A superb late strike by Marlon Harewood gave West Ham United a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough on Sunday and a place in next month's FA Cup final against Liverpool.

Harewood blasted home a 78th minute winner at Villa Park to steer West Ham into the final in Cardiff on May 13 against a Liverpool side who beat Chelsea 2-1 in Saturday's semi-final at Old Trafford.

Outplayed by an impressive Boro in the first half, West Ham showed real flair and aggression after the re-start and a club who were playing in the second division last season finished up deserving winners.

With Liverpool set for the Champions League qualifiers next season, West Ham will take the vacant slot in the UEFA [Images] Cup whether they win or lose at the Millennium Stadium.

For Middlesbrough, who have a UEFA Cup semi-final second leg looming next Thursday against Steaua Bucharest, having lost 1-0 last week, the defeat was compounded by losing keeper Mark Schwarzer to injury in the first half.

Schwarzer suffered a suspected broken cheekbone, that could raise World Cup doubts for the Australia keeper, after an aerial collision with West Ham striker Dean Ashton.

Middlesbrough, whose manager Steve McClaren has been heavily tipped to be the next England [Images] coach, made by far the better start and created more chances in a scrappy first half.

A header from their Dutch striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was charged down and a more powerful one by French midfielder Franck Queudrue fizzed over the bar from a corner.

SCHWARZER INJURED

Boro subsequently lost Schwarzer, replaced by substitute Bradley Jones, but kept up the pressure with Brazilian midfielder Fabio Rochemback firing over in stoppage time.

West Ham came out looking much more positive in the second half, but were nearly caught out by a counter-attack led by Hasselbaink but then wasted by Rochemback.

Ashton send a header against the crossbar and another into the arms of Jones before West Ham skipper Nigel Reo-Coker raked a low shot just wide of the far post from outside the area.

The breakthrough was not long in coming.

Ashton headed down a long ball upfield from defender Anton Ferdinand for Harewood to latch on and crash a ferocious left-foot shot into the roof of the net.

Queudrue very nearly equalised with a free kick which keeper Shaka Hislop punched away, Nigeria striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni mis-kicked another chance and Italian Massimo Maccarone skied a shot from inside the area as Boro's finishing deserted them.

Chris Riggott summed up their luck by missing a sitter in stoppage time, seconds before the final whistle ended Boro's run in the competition.

• Complete football coverage