Comment by Simon Lowe

AND so the dream is over for another season.

Stoke huffed and puffed, created a few openings and got us all excited at times – but in the end were beaten by a quality team with home advantage who took their chances.

Two goals hit with power and venom accounted for our Wembley hopes.

That said, there was plenty for Potters fans to celebrate as they made a bright and blustery corner of West London home for one March afternoon.

City certainly gave as good as they got on the pitch, particularly in the opening 20 minutes.

Off it, the fans sang their hearts out, drowning out the pitiful efforts of the home support.

Flags, scarves, hats and plenty of verve saw to it that boisterous FA Cup fever was tangible in the away end, while the Blues support seemed to be distracted by thoughts of the Champions League and The Special One’s impending return.

The whole gamut of songs was run through as 3,000 Stokies put 40,000 nouveau riche Londoners to shame.

City’s first half chances fell to Whitehead, Sidibe and Tuncay, all of whom could not work the goalkeeper, although Mikel saved Chelsea’s blushes early on, clearing off the line. Chelsea scuffed a couple of efforts on goal but once the ball fell to Lampard on the edge of the area you just knew if he caught it right it could hit the back of the net. And so it proved.

What a shame our dominance could not be repeated on the pitch.

Although Dean Whitehead, Mama Sidibe and Tuncay all went close to a goal early on, Chelsea were generally in control.

Sadly, Tuncay chose yesterday to have a nightmare. Sometimes it just isn’t your day, and it certainly wasn’t his at the Bridge as his touch repeatedly let him down and he struggled to cope with a pitch that looked as if it had just hosted the Horse of the Year show had just taken place on it.

But there will be plenty more to come from him as his wonderful goal which clinched fifth-round victory proved.

Then Stoke came out of the trap like a prize greyhound in the second half, forcing Chelsea back and looking to make a real game of it.

Sad then that Terry’s header should beat Sorensen just when City had a head of steam up and could have put Abramovich’s squillionaires under heavy pressure.

But there are no excuses. And thankfully there was no controversy, no last minute anguish, no ridiculous refereeing decision to cost us the game.

So we can dream of Wembley and its arch no more in 2010.

But it has been a fantastic cup run, right from the snow-clad defeat of York, through the demolition of Arsenal and the triple header (OK, so one was in the league) against Manchester City.

My moment of the cup this season?
Ryan Shawcross rising to nod a Rory Delap howitzer over a flailing Shay Given to give us a 2-1 lead over 10 man Manchester City in the fifth-round replay at the Brit ... sweet revenge for the stupidity of a similar goal being ruled out the previous week in the league match.

It’s been so long since knockout success has come Stoke’s way that it’s been a very pleasant surprise.

No Hartlepool, Blyth Spartans or Telford to embarrass us this season. Losing to Chelsea bears no shame.

You can be sure that as long as this group of players and management are together there will be plenty more cup runs to come.

Let’s just hope it doesn’t take another 38 years to get this far.