Blues Ease To Cup Success  (Sky Sports)

Chelsea 4 Bolton Wanderers 0

Chelsea have booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup following an impressive 4-0 success over Bolton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues were reduced to speculative long-range shots early on, but they got their noses in front when an unmarked Salomon Kalou headed home Paulo Ferreira's cross on 15 minutes.

Bolton were nearly level immediately but Hilario superbly blocked Matthew Taylor's shot, but in saving the effort with his head he was replaced by Ross Turnbull soon after.

Florent Malouda doubled Chelsea's advantage when he capitalised on a mistake from Zat Knight following Kalou's short cross by scoring from close range after 26 minutes.

Chelsea continued to dominate after half-time and Daniel Sturridge should have scored before Deco added a third, while Bolton were unlucky at the other end with Ivan Klasnic's shot striking the upright.

Carlo Ancelotti's side helped themselves to a late fourth when substitute Didier Drogba rose the highest at the back post to nod home Joe Cole's lofted cross.

Chelsea took control of the tie in the 15th minute when in-form Kalou opened the scoring.

The Ivory Coast international, who notched twice against Atletico Madrid in their UEFA Champions League win last week, rose unmarked to head home a cross by Ferreira.

Squandered

But Bolton squandered a great chance to level the scores seconds later when a cross from Gretar Steinsson eluded the Chelsea defence and fell perfectly at the far post for Taylor.

But the Bolton midfielder's first touch let him down and goalkeeper Hilario seized the chance to cut down his angles. Hilario's quick thinking saved the day as Taylor's shot cannoned back off the Chelsea keeper's face.

But Hilario never recovered from the facial blow and went down inside the six-yard box while preparing to take a goal-kick.

It was the end of the proceedings for the Chelsea goalkeeper who made way for substitute Turnbull to make his home debut.

But Chelsea went 2-0 up in the 25th minute when Malouda's header from a Kalou cross rebounded back to him off Knight and the winger tucked the ball home at the near post.

The visitors looked vulnerable every time the Blues launched an attack and in the 38th minute a sweet passing move between Michael Ballack and Kalou ended with the Ivory Coast international bending a shot beyond the far post.

Kalou was having a fine game but Sturridge looked out of his depth and that was underlined in the 40th minute when Chelsea broke clear again.

Malouda managed to put Kalou clear with a lovely pass, but the Ivory Coast striker was thwarted by a fine one-handed save by Ali Al Habsi. But when the ball rebounded straight to the waiting Sturridge, the Chelsea striker miscued his volley completely.

Hilario's injury meant the first half was extended by a further four minutes but Ballack wasted a chance to put more distance between the two sides when his attempted curling shot finished closer to the corner flag than the Bolton goal.

Chelsea made a change at half-time when Kalou was replaced by Michael Essien. Bolton also made one change at the break with Steinsson replaced by Johan Elmander.

The visitors should have reduced the arrears in the 54th minute but Turnbull dived low to his left to save an 18-yard drive from Mark Davies.

Easier chance

However, two minutes later saw Chelsea squander an even easier chance when Joe Cole set up Sturridge inside the left-hand edge of the Bolton penalty area.

The Chelsea striker turned his marker but then shot wide of the far post when he only had Al Habsi to beat.

Sturridge repeated the miss seconds later when Cole sent him clear of the Bolton defence but again his left-foot shot went wide of the post with Al Habsi floundering.

Bolton were showing more invention since the introduction of Elmander and Chelsea needed a third to make the tie safe.

Ancelotti clearly recognised the need for more goals and in the 61st minute he replaced Sturridge with Drogba.

Bolton paid for some poor finishing when Ricardo Gardner's shot was cleared off the line by Branislav Ivanovic in the 66th minute.

Chelsea went straight down the other end of the pitch and a cross from Cole was despatched into the bottom corner from 16 yards by Deco.

Klasnic was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet in the 86th minute but his clever shot rebounded off the far post and Ferreira cleared the rebound.

Drogba then completed the scoring in 89th minute when he rose highest at the far post to convert a lovely curling cross from Cole.

Chelsea	Team Statistics	Bolton
4	Goals	0
2	1st Half Goals	0
9	Shots on Target	4
10	Shots off Target	3
1	Blocked Shots	1
6	Corners	2
13	Fouls	11
0	Offsides	2
0	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0
58.6	Possession	41.4

Teams

Chelsea Hilario (Turnbull 23), Belletti, Ivanovic, Alex, Ferreira, Deco, Ballack, Malouda, Joe Cole,Kalou (Essien 46), Sturridge (Drogba 62)
Subs Not Used Lampard, Matic, Bruma, Borini
Booked
Goals Kalou 15, Malouda 26, Deco 67, Drogba 89

Bolton Al Habsi, Ricketts, Knight, Cahill, Samuel, Muamba,Steinsson (Elmander 46), Mark Davies, Gardner,Taylor (Basham 64), Klasnic
Subs Not Used Jaaskelainen, Robinson, Cohen, Lee, Andrew O'Brien
Booked
Goals

Attendance 41,538

Referee  A. Marriner