Chelsea had to really dig deep to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Kingsmeadow, after going behind early in the first half, with a place in the FA Cup final next month the prize.

Two stoppage time goals, the first just before half-time and the second deep into injury time, secured that victory, but the boss was not surprised by tenacity shown by Chelsea's opponents.

'It was a dramatic game, with a lot of emotions,' Bompastor said after the match. 'In the first half, we conceded that goal and we knew something like that could happen because, we were thinking Liverpool were going to try to catch us in transition. They have the quality to do that.

'So they just got the goal in that phase of the game. I think when we consider that goal, we just stuck to our principles. We stayed strong.

'We tried to score, to come back in the game. We did that just before half-time, and I think mentally it was important to score that goal at that moment. I told my players, we need to stick with the game game plan. I think that was the right thing to do today. Keep the belief, go, and try until the end.

'I think it's important to just stay patient and to have belief in this type of game. It's a cup game, so those are always special games. I think it's a semi-final, so we were expecting to have a tough game.

'Liverpool were in a good dynamic, a good run. I think, yes, we were expecting that. And I think if you mentally are able to keep the focus until the end and in the important moments of the game, you are able to turn things around. I think that's really positive.

'I knew Liverpool were coming and fighting hard to win the game, to protect their goal. This is what they did and they did it well. I was expecting the game to be tight, and for us, I knew it would be difficult to score.'

Time and time again, this Chelsea side have fought back to take an important victory, as we continue to fight across three fronts - both domestically and in Europe - having already secured one title this season, the League Cup.

Bompastor took time to explain exactly how we managed to reach another final in her first season in charge of the club.

'We tried until the end,' she continued. 'I think we created a lot of opportunities. What sometimes as a manager, what is a little bit frustrating is you know some teams will just wait for you to open your block to transition on you. But that's the way it is.

'You need to be strong, to stay strong defensively and yet to just be clinical when you have the opportunity to score. We talked a lot before the game about having high standards going into these games, a ruthless mentality, a winning mentality. This is what I wanted to see from my players. I think for part of the game, we showed that.

'When you get to this moment of the season, you don't really get time with your team to work on your game model, your game plan. You expect from what you worked on in preseason, and the beginning of the season, the players understand what you are trying to achieve on the pitch, and they are still able to achieve it now.

'The most important thing is to make sure you win the game. I think in this part of the season, the most important and decisive time in the season, you need to win the games no matter the performance. But as a manager, being at Chelsea, my expectations are to be able to perform, and to get a good result.

'When it's the case, I'm really happy. Sometimes when you don't perform the way you want to, but you win the game, that's the most important.'

The Blues will face either Manchester City or Manchester United at Wembley on May 18 in the FA Cup final, with that semi-final taking place on Sunday.

Ahead of this match, the boss had been asked about the significance about playing at England's national stadium, but she explained why she had been reluctant to give a detailed response.

'I didn't want to talk a lot about it before the game, because it's a bit of a superstition as a manager, but I'm really happy, she smiled. 'I said before the game, this stadium means a lot in the football world. I think everyone knows this stadium.

'Yeah, it has a big history. I had the opportunity to play in the semi-finals and the third and fourth place for the Olympics in 2012 as a player.

'But now, I think for the entire club, it's a huge opportunity to play in that stadium, to play in a final, and be part of that final at Wembley. Sometimes it only happens once in your life. So you need to be really happy about that.

'I think you could see in everyone's face at Chelsea today, staff and players, a lot of smiles and a lot of happiness.'