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Results Based News

Hiddink bows out on a high

Author: Rose Young
Date: 31/05/2009

Guus Hiddink ended his Chelsea reign in the best possible fashion as the sportsbooks favourites won the FA Cup Final following a 2-1 success over Everton.

The Dutch coach ended his short spell as manager at Wembley but left with a huge smile on his face after helping the club to a first piece of silverware in two seasons.

Frank Lampard drove home the winning goal 18 minutes from time after Didier Drogba had cancelled out Louis Saha's opener within the first 30 seconds of the game for the Toffees.

Saha's goal had been the quickest in FA Cup Final history.

In Scotland, Rangers completed the double as a superb finish by sub Nacho Novo 30 seconds into the second half decided the Scottish Cup final against Falkirk at Hampden Park.

The Bairns dominated much of the match without quite having the finishing touch their play deserved.

From Sasa Papac's throw-in Novo spun and volleyed his shot from 30 yards which went over keeper Dani Mallo before dipping under the bar.

Elsewhere, Captain Paul O'Connell was a concerned man after the British & Irish Lions opened their tour of South Africa with a lacklustre 37-25 win over a Royal XV in Rustenberg.

The Lions fell 18-3 behind in the first half, before waking up to record a victory thanks to tries from Tommy Bowe, Lee Byrne, Alun Wyn Jones and Ronan O'Gara.

O'Gara also kicked three penalties and converted all four tries for a personal tally of 22 points.

Afterwards, O'Connell admitted: "We made too many mistakes, we were turning the ball over too much and you can't do that.

"There's not too many positives to take from it."

In cricket's Twenty20 Cup there were wins for Warwickshire and Northamptonshire in the Mid/West/Wales Division.

Warwickshire overcame Glamorgan by six wickets at Sophia Gardens, while Northamptonshire won by the same margin against Worcestershire at New Road.

In rugby league's Super League, Wakefield crushed Celtic Crusaders by 50-6 at Brewery Field.

St Helens thrashed minnows Gateshead 66-6 in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup and Warrington got the better of Super League rivals Hull KR following a 25-24 last-eight win at Craven Park.

Novak Djokovic is out of the French Open after the fourth seed was beaten 6-4 6-4 6-4 by Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round.

Elsewhere, there were no such problems for world number two Roger Federer after he beat Paul-Henri Mathieu 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-4.

In the women's draw, fourth seed Elena Dementieva is also heading home following a 6-3 4-6 6-1 defeat by Samantha Stosur.

But second seed Serena Williams rallied to overcome Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 4-6 6-3 6-4.

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