Jimmy Saves Chelsea In Reading Test  (Sky Sports)

Reading 0 Chelsea 1

Richard Jolly reports

Where Manchester United and Lazio failed, Reading acquitted themselves admirably but even the heroics of their keeper Marcus Hahnemann could not stop Chelsea as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink took them into last eight of the Carling Cup.

On an embarrassing night for the Carling Cup's favourites, football's richest Russian watched an American deny his team for almost an hour before a Dutchman - Hasselbaink - ended Hahnemann's Cold War resistance.

But as Arsenal found on Sunday, dominance and chances count for little without goals. They were surely starting to empathise with their London rivals before Hasselbaink's unflustered finish eased them through.

In a game where Reading spent so much time defending, it was harsh that greater adventure resulted in a goal from a  a rare opportunity to counter-attack for Chelsea. Graeme Murty surged upfield on a kamikaze solo run, Celestine Babayaro dispossessed him and Lampard, with effortless precision, released Hernan Crespo with a 40-yard pass. He picked out Hasselbaink, whose assured finish gave Hahnemann no chance. 

Claudio Ranieri had the luxury of making six changes and still naming a team of 11 internationals. No rest for the ever energetic Lampard, however, ever reluctant to relinquish his place in Ranieri's inner sanctum of his starting 11.

So often Chelsea's saviour, Lampard spared his team-mates extra time at the Madejski Stadium with a clearance off his own line from John Mackie's header.

Before Hasselbaink's intervention, abnormally strong floodgates - aided by a display of goalkeeping excellence - at the Madejski preserved the deadlock. Reading, worthy, industrious and utterly outclassed, could have been trailing rather sooner.

The tone was set as early as the third minute when Hasselbaink released Crespo, who rounded Hahnemann but shot into the side-netting. It was not Crespo's night. Five first-half chances went begging as a combination of Hahnemann and his woodwork denied the Argentine; Serie A must have been easier than this.

He was particularly unfortunate with a curler that struck the inside of the Reading keeper's post and rolled along the line. The diving Hahnemann then saved a close-range header that would have beaten less keepers.

His team-mates' efforts met with similar results as Jesper Gronkjaer, Lampard all had shots saved by the agile American. Only Crespo - when he blazed over - and Marcel Desailly were guilty of poor finishing, heading over from three yards after a cross from Gronkjaer, relishing both a rare start and the freedom of the left flank.

Chelsea endured defensive difficulties of their own, despite the return of Desailly after a two-month absence. Nicky Forster twice found space behind the Blues defence but an unconvincing lob sailed over and an offside flag rendered a shot past Neil Sullivan irrelevant while the gangly Bas Savage forced Neil Sullivan to claw his header past the post.

Chelsea responded by bringing on Claude Makelele at half time. Geremi, pushed further forward, was twice denied by Hahnemann while John Terry joined the attack to shoot wide before the solitary goal.

It was just reward for Chelsea's first-touch passing and clever movement. The influential Lampard was at the heart of it while Crespo's mulitude of chances proof of elusiveness against a dogged defence.

And Chelsea could still have scored more. Substitute Adrian Mutu warmed up with one shot on target and then a fierce rising drive appeared to be headed for the top corner; Hahnemann, though, was not to be beaten.

Teams

Reading  Hahnemann, Mackie, Shorey, Hughes (Murray 63), Ingimarsson, Murty, Sidwell, Watson, Forster, Salako (Tyson 75), Savage
Subs Not Used  Young, Harper, Newman

Chelsea  Sullivan, Babayaro, Desailly, Johnson, Terry, Cole (Makelele 46), Geremi, Gronkjaer (Mutu 78), Lampard, Crespo, Hasselbaink (Stanic 72)
Subs Not Used  Ambrosio, Gallas

Goals  Hasselbaink 57

Attendance  24,107

Referee  S. Bennett