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MIDDLESBROUGH, England - Cardiff manager Dave Jones insisted he wouldn't be breaking out the champagne after his troubled Championship club booked a place in the FA Cup semi-finals.
The Welsh team reached the last four for the first time since 1927 - when they became the only club from outside England to win the FA Cup - thanks to an impressive 2-0 victory at Middlesbrough on Sunday.
First half goals from Peter Whittingham and Roger Johnson were enough to see off their Premier League opponents.
But Cardiff's glory could be short-lived. They face a trip to the High Court this week, with the Bluebirds' existence under threat over a 24 million pounds debt, so Jones won't be getting carried away.
"Someone asked for champagne - for what? We have just got through to the next round," Jones said. "We have not done anything yet. All we have done is get through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup."
"We haven't won it, we have not got to the final and we have got to get prepared. Why would we be drinking champagne??"
Jones was adamant the club's off-the-pitch problems hadn't been a distraction, but he wants the issues resolved as soon as possible.
"All I can do is do what I am paid to do, which is the football side, and leave the people who know what they are doing to sort the court case out this week," he said.
"It hasn't had a bearing on us, except that we haven't been able to bring players in. That's the only bearing it has had."
"Yes, there are certain things we would have liked during the season, but we couldn't do it until everything was sorted out."
Middlesbrough were woeful and got exactly what they deserved for a shockingly lacklustre display. Whittingham opened the scoring in the ninth minute when he curled home a sublime finish after Stephen McPhail deflected the ball to him with his arm.
If Middlesbrough had cause for complaint about that goal they couldn't argue about Johnson's effort in the 23rd minute.
Whittingham turned provider this time as he lifted a free-kick to the far post, where Johnson got in front of Emanuel Pogatetz and scored with a fine diving header.
"It is a huge disappointment for us. We know what an opportunity it was to win something," Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate said.
"But that is the Cup and that is why I always say you are judged as a team by what you do in the league because the Cup can go any way for you."
"We have had games here that we should have been out of competitions and we have gone all the way to the final.
"We got what we deserved. It's what happens on the day and we didn't deliver."
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