Cardiff City's hopes of playing in next season's UEFA Cup were lifted yesterday when the FA said it would re-examine its case and UEFA said it would consider giving the Welsh club a wildcard entry.

Cardiff City's Joe Ledley (left) shoots to score the only goal against Barnsley during their English FA Cup semifinal at Wembley, London, on Saturday.

The Championship (second division) team beat Barnsley 1-0 at Wembley on Sunday to earn a May 17 final berth against Portsmouth, the first time it has reached the final since it became the only non-English side to win the FA Cup in 1927.

Under FA rules it would not be able to play in Europe if it wins as Welsh clubs can only qualify through their own competitions but an FA statement yesterday said that the issue remained open.

The FA is likely to consider the issue at a board meeting on April 24 and a UEFA spokesman said that European soccer's governing body would wait to hear the result of that meeting before taking any action.

The spokesman confirmed that UEFA president Michel Platini had asked the executive committee to look at the possibility of giving Cardiff a wildcard entry but said the next meeting will take place on May 19/20, two days after the final.

Cardiff regularly represented Wales in the defunct European Cup Winners' Cup via the Welsh Cup and coach Dave Jones said he wants a return.

"If we happen to win the FA Cup or Portsmouth get into Europe via sixth spot, the European place should go to the other club in the final," he said.

"Platini has come out and said if it does happen we deserve to be there. We should do.

"Politically, it is a minefield. If we win it then we should go into Europe. There are two or three million people in Cardiff and they will all be banging on the door. There will be all hell to pay if we don't get in and I will be first in the queue."

Earlier on Sunday, Wayne Rooney scored an equalizer and Manchester United hit back for a 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough which cut its standings lead over Chelsea to three points. The Red Devils are six points ahead of Arsenal.

In Sunday's other Premier League match, fifth place Everton edged relegated Derby 1-0 with a 56th-minute goal by Leon Osman.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily April 8, 2008)