CRAIG Hignett will never forget how Middlesbrough reached their last FA Cup final nine years ago.

Tomorrow, at Villa Park, only West Ham United stand between Boro and only their second ever FA Cup final appearance.

In 1997, Hignett was part of Bryan Robson's side that reached two cup finals and was relegated from the Premiership.

At Old Trafford against Second Division Chesterfield, a second Wembley appearance of the season - having already reached the Coca-Cola Cup final - was surely the Teessiders'. Or was it?

What was to follow would go down in FA Cup folklore as Boro were given the fright of their lives by the Spireites.

"It was one of the most incredible games of football I have played in," admitted Hignett, who will retire from the game next month when he finishes the season with Limassol in Cyprus.

"Normally, as a player, you play in games like that and you don't think anything of it until afterwards. But, I remember thinking during that game 'Oh my God, I wish I was watching this'.

"It was a classic game which had everything and thankfully we eventually made it through."

It was only after a replay at Hillsborough that Boro eventually progressed to meet Chelsea in the final at Wembley.

But it was the original encounter Hignett still remembers to this day.

"We started the game really well and I got the feeling that we were going to cruise," said the 36-year-old.

"I thought it was only a matter of time before we scored and the floodgates would open, but then Vladimir Kinder got sent off early in the first half.

"That turned things around and they scored soon after half-time."

Not long after Andy Morris' 54th-minute opener, Sean Dyche added a second from the penalty spot on the hour mark. Chesterfield were on the verge of one of the most astonishing FA Cup upsets of all time.

Hignett recalled: "When they were awarded that penalty I remember turning to Curtis (Fleming) on the edge of the box and saying to him 'We're having a nightmare here'.

"They scored to make it 2-0 and I thought 'Jesus, we've got some work to do here'."

But, within minutes of Fabrizio Ravanelli pulling a goal back for the Teessiders, referee David Elleray failed to award Chesterfield a third goal when Jonathan Howard's effort hit the underside of the bar and bounced over the line.

"It should have been three-one when they had a goal disallowed, which was a goal," admitted Hignett.

"They hit the bar and it went over the line, but the referee didn't give it, luckily enough for us."

After Juninho was checked in the box by Spireites' captain Sean Dyche, Hignett tucked the resulting penalty away to make it 2-2.

That spot-kick effectively took the game into extra-time.

But, not even Gianluca Festa's strike in the 100th minute was enough to kill off Chesterfield, who had one last say in an amazing 120 minutes of football when Jamie Hewitt equalised with a minute remaining.

"I suppose that was just typical of the whole afternoon," said Hignett.

"I've had some ups and downs in my career but I never thought they could all come in one game."