Source: Daily_Mail
Coventry 0 Chelsea 2: Drogba continues renaissance under Hiddink as Blues march on
Chelsea reached their third FA Cup semi-final in the past four seasons as goals from Didier Drogba and Alex emphasised their superiority against Coventry at the Ricoh Arena.Drogba maintained his renaissance since the appointment of Guus Hiddink by netting his sixth goal of the campaign after 15 minutes.
Then Alex put the game out of Coventry's reach 17 minutes from time after converting a cross from substitute Ricardo Quaresma.
Defender Ashley Cole was included in the Chelsea line-up for the FA Cup quarter-final tie at Coventry.The England player had received an £80 fixed penalty fine for being drunk and disorderly in the early hours of Thursday morning. Michael Essien, who has been out of action for six months with knee ligament damage, was included among the Chelsea substitutes.Long-serving defender Marcus Hall was recalled to the Coventry line-up in place of the injured Daniel Fox.
Striker Leon Best, who scored the winner against Blackburn in the fifth round, had shaken off a throat infection.
Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink paid Coventry the compliment of fielding the same side which had won at Portsmouth in the Barclays Premier League in midweek.And inside three minutes Didier Drogba, who had scored the winner at Fratton Park, missed a golden chance to break the deadlock. A long clearance by Petr Cech picked out the Chelsea striker who easily turned past Sky Blues centre-back Ben Turner to find himself with only Keiran Westwood to beat.
But Drogba, who was operating as the lone front player, screwed his shot wide of the far post when he should have at least hit the target. Chelsea began confidently and Salomon Kalou chested a cross from Frank Lampard into the path of Michael Ballack but his first-time shot flew high and wide.
Coventry were looking to pick out the runs of Leon Best at every attempt and a cross from Freddy Eastwood was only just too high for the striker who was again wearing a face mask to protect his fractured cheekbone. Westwood blocked a low shot from Florent Malouda after taking a pass from Lampard in his stride but he had strayed marginally offside.
Cole was predictably booed by the home fans everytime he touched the ball after his midweek misdemeanour.Then after 15 minutes Drogba took advantage of hesitancy in the Coventry defence to put Chelsea ahead. There looked to be little danger but Turner hesitated, was muscled off the ball by Drogba who calmly took the ball around Westwood before drilling his shot into the net. The Ivory Coast international made a point of running to the substitute's bench to celebrate with the fit-again Essien.
Chelsea were in complete control and Alex got on the end of a Lampard corner but, under pressure from Hall, he could not keep his header down.Chris Coleman would have been disappointed that his side had not created a single opportunity in the opening quarter of the game. But Best gave Chelsea a scare when he managed to shake off the challenges of Alex and John Terry only to then balloon his left-footed shot over the bar.
Best had a powerful shot deflected by Terry through to Cech as the Sky Blues tried to get a foothold in the game.Alex conceded a free-kick in a dangerous position to the left of the Chelsea box after fouling Best but Jordan Henderson over-hit his cross. Chelsea looked as if they could breach the Coventry back four at any time and Lampard was being given too much room in the centre of the park and was able to dictate play.The England midfielder picked out the run of Jose Boswinga and his cross was cut back to Ballack whose fierce shot was blocked.
Westwood then had to be alert to deny Lampard a 16th goal of the season when he tipped over a dipping 30-yard free-kick after Henderson had fouled Cole.Cech made a comfortable save to keep out an Eastwood shot in a sporadic Coventry raid.
Drogba screwed a low shot just wide after referee Steve Bennett allowed play to continue after a foul on Lampard by Aron Gunnarsson.
Hiddink made a half-time substitution, bringing on Richard Quaresma in place of Kalou. Chelsea started where they left off, knocking the ball around in confident fashion, and Drogba volleyed wide at the near post from a Quaresma centre.
Coventry were struggling to gain any degree of possession and, when they won a free-kick in a dangerous position, Henderson summed up their afternoon by floating his centre straight out of play. Henderson then sent a centre straight into the hands of Cech when he should have done better and the front two of Best and Morrison were receiving little worthwhile service.
Coleman made his first change after 59 minutes with Guillaume Beuzelin replacing Doyle. The home side tried to build up some momentum in front of a 31,407 crowd - the highest ever for a football match at the stadium - but could not trouble the Blues back four.
Essien made his long awaited comeback from his knee ligament injury after 65 minutes in place of Mikel to great cheers from the 5,500 Chelsea contingent. There was a rare moment of danger when Cech failed to deal properly with a long throw from Gunnarsson but Best failed to make contact with an overhead kick at close range. The decibel level increased significantly among the Coventry fans who sensed Chelsea's failure to kill off the game could hand them a life-line in the final 20 minutes.
After 73 minutes Alex made sure of victory for Chelsea with his second goal of the season.Quaresma broke clear down the right and spotted the run of Alex who calmly drilled the ball past Westwood.Late on, Cech held onto a long range drive from Henderson in a rare Coventry attack.
