Heroic David James ensures for once Cup final losers WILL be remembered

When men are approaching a certain age, the one where they have to think twice about wearing jeans, then it takes an abundance of courage to wear bright pink in North West London on a Saturday afternoon.

But David James has never been found wanting in that quality. Not that he could have hidden if he wanted to, given the garish garb he wore in the Portsmouth goal.

If wearing that goalkeeping top was a challenge, then defying the might of Chelsea’s front line would test his mental and physical strength to the maximum. This, after all, was the team who had scored a staggering 103 goals in the Premier League alone and they have the potency and potential to score from any player at any time.

James was up for the fight. He maybe approaching his 40th birthday, but he has the reflexes and know-how to stay ranked among the best goalkeepers in the league. The days of Calamity James are long gone - as Chelsea will testify. He led the team out with shoulders back and with his head high. This may be a club in meltdown, one which remains unsure of how many of their FA Cup final team will still be at Fratton Park when the Championship fixtures are published. James included.

But if this was to be the last hurrah, then James clearly wanted it to be a memorable one. The talk before the final was of record scores, of the need for calculators, of a scoreline that would reflect the gulf in class between the team that finished top and the one that finished bottom. James didn’t like that.

It was evident that his work would be cut out as Chelsea peppered his goal with a series of shots and crosses that would test his nerve and the organisation of the men in front of him. James and his cohorts passed both tests.

In truth, he needed the help of the bar and both posts to frustrate the champions in search of a historic double but it was luck only the churlish would deny him.

His first call to action came in the 14th minute when he saved from Nicolas Anelka at the near post. He watched the ball bounce of the bar from Salomon Kalou’s incredible miss and John Terry’s looping header - and he even found time to smile at the Chelsea fans massed behind his goal as his good fortune held out.

The goal frame again came to his rescue after 38 minutes but he earned that slice of good fortune. Didier Drogba’s fearsome free-kick was, for all money, heading into the net before James shown immense athleticism to reach the ball and tip it on to the bar. It was clearly going to take a special effort and a moment of defensive frailty to beat him - and both combined in the 61st minute to give Chelsea victory.

Drogba shaped to take a free-kick 25 yards out. James was prepared - unlike the defensive wall in front of him. He needed them to stand firm to cover the left side of his goal while he guarded the right. Unfortunately, a gap appeared between Jamie O’Hara and Aruna Dindabe and Drogba needed no second invitation as he curled the ball into the corner.

James kept the morale of his team high and denied Drogba once again. He even psyched Frank Lampard into missing a penalty in the 87th minute. But this was not to be his day or Portsmouth’s.

They say losers are never remembered at Wembley. James will be remembered, though - if only for that shocking pink top.