Wimbledon 1 Chelsea 2

While their rivals were settling for an FA Cup semi-final replay, Chelsea were making the most of their opportunity to get their title ambitions back on track.

With strikes from Tore Andre Flo and Gustavo Poyet, they moved to within two points of leaders Manchester United, having played the same number of games, and are one point behind Arsenal, with a game in hand.

The Londoners must now believe the title to be within their grasp with both the Gunners and United having to play each other again on Wednesday.

Confronting them at Selhurst Park were Wimbledon and, in the early stages, it looked as though they had not read the script.

It was the Crazy Gang who looked the stronger during the opening exchanges and Chelsea seemed lacklustre in midfield without the industrious Dennis Wise.

But Chelsea had recalled midfield maestro Gustavo Poyet for a first start in three months after a recurrence of his knee ligament nightmare and the Uruguayan did not disappoint.

Once he found his feet he controlled the match and with Flo and Gianfranco Zola causing the home defence all kinds of problems, the result started to look inevitable.

Indeed, Poyet should have opened the scoring on 11 minutes when he rose unchallenged in the penalty area to meet Zola's free kick, only to put it wide.

But now the visitors had their tails up and when the goal came on 24 minutes it was in the expected manner.

Starting in their own half, Zola, Flo and Bjarne Goldbaek swept up field with on Dean Blackwell and Chris Perry standing between them and goal.

Goldbaek's cross was met by Flo's boot and Chelsea were one up at half time.

Wimbledon, in contrast, were having no luck and Welsh striker John Hartson has still not found his form since joining the club last year.

After the break the second goal was not long in coming and it completed the fairytale return for Poyet.

On 53 minutes, Zola's inch perfect pass found the on-rushing South American and he made no mistake, volleying past the helpless Neil Sullivan.

Chelsea now had the home side reeling and could, and should, have had more goals.

Romanian Dan Petrescu skied his shot into the stands and Zola was just inches wide with a twenty-yard free kick.

With the game drifting away from them, Wimbledon seemed to lose their heads and began to play with little reference to a plan.

Hartson was substituted on seventy minutes and Carl Cort, who scored again United last week replaced him.

But still their was little attacking precision and Poyet could have had a second, only to see his full-blooded strike ricochet off a defender.

Wimbledon eventually pulled back a consolation goal in injury time, when Marcus Gayle tapped in Gareth Ainsworth's cross, but there was no denying Chelsea.

Teams

Wimbledon: Sullivan, Cunningham, Perry, Blackwell, Thatcher (Leaburn 78), C. Hughes, Roberts, Gayle, M. Hughes (Ainsworth 46), Euell, Hartson (Cort 71).

Subs Not Used: Kimble, Heald.

Booked: M. Hughes, Roberts.Goals: Gayle 90.

Chelsea: De Goey, Petrescu (Newton 86), Leboeuf, Goldbaek, Poyet, Duberry, Le Saux, Di Matteo (Morris 46), Flo, Lambourde,Zola (Nicholls 90).

Subs Not Used: Hitchcock, Ferrer.

Booked: Duberry.

Goals: Flo 24, Poyet 53.

Att: 21,577

Ref: G Willard (Worthing).