IT’S the old cliche to regard supporters as the 12th man. But for Tim Cahill, the Everton supporters at Wembley played a definite part in ensuring an historic afternoon for their team.

Those fans are already planning a return trip to the home of English football after David Moyes’s side continued towards their date with destiny on Sunday.

The dramatic FA Cup semi-final defeat of Manchester United on penalties secured Everton their place in a major final for the first time since 1995.

On an almost unbearably tense afternoon, Moyes’s men held their nerve to set up a showdown with Chelsea on May 30 and a chance of silverware after a 14-year wait.

But while the game was agonisingly close on the pitch, in the stands there was simply no contest, the Everton faithful deafening their United rivals in a remarkable outpouring of emotion.

And Cahill is convinced that backing helped the Goodison outfit discover their second wind during extra time.

“We could see the fans rooting for us, to give us the extra edge,” says the Australian. “You could see going out for extra-time that we were finding gears we didn’t previously have.

“A lot of players had cramps and we were out there a long time playing, it was warm and maybe in the past we might have faded away.

“But the players remained resilient.

“We felt more power the game was going on because of that backing.

“It felt more like a home game for us. But Everton fans are always like that. They are always passionate.”