Chelsea 3 Huddersfield Town 1

Last updated : 16 February 2008 By Footymad Previewer
Frank Lampard scored a brace as Chelsea eased through to the sixth round of the FA Cup against plucky Huddersfield Town at Stamford Bridge.

However, the Blues did suffer the scare of an equaliser from Michael Collins seconds before half-time.

A goal in each half by the midfielder - his 100th and 101st goal for the club - spared the FA Cup holders' blushes and a Salomon Kalou strike 20 minutes from the end killed the game off.

Chelsea had the first attack on goal on four minutes but a Steve Sidwell shot from the edge of the Huddersfield penalty area was deflected for a corner.

Two minutes later and Kalou slalom edthrough the defence and fed the ball to Scott Sinclair.

He picked his spot carefully and placed the goalbound shot wide of goalkeeper Matthew Glennon, but Robbie Williams managed to scuff the shot away to safety.

James Berrett forced a corner for the Terriers on 12 minutes which came to nothing when Carlo Cudicini grabbed the deep cross.

But the Chelsea breakthrough came on 18 minutes when a typical piece of forceful right-wing play by Sinclair saw him arrow the ball across the edge of the penalty area and Lampard slotted home with a crisp right-footer low and past the hapless Glennon.

Glennon was forced into a comfortable save on 28 minutes again from a long-range Lampard effort as Chelsea dominated possession without creating many clear-cut chances.

Huddersfield's best spell of the half saw them dispossess Chelsea several times and retain the ball but without getting into the final third of the pitch.

But on 38 minutes, Huddersfield almost equalised as, following a corner, the ball fell to Nathan Clarke six yards out and his hooked left-footed shot was cleared off the line by John Terry.

But seconds before the break, Huddersfield got their rewards for tenacity when a chipped ball by Berrett over a flat-looking Chelsea rearguard found Collins on the left.

The midfielder controlled with his thigh before coolly ramming the ball home past Cudicini and his near post.

Shell-shocked Chelsea looked all at sea in the opening exchanges in the second half as the Terriers made inroads in the Chelsea half.

On 55 minutes, Chelsea responded by putting the ball in the net through Kalou, but the Ivory Coast striker was clearly offside.

But Lampard came to their rescue once again in the 60th minute and after excellent set-up play between John Obi Mikel and Kalou.

Lampard nipped into the Huddersfield area and saw his first-time shot saved by Glennon, but the rebound fell kindly for the England midfielder and he tucked the ball home with a sliding left foot.

Four minutes later and Claudio Pizarro drifted past four defenders before getting his shot away which was again well saved by Glennon.

The ball fell to the Sinclair who tapped home, but it was he who was this time offside.

Kalou wrapped the game up on 70 minutes when, running onto a Lampard through ball, the striker danced through a couple of challenges and poked the ball under Glennon from eight yards out.