Five Live analyst Mark Lawrenson

1542: BBC Five Live's Alan Green reckons it will be either Jose Mourinho or Roman Abramovich at Chelsea next season - not both. And he's not ruling out Abramovich taking his money elsewhere. Looks like the Chelsea soap opera should make up for the lack of a big football tournament this summer.

"We're ready for it. I expect my players to have a real go. This is our most realistic opportunity of getting into Europe again."
Blackburn manager Mark Hughes

1535: Tickets were on sale on the gate at Old Trafford today - almost unheard of for an FA Cup semi-final. There are still rows of empty seats, as there were at Villa Park for the first semi-final at Villa Park.

1522: And for Blackburn, Jason Roberts gets a rare start up front alongside Benni McCarthy. No place for Matt Derbyshire. Full team: Friedel, Emerton, Samba, Nelson, Warnock, Bentley, Dunn, Mokoena, Pedersen, Roberts, McCarthy. What do you reckon? Sparky trying to frighten the Chelsea defence with a bit of muscle in attack?

1519: Teams are in. For Chelsea, Joe Cole is back in the starting line-up while Claude Makelele returns to his defensive midfield role. Michael Essien continues at right-back. Full team: Cech, Essien, Terry, Caravalho, A Cole, Makelele, Ballack, Lampard, J Cole, Shevchenko, Drogba.

1510: No sign of the team sheets yet. But who would you pick?

1504: This afternoon sees the 100th meeting of Blackburn and Chelsea. Chelsea have won 39, including seven of the last eight.

1451: There's plenty of backing for Blackburn on the 606 messageboards. "Sparky's magic to pull us through," says fearlessroverabroad. Have your say, why don't you?

1444: Do Blackburn have a chance of upsetting Chelsea? Bookies make them about 5/1 to reach the final against Manchester United. Chelsea start 8/15 favourites.