MAROUANE FELLAINI admits Everton may have paid the price for their record-breaking start at Wembley.

David Moyes’s side raced into the lead after just 25 seconds of their FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday through a sensational Louis Saha strike.

It was the quickest FA Cup final goal in recorded history, beating Roberto di Matteo’s strike after 43 seconds for Chelsea against Middlesbrough in 1997 and earlier than that of Bob Chatt of Aston Villa, who is estimated to have scored between 30 and 40 seconds against West Bromwich Albion in 1895.

But Chelsea struck back with goals from Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard to win the FA Cup for a fifth time and make it an unlucky 13th Cup final appearance for Everton.

And Fellaini said: “Sometimes when you score that early it can actually make things difficult. The other team then set their stall out and really push forwards.

“They have to do that without inhibitions so maybe when it’s like that, it’s not the best to score so early.”

Fellaini became the first Belgian to start an FA Cup final after Nico Claesen and Phillipe Albert had previously appeared in finals as substitutes.

But after failing to become the first player from his country to claim a winners’ medal, Fellaini raced down the tunnel at the final whistle before later emerging ahead of the medal ceremony.

“When you lose a final everyone’s down and I was just disappointed that we’d lost, that’s why I went down the tunnel,” explained Fellaini.