Everton boss David Moyes admits he steamed into his players at halftime of their FA Cup victory over Middlesbrough yesterday.

Boro were deservedly ahead at the break thanks to a David Wheater header, and Moyes and his coach Steve Round both laid into their side at the break.

They got their required response in a six-minute spell which saw Marouane Fellaini and substitute Louis Saha grab the goals which secured a 2-1 win and a semi-final place against Manchester United on the weekend of April 18/19.

That will be a repeat of the 1995 final, when Everton beat Manchester United 1-0 thanks to a Paul Rideout winner.

Everton had not reached the semi-finals of the competition since that year, and Moyes feared for a long spell that they would fail to make it to the last four this time.

He said: "It was (as case of) who could get into the dressing room first to have a real go at them. It was Steve Round, my coach, who got there first.

"The way we played in the first half is not the way Everton play. And they were told that in no uncertain terms by both of us.

"But we are delighted to have got this far. We were favourites but I was worried that there would be one game this weekend that didn't go the way everyone expected. For a long while I feared it would be us.

"There was a lot of re-organisation needed at the break, but they also needed to be really charged up.

"We have talked a good game beforehand, but we didn't do anything in that first half to deserve a semi-final place.

"I can be angry at half-time, but Steve got there first this time and did a good job on them.

"I felt they responded very well. For the first 15 minutes of the second half they were really up for it.

"It is not easy to come from behind to beat a Premier League side, and we needed to be at our best. Louis Saha gave us a real direction up front, we haven't got many others in the side who can give us that goal threat."