Full-time: Chelsea 2-0 Scunthorpe
That’s it. A relatively straightforward passage to the fourth round for Chelsea, but Scunthorpe played well here. Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s first goal for the club sealed it after Costa opened the scoring in the opening half. That’s it from me. Join Nick Ames, now, for Tottenham v Leicester at White Hart Lane. Thanks for reading. Bye!
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90 min +2: Traore concedes a second. This will be the last play of the game. It reaches Bishop but he pokes narrowly wide.
90 min +2: Laird wins a corner through a cross from the left that is deflected out by Zouma.
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90 min +1: And the first of those has been spent with Chelsea passing the ball across the back.
90 min: Three minutes to be added on, folks.
89 min: Scunthorpe are still going here, searching for a sweet consolation. Clarke, along with the recently departed Williams, have been thoroughly impressive.
87 min: Scunthorpe go so close. Clarke hits a rasper towards the top corner but Begovic does wonderfully to save and touch the ball off the bar and out for a corner that amounts to nowt.
85 min: And Chelsea’s final substitution sees Costa replaced by the third Chelsea kid, Traore.
84 min: It’s petering out now. Lots of niggly fouls and no real flow. Chelsea will be satisfied with their showing, though, and Scunthorpe can take great heart from a spirited performance.
82 min: Van Veen’s afternoon is over, replaced by Wooton.
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81 min: And if you were wondering why we didn’t use the entire names of those substitutions … Hakeeb Adeola Abiola Ayinde Adelakun
79 min: A double change for Scunthorpe as Williams is replaced by Adelakun and Dawson makes way for King.
76 min: Chelsea have a penalty shout as Kenedy hits the deck under Clarke’s fine challenge. The full-back’s tackle is brilliantly timed though.
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73 min: Scunthorpe have a free kick on the left. Almost everybody expects a cross but Van Veen shoots, finding the side-netting. Some visiting fans jump up to celebrate, and Chelsea’s supporters respond by cheering ironically.
71 min: Now it is time for another promising youngster to make his Cup bow for Chelsea – Kenedy replacing Pedro.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Scunthorpe (Loftus-Cheek)
69 min: That’s his first goal for Chelsea! Willian cutely feeds an overlapping Azpilicueta. He sends a low cross towards the penalty spot and Loftus-Cheek times his run superbly, tucking the ball into the bottom left corner, past Daniels. Cruel on Scunthorpe at a time where they were growing in stature but that should be that.
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67 min: Pedro is tripped by Dawson about 40 yards from Chelsea’s goal. If Scunthorpe are to equalise, it will be from a situation like this.
66 min: Ivanovic booked for knocking the ball out of Laird’s hand as he attempted to take a throw-in.
64 min: Ramires strikes wide harmlessly. On TV, Howard Webb reckons Van Veen should have been given a penalty a few minutes ago.
61 min: Scunthorpe are beginning to press more higher up the pitch and Costa, dropping deep finds himself in trouble only for Bishop to put a little too much pressure on and concede a foul. The Scunthorpe player pushes Costa in the back but the Spain striker is calm by his standards and does not react. Seconds later Willian and Dawson square, up the other United skinhead picking up a booking.
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58 min: Scunthorpe are certainly pushing forward a bit more but Chelsea look like they could turn up the heat if needed. Loftus-Cheek turns nicely on the right and plays a one-two with Willian but is fouled by Bishop before receiving the return.
54 min: A big penalty shout for Scunthorpe! Van Veen runs hard and direct. He hits the deck under pressure from Ramires when he reaches the box. The contact is so, so slight and the referee, Craig Pawson, waves play on. The visitors are furious but there really was not much in the challenge.
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53 min: Encouraging sign for Scunthorpe as Begovic makes a mess of a clearance and it allows the visitors to attack. The danger, though, is eventually cleared.
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51 min: The ball takes one bounce and Ivanovic and Costa are close to reaching it but Daniels gets down to save.
50 min: Costa races down the left channel but Clarke puts an arm around the Chelsea striker and hauls him to the ground. Willian will swing it in.
48 min: Loftus-Cheek goes in late on Bishop. He plays the ball but it’s really mistimed and the studs of his right boot plant on Bishop’s right ankle. It should be a yellow card but the Chelsea youngster gets off with only a foul.
Peep!
46 min: Scunthorpe restart. Can they get back into this or will Chelsea kill them off?
Ruben Loftus-Cheek is on for Oscar.
Half-time: Chelsea 1-0 Scunthorpe
45 min +1: Van Veen sends a cross towards Bishop and Madden from the right but neither can get to it. And that is the break. Chelsea were impressive in the opening 25 minutes but Scunthorpe have grown into it and the tie is still alive.
45 min: There will be one minute of added time.
44 min: Williams makes the most of a Cahill slip and races clear. But Zouma covers brilliantly, sliding across to concede a corner.
42 min: Ivanovic fouls Williams and Scunthorpe have what is almost a corner on the left. It’s taken low by Ness to Laird but he mis-kicks and Chelsea break.
40 min: Lovely play in Chelsea’s midfield as Fabregas produces a stunning drag-back and picks out Costa. He feeds Willian but the eventual shot is off-target by some way.
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38 min: Chelsea concede another corner via Zouma but Ness’s delivery is deep and easy for Begovic to claim from the air.
36 min: Willian and Ivanovic exchange passes but Dawson tackles the former, accidentally putting a hand in the Braziian’s face while doing so. Play continues but Willian has a little blood coming out of his mouth.
35 min: Promisingly for Scunthorpe, they have now enjoyed 25% of the ball!
33 min: Zouma, under pressure from Mirfin, concedes a corner from that deep free-kick. Ness delivers but Begovic is out to catch. From the short throw out Costa runs into trouble and Williams curls a tame effort straight and low at the Chelsea keeper.
32 min: Clarke climbs above Zouma to head away for another corner. The second is headed clear by Mirfin. Dawson adds the seconds and Van Veen is shouldered to the deck by Pedro on halfway.
31 min: Fabregas is fouled about 35 yards out and Willian looks like he might have a shot. Instead he chips it over the wall where Wallace, under pressure from Cahill, concedes a corner. Willian will take that too.
28 min: Suddenly signs Scunthorpe are beginning to settle. Williams sends a crossfield ball to Clarke, he does well turn Azpilicueta but his through ball – if you mistakenly pressed ∆ on your Playstation instead of X – is too heavy and runs out for a goal-kick.
26 min: It is sent towards the goalmouth, where a crowd of players take up Begovic’s space. Ping-pong ensues before Dawson sends a rasper goalwards that Cahill bravely puts his face in front of to block. That will have hurt, but he continues unperturbed.
26 min: Scunthorpe have a corner! Van Veen enters a physical battle with Cahill, who puts the ball out.
24 min: An email from Chris Ross: “Chelsea took a two-goal lead against Bradford last season. Just saying, like.” Yes, but Scunthorpe don’t have Jon Stead.
23 min: Costa and Oscar link up brilliantly and the Brazil international goes close with the inside of his right boot, curling half a yard wide with Daniels beaten.
21 min: Pedro is denied by another excellent Daniels stop after a marvellous 60-yard pass from Fabregas to pick out his compatriot. Chelsea have had 80% of the ball so far.
Also, that goal has now been given to Costa. It took a touch off Laird but the striker’s attempt was heading goalwards.
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16 min: Fabregas goes oh so close with a piledriver from 25 yards. Daniels does well to touch it over his bar for a corner. Willian takes but it is hooked clear at the near post … again to a welcoming Chelsea defence under zero pressure.
15 min: We did tell you Laird likes finding the net against big teams in this competition … just not the wrong end.
An email from Adam Hirst, sent just as the goal went in I suspect: “Chelsea played bad against Bradford last year, so against Scunthorpe, what can we expect from that bunch?” I suspect a comfortable win after that goal.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Scunthorpe (Costa)
13 min: And the goal comes from that recycling. Ivanovic crosses from the right, Costa flicks goalwards and it cruelly deflects off Laird and past Daniels.
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11 min: Willian delivers but Laird heads away. The problem is every time they clear there is nobody to pressure Chelsea’s defenders ,who have time to recycle.
10 min: Scunthorpe will be pleased with this start, no doubt, but you get the sense Chelsea are still easing themselves in. Pedro is taken down by Dawson on the left. A needless foul and Willian will come over to whip it in.
9 min: Willian sets Oscar off on the left with a crossfield pass but the Brazilian’s cross is too deep and cleared.
7 min: Williams skips forward and past Oscar but Azpilicueta is across to cut his run out, conceding a throw-in a few yards inside Chelsea’s half.
5 min: Quite a predictable start here. Chelsea having a lot of possession but Scunthorpe bringing everybody back.
3 min: Costa feeds an advanced Azpilicueta on his left. The defender attempts a return pass but it’s cut out. Chelsea come again but Bishop breaks up play. Then Fabregas hits a ball over the top that is easily claimed by Scunthorpe keeper Daniels.
2 min: Chelsea give the ball away cheaply, allowing Scunthorpe to push forward. Williams’ shot is blocked by Cahill’s head.
Peep!
1 min: Chelsea get us going, playing from right to left as we watch in blue. Scunthorpe in yellow.
The teams are out! The atmosphere in the home end is subdued, barely a shout greeting The Liquidator, but the away end is heaving.
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Oxford have beaten Swansea 3-2! Get the lowdown from Nick Miller here.
Chelsea put in their best performance of the season at Crystal Palace last weekend. Was it a sign they are back or just a one-off day when things went right? You suspect the former and considering how strong a team Hiddink has selected – including Oscar behind Costa after their training ground tiff! – it is so hard to think this will end up in an upset.
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Oxford are beating Swansea 3-1 and we might have the first proper shock of the third round. Nick Miller has all that action here.
The cast
Chelsea: Begovic; Ivanovic, Zouma, Cahill, Azpilicueta; Ramires, Fabregas; Willian, Oscar, Pedro; Costa. Subs: Courtois, Terry, Baba Rahman, Mikel, Loftus-Cheek, Kenedy, Traore.
Scunthorpe: Daniels; Clarke, Wallace, Mirfin, laird; Dawson, Bishop, Ness; Van Veen, Madden. Subs: Anyon, Wiseman, McAllister, Canavan, Adelakun, King, Wooton.
Referee: Craig Pawson.
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Guus Hiddink has fond memories of this competition, winning it when in interim charge of Chelsea in 2009. He has promised to treat the competition seriously again, which makes complete sense considering how adrift last season’s Premier League winners remain of the Champions League places. This represents their best chance of a trophy (does anybody really believe they are capable of winning the Champions League?) and we should see a very strong team here. “We take the FA Cup seriously,” Hiddink said. “I’m not changing five, six, seven players to bring in five, six, seven players from the academy.”
Factor in their ignominious departure in the fourth round last season to Bradford – what turned out to be the first hellish result from an awful 2015 – and they will be even more desperate to avoid being dumped out by League One opposition again.
Scunthorpe, though, will have no fear and are sure to relish their opportunity. Notably the defender Scott Laird has form in this competition against big teams. He scored for Preston against Manchester United last season, won against Newcastle while at Stevenage in 2011 and forced Tottenham to a replay in 2012. They sit 15th in League One, eight points from the play-offs. “With the squad we’ve got, we’ve definitely under-achieved,” says Laird. “Hopefully Sunday can really kick us on and convince us we can get the points needed to push into the play-offs. Playing for Mark Robins is really enjoyable but we haven’t been at our best for him yet. We need to put that right.”
Team news to follow imminently – it looks unlikely, but what chance a proper Cup shock? Let’s find out: kick off is at 2pm GMT.
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