MIDDLESBROUGH, England (AFP) - Cardiff City were the latest underdogs to cause an FA Cup quarter-final shock as the Championship club won 2-0 at Middlesbrough on Sunday.

Dave Jones's side joined Barnsley and Portsmouth as surprise semi-finalists thanks to first half goals from Peter Whittingham and Roger Johnson at the Riverside Stadium.

Chelsea and Manchester United perished in sensational fashion on Saturday. Now Gareth Southgate's Premier League stars joined them in the FA Cup hall of shame after a woefully complacent display.

Cardiff were making their first appearance in the last eight for 81 years but they played as if inspired by the previous day's giant-killings.

The Welsh team last lifted the FA Cup in 1927 - the only occasion the competition has been won by a club from outside England - and they will believe they can do it again after this result, which left Portsmouth as the only remaining representatives from the top-flight.

Jones said: "It's up there with the best moments of my career. I get 1927 rammed down my throat every time but we are trying to make our own history and these boys deserve it.

"The plane home will be rocking, not with the wind but us. The atmosphere in Cardiff will be electric.

"It's a great achievement for this club. Overall I don't think Gareth can have any complaints. I thought we played well and deserved the victory.

"We knew if we played to our potential and they had an off-day then we had a chance. I felt man for man, after the first 10 minutes, we played some good football and defended when we had to."

The Bluebirds made the perfect start as Whittingham struck in the ninth minute, although Middlesbrough complained bitterly that the goal should have been ruled out.

Stephen McPhail deflected the ball to Whittingham with his arm and the home defence stopped to appeal for handball.

Whittingham seized on their hesitation to control but he was still surrounded by five Middlesbrough defenders and should have been shut out.

Instead they stood and watched as the midfielder worked space to curl a sublime shot into the far corner.

Middlesbrough only scraped past Sheffield United in the previous round, so there were no excuses for underestimating another side from English football's second tier.

Yet that was just what they did. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, a former Middlesbrough striker, should have tested Mark Schwarzer from Tony Capaldi's cross but the hosts were unable to shake off their lethargic start.

Whittingham had scored the first and he turned provider in the 23rd minute with a perfectly-flighted free-kick to the far corner. Once again Middlesbrough's defending was abject as Emmanuel Pogatetz let Johnson run free and the Cardiff centre-back made him pay with a diving header past Mark Schwarzer.

With a humiliating defeat on the cards, Middlesbrough finally showed signs of life. Afonso Alves, the club's record signing, forced a full-length save from goalkeeper Peter Enckelman with a dipping long-range effort.

Cardiff weren't shaken though and Whittingham tested Schwarzer with a powerful strike.

Southgate sent on Eygpt striker Mido at half-time but the change only prompted Middlesbrough to punt aimless long balls into the heart of the Cardiff defence.

When Stewart Downing curled a free-kick wide on the hour, the home fans started to grumble and their discontent grew by the minute as Middlesbrough laboured in attack.

It was Cardiff who finished on top and Steven Thompson threatened with a far post header. But minnows had done more than enough to reach the Wembley semis.

Who said the magic of the FA Cup is dead?