Chelsea interim manager Roberto Di Matteo passes FA Cup final audition as Liverpool leave rally too late Other ancient customs were eroded. Wembley was not full, seeing pockets of empty seats, 100 at most, but still strange. The jeering of the National Anthem by many Liverpool fans was another depressing moment. If you don't want to sing, fine, but stay quiet, don't ruin it for others, don't embarrass your great club. Enough carping. Saturday offered much to celebrate. Fabrice Muamba's presence was warmly noted by both sets of supporters, admiring the power of the human spirit and the qualities of the medical profession. The game itself was routine for an hour, the expected Chelsea control unfolding. Lampard ran midfield, eclipsing Steven Gerrard. Kenny Dalglish's 4-2-3-1 formation was designed to give Liverpool security in the centre against Chelsea's heavyweights like Lampard and John Obi Mikel, whose re-emergence pays eloquent testimony to Di Matteo's man-management skills. "I just tried to give him the confidence to express himself at the highest level,"" said Chelsea's interim head coach. Di Matteo's midfield dominated Dalglish's. Unfortunately for Liverpool, Jordan Henderson remains too diffident and Jay Spearing too raw. Amongst the countless hours of pre-match carousing, many Liverpool fans must have been tempted to raise a glass to an absent friend, to the injured Lucas. The intelligent Brazilian ball-winner was again badly missed. Spearing, a determined young character, will doubtless respond but this was a chastening experience. When he lost the ball in midfield after 11 minutes, Juan Mata pounced and released Ramires. Exploiting a sluggish response from José Enrique, Ramires motored into the box and beat Pepe Reina at the near post. Of the many issues confronting Dalglish, including getting Stewart Downing to deliver and making Henderson believe in himself, restoring Reina to his old imperious form - and fitness - is one of the most pressing. One of Dalglish's few consistently reliable performers this season, Martin Skrtel, was then made to look leaden-footed by Drogba early in the second half. Lampard, looking every inch a big-game player, was the catalyst, ushering Drogba through to score. Lampard is 33, Drogba a year older and both made a mockery of the Chelsea Pensioners" tag. "We have many examples in the last 10 years of players that have played up to 38, 40,"" said Di Matteo. Chelsea were as rampant as the lion on their badge. Liverpool were crestfallen. But then Andy Carroll rose from the bench, unleashed like a flint from a catapult. Carroll was almost unplayable, charging into Chelsea's defenders, lifting Liverpool's tempo and spirits. In creating room for his emphatic goal after 64 minutes, Carroll turned so brilliantly and suddenly that he left John Terry with twisted blood and Petr Cech grasping at thin air. This was what Liverpool supporters craved: Carroll and Luis Suárez in harness, Gerrard scheming behind them, sending red waves rolling towards Chelsea's defence. The final half-hour, as Liverpool fought to save their season, provided gripping entertainment. Operation Carroll so nearly worked. The sight of Liverpool hammering against Chelsea's backdoor inevitably stirred the thought of what would have happened if Dalglish had believed enough in Carroll to start. He thought he had scored a second but Cech's save to claw out his header via the bar ranks alongside the finest Cup final saves, including Sunderland's Jim Montgomery denying of Leeds United in 1973. Carroll was convinced the ball crossed the line, turning away in celebration rather than ending any doubt by turning the loose ball in as Branislav Ivanovic and Cech regained their bearings. The goal-line technology debate intensified, occupying phone-ins slightly pointlessly. It is coming, soon to be tested in the Hampshire Senior Cup final. The assistant referee Andrew Garratt and the referee Phil Dowd made the right call anyway, determining that not all the ball had crossed the line, an instant judgment confirmed by television replays. Liverpool still raged against the fading of their season's light, Carroll still threatening, their fans still willing them on but Terry embodied Chelsea's defiance with a magnificent late block to frustrate Carroll. Liverpool left empty-handed but with the knowledge that Carroll can be a force. Dalglish still needs to buy, and buy wisely. It is hard to see Liverpool's Fenway owners tolerating further squandering of their money, although Carroll begins to pay his way. As Dalglish departed, as Terry and Lampard climbed up to lift the Cup, Di Matteo beamed that smile of his, part-beatific, part-inscrutable. By re-energising Chelsea, Di Matteo has become the fans" and players" choice to be permanent manager. Roman Abramovich still needs to be convinced. The second part of Di Matteo's audition comes in Munich, in another final.