If Everton are to win the FA Cup this season, they will have to do it the hard way. Having already overcome Aston Villa and Liverpool in this season’s competition, the Merseyside club’s reward for beating Middlesbrough at Goodison Park in their quarter-final yesterday was a pairing with Manchester United at Wembley in the last four.

Chelsea will face either Arsenal or Hull City in the other semi-final after Arsène Wenger’s team progressed to the last eight yesterday with an impressive 3-0 win at home to Burnley in their delayed fifth-round tie. Hull will travel to the Emirates Stadium a week tomorrow for their delayed sixth-round tie, while the two semi-finals will be played on the weekend of April 18 and 19.

Inspired by a half-time rollicking from David Moyes, the manager, and Steve Round, his assistant, Everton came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 and reach the last four for the first time since 1995, when they beat United 1-0 in the final. Moyes would have hoped to avoid Sir Alex Ferguson’s team, who are on course for an unprecedented quadruple, but he may be comforted by the knowledge that on the five previous occasions Everton have won the FA Cup - in 1906, 1933, 1966, 1984 and 1995 - the West Indies cricket team have toured England. West Indies are due to play two Test matches in May.

Everton were abysmal in the first half and deservedly trailed to David Wheater’s 44th-minute goal, but a few choice words from Moyes and Round in the dressing-room clearly did the trick, Marouane Fellaini and Louis Saha scoring from headers during a six-minute burst after the interval to put the home team in front.

Despite a late Middlesbrough rally, Moyes’s team held on to leave the visiting team having to concentrate on their battle against relegation.

“It was a case of who could get to the dressing-room first [at half-time] to get at them and it was Steve Round,” Moyes said.

“They needed reorganising and a swift charger. I was certainly not as calm as I appear now. I’m angry quite often but Steve got in there before me and did a great job on them. The way they played in the first half was not the way Everton play.

“I had a feeling that one game this weekend might not go to form and for the first 45 minutes I was worried it was going to be us, but they responded well in the second half. I’m delighted to be taking Everton to the semi-finals but what matters is getting Everton to win a final.”

Moyes paid tribute to Saha, whose introduction at half-time for Jack Rodwell swung the game in Everton’s favour, although it did not escape the manager’s attention that he has had eight different scorers in the competition this season, a good job given the injury problems that they have had up front. “Louis came on and gave us more direction up there, but it’s great that everyone is getting the goals because I don’t have anyone who is going to finish in the list of top goal-scorers this season,” Moyes said.

Phil Neville, the Everton captain, believes that the club can go all the way and win the competition, despite being drawn against his former club. “From the moment we drew Liverpool and beat them [in a replay], the fans were saying that it’s going to be our year,” Neville said. “We have one step to go. We want to bring silverware to this club because it has been too long, and now is the time to step up and be men.”

Gareth Southgate, the Middlesbrough manager, said that the way in which his team collapsed during a brief spell in the second period explained why they are in the relegation zone of the Barclays Premier League. “The manner of the goals we conceded showed why we are where we are [in the league],” Southgate said.

The draw

Semi-final

Arsenal or Hull City v Chelsea

Manchester United v Everton

Matches to be played at Wembley Stadium on April 18 and 19