The sun shines on Cardiff

A Liverpool fan shows his colours

Someone was smiling on Michael Owen on Saturday.

And someone was smiling on the city of Cardiff as well.

In the first FA Cup final to be held in Wales - the first outside England - it was perhaps fitting that the lethal goal scoring talent of a man brought up in Hawarden, north Wales, should settle matters.

With few traffic problems before the game and a carnival atmosphere on the streets, the final will be treasured in Cardiff as well as Liverpool.

Arsenal had had much the better of a tense affair, opening the scoring through Swedish international Freddy Ljungberg.

Since Arsenal did the double Arsene Wenger has got all the tactics wrong

A disgruntled Arsenal fan

But then Owen struck twice in the final ten minutes to raise Liverpool spirits as high as the unusually warm south Wales temperatures.

From Arsenal fans, there was appreciation of the special Cardiff atmosphere, but distress at losing a match their side should have won.

"The only difference is that they took their two chances," muttered one Gunner leaving the ground.

Generous

There were harsher words from those who had spent the afternoon sampling the local brew at Cardiff's famous City Arms pub.

"Since Arsenal did the double Arsene Wenger has got all the tactics wrong - he's on his way out," shouted one.

"Thierry Henry owes us big time," screamed another. The Frenchman missed two gilt-edged chances.

Liverpool fans remained as generous as ever.

Arsenal fans arrive in Cardiff before the clash

Supporters drinking near the stadium agreed Arsenal should have had a first-half penalty after Stephane Henchoz' arm prevented Thierry Henry's shot from going in.

"We always had the edge over them," boasted one outside the central railway station.

"Look at us now," shouted a group of Liverpool-supporting South Africans.

"We left home three days ago and now we are smiling."

Then there was the pitch - subject of so much concern ahead of the final.

The FA called for it to be re-laid after extensive damage from heavy rain and the LDV Vans trophy final last month.

And despite a few inevitable slips from players on the turn, the surface remained a luxuriant green rather than muddy brown throughout.

Traffic chaos - on the way to the ground at least - was avoided.

Acid test

The police and fans had clearly learned some valuable lessons from the Worthington Cup final.

Most fans still travelled to south Wales by car, but they arrived sufficiently early to prevent snarl-ups.

And while progress on the M4 was slow into Cardiff, things moved smoothly enough for police to call off planned diversions.

On the head: Henry and Henchoz clash

The acid test will now be how quickly the thousands of fans can disperse from Cardiff.

Peter Lees at the Cardiff Police Control Centre stressed that fans should follow the routes out of the city already specified.

He remained confident the Worthington Cup final problems would not occur, but warned of possible delays at Newport's Brynglas tunnels - between junctions 26 and 25a on the M4.

The atmosphere began building as early as 0930 with thousands of fans from both sides queuing outside the pubs of St Mary Street and Westgate Street in central Cardiff.

But it was once those roads were shut off to traffic that the real party began.

A sea of pint-carrying red swarmed across the sun-baked tarmac as fans provided singing and drinking to rival any Welsh rugby international.

There may be no Wembley Way in Cardiff.

But with scores of pubs situated just a penalty kick away from the magnificent Millennium Stadium, the city looks to have won a place in the hearts of England's football fans.