First-half goals from Peter Whittingham and Roger Johnson handed the Championship (second division) side a deserved win at the Riverside and a place in the semi-finals alongside Barnsley and Portsmouth.

Barnsley stunned holders Chelsea with a 1-0 win at Oakwell while Portsmouth ousted Premier League champions and last season’s beaten finalists Manchester United with a 1-0 success at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Cardiff are the only non-English FA Cup winners after lifting the trophy in 1927 and manager Dave Jones said he hoped his modern-day side could achieve their own slice of history.

“Its important for us as a football club. I get it rammed down my throat... 1927 every time... so we’re trying to make our own history, and these boys deserve it and I’m sure the plane (home) will be rocking, not with the wind but with us on it tonight,” Jones said.

Cardiff rocked Middlesbrough by taking a ninth-minute lead — Whittingham producing some trickery inside the penalty box before unleashing a curling shot into the top right hand corner past a flailing Mark Schwarzer.

Whittingham then turned provider as the Welsh side doubled their lead on 22 minutes. His freekick from the left was missed by all of Boro’s static defenders who failed to pick up Johnson’s run and the defender scored with a diving header.

Since the Football League began in 1888-89 there has never been a final between two clubs from outside the top division. Yesterday, though, Barnsley and Portsmouth had proved the romance of the Cup lives on.

“I’m over the moon, I can’t believe it,” Barnsley manager Simon Davey said after the win.

Portsmouth’s 1-0 win at United was no less of a shock given that the south coast side had not won at Old Trafford for 51 years.

“We rode our luck but United are a fantastic team and we deserved our luck,” said Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp, who memorably led Bournemouth to victory over United in the 1984 competition.

Barnsley manager Simon Davey said it was a “dream” to be going to Wembley.

“I have never been there before and it is what dreams are made of. It has not sunk in.”

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp said going to Wembley “will probably mean 10 times more than it does to United fans”. “When you keep winning every year like they do — which is fantastic — you maybe become a bit blase about things,” he said.

“But for our fans going to a semi-final at Wembley will be the greatest day out in years.”

Arsenal held by Wigan

Premier League leaders Arsenal suffered a comedown from their midweek Champions League win over AC Milan as they were held to a 0-0 draw at strugglers Wigan Athletic on Sunday. Arsenal found Wigan too resilient and had to settle for a point which put them two clear of second-placed Manchester United, but having played one match more.