MADRID, June 23 (Reuters) - Sevilla crowned an outstanding season with victory in the King's Cup final when a first-half strike from leading scorer Frederic Kanoute earned them a 1-0 win over Bernd Schuster's Getafe on Saturday.

Kanoute grabbed the winner in a tight, hot-tempered contest

at the Bernabeu stadium when he raced clear from a few metres

inside the Getafe half and stroked the ball past goalkeeper Luis

Garcia into the net after 11 minutes.

But the evening ended on a low note for the Mali striker

when he was sent off for retaliating after being fouled in the

dying minutes of the game.

For his team, however, it was a fitting end to a brilliant

campaign that began with victory over Barcelona in the European

Super Cup and continued with a successful defence of the UEFA

Cup when they beat fellow Spaniards Espanyol last month.

'I can't find the words to explain a season like this,' said

Sevilla captain Javi Navarro. 'It's going to take time for all

of this to sink in. We've made a huge effort and now we've been

rewarded for it.'

Getafe coach Bernd Schuster won six King's Cups as a player

but his luck deserted him this time as the first-time finalists

fought tooth and nail throughout but lacked the firepower to

break down the streetwise Sevilla defence.

There was some consolation for the modest Madrid side,

however, because they will play in the UEFA Cup next season

because Sevilla have qualified for the Champions League.

Although Getafe hail from a modest satellite town to the

south of the Spanish capital, their supporters were heavily

outnumbered at the Bernabeu by the thousands of Sevilla fans who

had travelled up from the south.

The Andalucians responded to the electric atmosphere with a

high-tempo start, but it was the Madrid side who had the first

chance to take the lead.

Swiss midfielder Fabio Celestini put striker Daniel Guiza in

the clear, but just as it looked as though he might skip past

Andres Palop on the edge of the area, the Sevilla keeper managed

to sweep the ball away from his feet.

A minute later opposite number Kanoute gave Guiza a

masterclass in finishing.

Snapping up a loose ball after an error by centre-back Ruben

Pulido on the halfway line, the Mali striker galloped down the

pitch and coolly steered a low shot into the net.

Juande Ramos's side were denied a second when Garcia beat

away a fierce drive from midfielder Renato after good work by

fellow Brazilians Luis Fabiano and Daniel Alves.

Getafe fought back hard in the final 10 minutes of the first

half, but although they gave the Sevilla back four a couple of

scares they were unable to trouble Palop.

The Andalucians remained in control for most of the second

period but were unable to extend their advantage.

The match was soured by a series of flare-ups in the closing

minutes with Kanoute receiving his marching orders for kicking

out after a foul by Francisco Casquero.

It mattered little to the 50,000 Sevilla fans packed into

the Bernabeu. They exploded with delight at the final whistle as

their team won their first King's Cup since 1948.