Chelsea manager Emma Hayes used a poem and roses to inspire her team to victory at Wembley

Emma Hayes after Saturday's victory at Wembley

EMMA HAYES grew her players pink roses and gave them a Rudyard Kipling poem before sending them out to win the Women's FA Cup final on Saturday.

 

Her reward for such preparation? Chelsea's first trophy and a place in history as the winners of the first ever women's final played at Wembley.

The 1-0 triumph was sealed by South Korean superstar Ji So-Yun in the 36th minute in front of a record 30,710 crowd.

A scrappy effort, at the second time of asking, from inside the six-yard box after Eni Aluko had driven down the wing and cut into the penalty area to slip Ji the ball.

It had been coming, though, with Aluko, and opposite side winger Gemma Davison causing Notts County problems down both flanks.

Chelsea were the dominant team once they got going after a nervy opening - typical of cup finals - with the three-pronged attack of Aluko, Davison and Ji, too good for Rick Passmoor's side.

Notts County had chances to equalise in the second half, with Leanne Crichton having an effort scrambled off the line, but Chelsea were the more likely scorers of a second goal.

 

"I bought all of the players a pink rose because it symbolises calm, and I gave them a poem today about how to become wise women, by Kipling," said Chelsea manager Hayes.

"I asked them to read it on the bus on the way to Wembley. I wanted, more than anything else, to put them in calm space and said to them if you achieve all of these things you become wise women, and what a great thing to look forward to in your life.

"And I grew these roses in my garden and I gave everyone of the players one today, so that was my gift to them, and their gift to me was that today, I'm so proud of them and all my staff."

The FA, who are keen to host the cup final at Wembley every year, were rewarded with an authentic feel: ticket touts, half and half scarves, and Mexican waves were all present.

"There was quality for people tuning in," said Hayes.

"You see the likes of a Ji So-Yun and her moments of quality or an explosive run from Eni Aluko or Gemma Davison, and instantly you're going to be attracted to that and on the downside there wasn't a lot of goals but I'm not in the business of entertainment, I'm in the business of winning."