But the racehorse-owning Pompey chief was glad he took a punt on Nigerian striker Kanu, whose 54th-minute tap-in floored West Brom at Wembley and will bring the last Premier League team in the competition back for a shot at the old trophy next month.

Redknapp said: "If I had thought about the big race I would certainly have had a bet but I was so absorbed in the semi-final today that I didn't even read up on the runners in the paper."

Kanu, 31, notched only his sixth goal of the season in only his 14th start to put Pompey in their first final since 1939, but Redknapp confirmed: "He has earned an extra year on his contract by playing in 25 games and on the strength of that today I'd certainly give him that."

Redknapp admitted his side to get the better of Championship promotion-chasers Albion but said: "Once we had gone in front I felt fairly comfortable because I know it takes something special to beat (goalkeeper) David James.

"With Jermain Defoe cup-tied I haven't got a prolific scorer and it was a concern where the the goals were going to come from.

"Kanu certainly hasn't scored many lately but we changed things a bit at half-time, pushed him up and brought in Niko Kranjcar and Papa Diop from the flanks to play a bit narrower."

Kanu admitted: "It was a simple opportunity. It was easy to score. Of course I'm sorry for West Brom because they are my old team but I think we must win it now.

"If we don't we have let the fans down.

"West Brom set off better than us. They are the best footballing side in the Championship and gave us problems but we came through it and Sol Campbell, Sylvain Distin, Glen Johnson and Hermann (Hreidarsson) were solid as always at the back."

Albion players claimed Pompey's Milan Baros handled the ball during the build-up to Kanu's winner, but Redknapp said: "It has never entered my head about any handball. I'm not aware of it.

"But we had chances to get more goals through Baros and then David Nugent later on. They will both score goals eventually.

"But this is great, a good day. It makes me look forward to life tomorrow. I'm delighted for our fans who must think it is fantastic. And it's a lot of credit to my other team, Tony Adams and Joe Jordan on the bench.

"We haven't won the cup yet but it's great to be in a final. It's amazing when you think back two years to where we were as a club, even five years. Now we are sixth in the league and in a final."

Portsmouth will qualify for the UEFA Cup next season if they win the FA Cup or overtake Everton for fifth place in the Premier League but Redknapp insisted: "Europe? I don't give a monkey's about that at the moment. I just want to win the FA Cup."

Philosophical Albion boss Tony Mowbray said he had not seen a re-run of the alleged handball goal but admitted: "There's not much I can do about it now."

He added: "It is obviously an opportunity missed because I thought there was nothing in the game and we showed we can compete with a team sixth in the Premier.

"When Robert Koren's shot hit the bar I thought we could do it and if Ishmael Miller hadn't shot wide at the end we would still be out there (playing extra-time).

"I've always said we are more suited to the Premier but now let's go and earn the right to play against teams like Portsmouth week in and week out.

"We could be top of the division if we win our games in hand but if we have to come back to Wembley for play-offs then that's how it will be.

"One way or another we're still hopeful there's still a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."