Portsmouth don't scare us, roars Cardiff hero Whittingham

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Joe Ledley's ninth-minute strike booked the Bluebirds' return trip to Wembley next month, where they will be massive underdogs against Harry Redknapp's Premier League side.

Confident: Whittingham says Cardiff can lift the cup

But Whittingham, who impressed at the heart of Cardiff's midfield, insists he saw nothing to fear in Pompey's 1-0 semi-final win over West Brom on Saturday.

"We watched the Portsmouth game and we thought West Brom were brilliant," said the 23-year-old, who is Cardiff's top scorer in their remarkable FA Cup run.

"They passed the ball around well and we have no worries about facing Portsmouth."

Cardiff lie 12th in the Championship and former England Under-21 international Whittingham believes the biggest game of his career will not prove a distraction.

"The Cup Final is not until the end of the season so we don't need to worry about that now," he said. "Getting to the final hasn't sunk in yet but it's a massive achievement. But it's all about our league form now. If we take our FA Cup form into the League, we are going to do well.

"The play-offs are still on the agenda. We have got a big game on Wednesday [at Ipswich] and if we win that we are back in the pack."

Cardiff deservedly edged past Barnsley in a tight match that was ultimately low on quality.

Dave Jones's side had superior invention and intelligence in the final third as Barnsley repeatedly played long-ball football.

The deciding moment came when the Tykes failed to clear a long throw from Tony Capaldi. Defender Robert Kozluk could only head the ball up in the air and Ledley brilliantly hooked a left-foot shot past goalkeeper Luke Steele from 16 yards.

"It was the best moment of my career," said Ledley. "I know how the fans were feeling yesterday. They would have been nervous but it is great for them. It's great for them to be able to come back."