24/01/2004  Scarborough 0 Chelsea 1
 
John Terry's 10th-minute header edged Chelsea past heroic non-league side Scarborough at the McCain Stadium on Saturday.

Terry nodded home after Frank Lampard had rattled the post in the second minute - with a torrid day looking on the cards for the Nationwide Conference side at that stage.

But Boro held on and almost equalised in the last 10 minutes when Colin Cryan saw a header saved, before William Gallas got away with a clear handball in the Chelsea box.

The Barclaycard Premiership big-spenders took just over a minute to warn the home defence that they were in for a torrid afternoon.

Lampard let fly with a swerving shot from nearly 40 yards which clattered against the post and rebounded to Eidur Gudjohnsen, who shot wide from just inside the box.

The home side tried their best to get forward with Clint Marcelle crossing from the right only for Terry to clear.

Mark Hotte produced a superb tackle to deny Gudjohnsen a clear run on goal in the sixth minute and three minutes later Cryan booted Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's corner off the line.

Terry gave Chelsea the lead in the 10th minute when Mario Melchiot headed Hasselbaink's cross back across the box and the England defender nodded home from virtually on the goal line.

Mark Quayle had a half chance blocked in the box for Boro but Chelsea were looking most likely to increase their lead.

Scarborough refused to be downhearted after the early blow and grew in confidence with Marcelle and Jimmy Kelly both having shots blocked by goalscorer Terry in the box.

Gudjohnsen slipped a shot inches wide and Jesper Gronkjaer hit a weak left-foot effort straight at Boro goalkeeper Leigh Walker.

But the home side were relishing the space afforded them and Marcelle took advantage with a fine run before finding Quayle, whose attempted shot in the box was blocked by Melchiot.

William Gallas shot inches wide from a Hasselbaink corner and Terry's long shot was inches wide in injury time - but Boro deserved to hang on with just a one goal deficit to the break.

Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri made one change at half time introducing Emmanuel Petit in place of the ineffective P>The visitors began the second half strongly with Hasselbaink's right-foot shot from 30 yards whizzing just wide of Walker's left-hand post.

Then Gudjohnsen laid off a fine ball to Lampard in the box but the former West Ham midfielder was denied a shooting chance by another impressive challenge from Cryan.

Walker performed heroics to prevent the visitors increasing their lead.

Gallas looked certain to score Chelsea's second when he leapt higher to meet Hasselbaink's right wing corner - but the Scarborough goalkeeper dived to make a stunning save.

And in the 65th minute Walker twice got down to deny Lampard who had two close range shots in the box.

One minute later even Walker could do nothing about Lampard's chance from eight yards out, but amazingly the England midfielder skied his shot high over the bar.

Cole shot well over the bar for Chelsea in the 73rd minute but Scarborough's never-say-die spirit set up a grandstand finish.

Cryan was agonisingly close to an equaliser in the 80th minute when he dived to reach substitute Chris Senior's cross from the right - but headed into Carlo Cudicini's arms.

And one minute later the Conference side saw loud penalty appeals waved away after Gallas handled the ball in the box under pressure from substitute Chris Senior.

Chelsea survived with Melchiot having a header parried by Walker before the final whistle brought a standing ovation for the brave Seadogs.