FA Cup match report: Chelsea 2-0 Scunthorpe

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Loftus-Cheek bagged his first Chelsea goal. Credit: Reuters

Teenage midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek's first senior goal settled a niggly FA Cup third round tie as Chelsea ground past Scunthorpe 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Diego Costa's fourth goal in three games handed Chelsea the perfect start, only for Guus Hiddink's men to drift off and allow League One side Scunthorpe to turn the tie into a scrap.

The 19-year-old Loftus-Cheek's composed finish secured Chelsea safe passage to the fourth round, though, after Scunthorpe were denied a second-half penalty.

Total first-half control caused Chelsea to switch off and coast to a 1-0 advantage at the break. Costa sneaked goal-side of the defence to turn home Branislav Ivavonic's cross and hand the hosts the perfect opening.

Oscar curled wide from 16 yards instead of doubling the lead, doing an injustice to his step-over and link return ball from Costa - the pair combining well after their set-to in training this week.

Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta's tangle set Williams tearing away down the right, but Kurt Zouma pulled off the perfect sliding cover tackle to deny the winger a one-on-one.

Hiddink took off Oscar at half-time in favour of youngster Loftus-Cheek, but still the craved impetus failed to arrive.Chelsea were handed another let-off when referee Craig Pawson denied Scunthorpe a penalty despite Ramires tangling with Van Neen in the box.

Ramires appeared to tread on the Scunthorpe forward's foot, but the appeals went unanswered. Bishop and Stephen Dawson hounded Costa into losing possesion in his own half, only to be hauled back for a foul on the Spain striker.

Finally Chelsea killed the tie, the long-overdue second goal courtesy of the highly-rated Loftus-Cheek. Ramires broke up play and fed Willian, who set Azpilicueta free on the overlap. Costa's selfless near-post run drew the defence and Loftus-Cheek swept home.

Jordan Clarke's pile driver shot then forced Begovic into a first-class reaction save to tip onto the angle of post and bar, but by that stage Chelsea were home and hosed.