Manchester United (1) 3 Millwall (0) 0

Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese boy of war, mesmerised Millwall with the sort of sleight-of-hand football that was never much appreciated down at the old Den, let alone the new one. But after all his legerdemain had unnerved the clawless and often clueless Lions, it was the most straightforward of headers from Ronaldo that ensured the Cup would be delivered into Manchester United's grateful hands.

It was the sort of goal that Alan Shearer scores, not a player famed for endless stepovers and artistic footwork. Fitting all the same, an artisan goal befitting an artisan final, and even though this was a record fifth triumph for United's manager Sir Alex Ferguson, it offered further evidence of why this season has been one of the most disappointing of his reign.

	Double delight: Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy celebrate

United, at 10-1 on, were unbackable for punters without pockets as deep as the Aga Khan. But, for long periods, they stumbled through a final that only turned into the walkover everyone had predicted after Ruud van Nistelrooy dispatched a second-half penalty into the top corner following David Livermore's clumsy challenge on Ryan Giggs.

There was, as one would expect, a chasm in class between the two teams and, most noticeably, between the two most decorated players on the Millennium Stadium pitch, United captain Roy Keane and Millwall's player-manager, Dennis Wise. Keane, only the second man to play in six FA Cup finals, offered us a reprise of his days of majesty by dominating midfield, while Wise, in his fifth final, did his best, or rather worst, to turn a predictable coronation into a bar-room brawl.

If it had not been the FA Cup final, which tends to see referees at their most merciful, his crude tackles and attempts to wind up opponents might well have ended in a sending-off. As it was, referee Jeff Winter, hoping to keep his cards in his pocket in his last match before retirement, was forced to show a yellow to Wise, who drew boos from every United fan when he was substituted in the final minute.

Ferguson brought off Ronaldo late in the game to enable him to take a deserved salute from supporters. And, with only a few minutes remaining, United's manager showed his caring side by sending on substitute goalkeeper Roy Carroll, having agonised for days whether he or Tim Howard should get the jersey.

For the first time in their lives, Millwall might have carried the hopes of the majority of the nation, even if it would be stretching things to describe them as the choice of the romantics. But when the little guys do not perform, it makes for the type of tedious final we saw here, devoid of drama and uncertainty.

Still, the final needs underdogs to maintain that special air of wonderment from supporters who never expected to be here. And so it was that Millwall supporters, like Southampton fans last year, were in their seats hours before kick-off to eke the most out of an experience that is unlikely to be repeated.

United fans ambled in only minutes after the Royal Corps of Engineers band had finished performing the pre-match music, fans who have very much been there, done that, got the replica shirt.

United's players began with the same nonchalant air, stroking the ball around midfield, inspired by Keane, who instantly found immaculate line and length with his passing. The confidence oozing through United was evident from their youngest members, Ronaldo providing an impudent cross with his heel that almost produced an early goal for Paul Scholes and Darren Fletcher back-heeling a pass into Giggs's path.

There was a swagger, bordering on arrogance, in United's play, Keane giving a further demonstration when, with the air of a golfer on the practice range, he delivered a casual chip from almost 30 yards that required Andy Marshall's white glove to direct it over the bar. The white flag was not far behind.

Wise's one significant moment in the opening half-hour was a malevolent kick at Ronaldo to punish him for a sublime pirouette, a foul that led to a mass pushing match between players of both sides, but thankfully no riot.

Despite limiting himself to a narrow area in central midfield, Wise kept pointing his team forward and they finally plucked up the nerve to test United's defence after 36 minutes when Paul Ifill burst through. But, with two Millwall players taking up promising positions in the box, he thudded a shot against John O'Shea.

Five minutes from half-time, Darren Ward made a remarkable clearance from Ronaldo a yard from the line. But Ronaldo seemed destined to leave a memorable mark on this final and so it proved in the 43rd minute when he ghosted into the box to head in Gary Neville's right-wing cross.

Wise's dream of becoming the first player to win the FA Cup with three different teams died at that moment and after he used his return to the big stage to remind us of his most unsavoury qualities, few neutrals will shed a tear. He was lucky to escape being booked for a tangle with Scholes just before half-time and, early in the second, he finally persuaded Winter to flash a yellow card after a high challenge on Giggs.

After Van Nistelrooy's penalty, it was merely a question of damage limitation for Millwall, who did not force a single save from either of United's goalkeepers. Ten minutes from time, Giggs skipped inside Matt Lawrence and laid on a sitter that Van Nistelrooy duly tucked in. A routine finish to a sadly routine game.