Liverpool had given everything to match Chelsea for 90 minutes. A place at Wembley was up for grabs. They so very nearly snatched it in stoppage time as the woodwork saved the Blues from Taylor Hinds' dangerously dipping shot.

Extra time beckoned. That would've been the last thing Sonia Bompastor wanted in an already packed schedule. But yet again, Chelsea found a way, and this time in the most dramatic fashion.

From almost heading out, the side that never gives up grabbed the chance to play at Wembley themselves. Sandy Baltimore had given Liverpool problems from front to back all game, and she came up with one more brilliant cross. Time seemed to stand still as Aggie Beever-Jones headed in.

Then came the roar.

The crowd knew that Chelsea were going to Wembley once again.

Sonia Bompastor made six changes from the side that drew with West Ham before the international break. Bronze, Baltimore, Walsh, Kaptein, Rytting Kaneryd and Ramirez returned to the the side. Lawrence, Charles, Jean-Francois, Hamano, Nusken and Macario dropped to the bench.

The Blues slowly grew into the game in the opening ten minutes. Baltimore was dealing with the threat of Liverpool's Olivia Smith in typical capable fashion, and a superb ball down the line from Lucy Bronze allowed Wieke Kaptein to put in a dangerous cross which ultimately was hit well over the bar by Erin Cuthbert.

Liverpool goalkeeper Rachel Laws was called into action for the first time when a Baltimore corner was bent in right under her crossbar, yet the attacking move was halted by the referee with an opposition player needing treatment.

Liverpool strike the first blow

Yet it was Liverpool who took the lead against the run of play, when Marie Hobinger played a long ball forward in between Baltimore and Millie Bright. It was Smith who won the race to get to that pass, before bursting down the right down side and slotting home a clinical finish beyond Hannah Hampton.

Buoyed by their goal, the Reds continued to attack, and went close again when Grace Fisk volleyed a ball over the bar and Hobinger stung the gloves of Hampton with a powerful shot drilled towards goal.

Chelsea hit back

The next attack belonged to Chelsea. Mayra Ramirez battled hard to win a corner for the Blues, and captain Bright just couldn't quite get a clean connection on a header from another exceptional delivery from Baltimore.

As the first half ticked over into stoppage time, Ramirez won yet another corner and then was inches away from getting her head on the end of Baltimore's delivery.

The French international's trickery on the right-hand side got her to the byline and she lifted her cross towards goal. Hinds came up with the block, but Ramirez won the ball back, poking it with the outside of her boot towards Cuthbert, whose steered the ball home beautifully to give the Blues the equaliser.

Now with the bit between their teeth, the momentum had swung firmly in Chelsea's favour. The Blues could've even taken the lead before the half-time whistle blew. A slick passing move led to Cuthbert's swinging a deep cross towards the back post. Fisk just managed to do enough to stop Beever-Jones from heading in the second.

A tense second half

Chelsea emerged from the break with their tails up. Keira Walsh played a through ball into the box for Beever-Jones, and the striker looked set to score until a last-ditch block from Gemma Bonner stopped her in her tracks.

The Blues were pushing hard to get themselves in front. Bright took a shot from distance that hit Bonner square in the chest and Laws somehow pulled off a save from point-blank range as Beever-Jones unleashed a shot from a central position inside the box.

Rytting Kaneryd was causing a nuisance down the left and her curled effort went just over, with Liverpool just about surviving the onslaught. Then just as it looked like Beever-Jones had done the hardest part by performing a perfect turn in the box, she lifted her effort high over the crossbar.

Chelsea's frustration in front of goal was growing. Goalscorer Cuthbert almost bagged herself another, but her attempt from distance just didn't dip quickly enough as it sailed over the bar, and Beever-Jones couldn't get her head on the end of the latest dangerous cross from Baltimore.

A drama-filled final few minutes

In the last minute of normal time, skipper Bright saved Chelsea from heading out of the competition with a dramatic goal-line clearance from Amber Hinds' effort that was dipping dangerously. It looked to be a certain goal.

Chelsea had a surprise of their own. Baltimore, who had been a persistent danger throughout, crossed in from the left, and finally Beever-Jones had her goal as she powered a header past Laws.

The Blues had left it late, but we were in the final!

What it means...

Chelsea will face either Manchester City or Manchester United at Wembley in the FA Cup final at Wembley on May 18.

What comes next...

The Blues travel to Barcelona for our Champions League semi-final first leg next Sunday.

The teams

Chelsea: Hampton; Bronze, Bjorn, Bright (c), Baltimore; Walsh; Kaptein (Reiten 90+6'), Cuthbert; Rytting Kaneryd, Beever-Jones (Macario 90+6'); Ramirez (Nusken 66')
Chelsea substitutes: Spencer, Jean-Francois, Charles, Nusken, Reiten, Fishel, Macario, Hamano, Lawrence
Scorers: Cuthbert 45+2', Beever-Jones 90+6'
Booked: Baltimore

Liverpool: Laws, Fisk, Bonner, Evans, Hinds, Kerr, Nagano, Hobinger, Smith (Matthews 88'), Kiernan (Roman Haug 61'), Kapocs (Enderby 90+6')
Liverpool Substitutes: Micah, Kirby, Parry, Fahey, Matthews, Roman Haug, Enderby, Clark, Daniels
Scorers: Smith 21'
Booked: Fisk, Laws

Referee: Kirsty Dowle