CHELSEA are convinced they are spot on for Wembley after Bradley Allen's penalty miss for QPR last night saw them through to the last 16 of the English FA Cup.
Glenn Hoddle's in form side courageously saw off Premiership leaders Newcastle in a penalty shootout on Tyneside in the last round. And they were gifted a fifth round trip to West Ham or Grimsby when Allen blew Rangers' fightback with a terrible miss from the spot in the 69th minute.
Just two minutes earlier, teenager Nigel Quashie had thrown Ray Wilkins' men a lifeline with a wonderful volley, his second goal in the cup this season. Then Kevin Hitchcock needlessly impeded Mark Hateley with the ball yards away to give Rangers only their second penalty award of the season.
Simon Barker had missed the other, against Middlesbrough, and Allen was no better as his right foot sent the ball skidding low and wide of the right hand post.
It leaves Wilkins cursing Paul Furlong, who does not have many lucky grounds. In fact Loftus Road is probably it. The £2.3 million misfit striker scored what proved the winner against Rangers for the second time this season after Gavin Peacock had earlier fluked Chelsea into a 19th minute lead.
It stretched their run to just one defeat in 14 and the 1994 finalists will now be studying the entrails and coming to an obvious conclusion - the last time they beat Rangers in the fourth round, in 1970, they went on to win the competition.
Chelsea, though missing suspended stars Mark Hughes and Dennis Wise, were always a cut above. However, had one of Wilkins' controversial buys, Mark Hateley, not made an appalling miss in the third minute the outcome might have been different.
But the £1 million former Rangers and England striker headed well wide under no pressure eight yards out when Ian Holloway helped on David Bardsley's cross.
Bardsley lasted just nine minutes longer before limping off, Danny Maddix coming on and Steve Yates going to right back.
Only a marvellous save from Hitchcock again frustrated the home side in the 15th minute, tipping over a powerful close range header by Maddix after Holloway's corner was only half cleared.
But though they had made the better chances, they were only just holding their own at the other end and finally succumbed a trifle unluckily to Peacock.
He was sent down the right by Dan Petrescu and played a one two with Spencer to break into the box. Andrew Impey tried to block but succeeded only in deflecting his shot in a loop over Jurgen Sommer and into the far corner, despite Yates' efforts to clear on the line.
Furlong should have scored with a back post header from David Lee's corner just seconds before but made no mistake when breaking clear onto John Spencer's pass, bursting past Alan McDonald and slotting the ball wide of the advancing American goalkeeper.
Chelsea tried to kill off the game in the second half, but Rangers' pressure revived the contest in the 67th minute.
Holloway's corner from the right was only half cleared to Quashie on the edge of the area and his right foot arced it into Hitchcock's left hand corner, a priceless follow up to the goat he scored at Tranmere in the last round.
Then came Allen's miss which ensured a frantic climax, with nearly five minutes' added time, but ultimately cost Rangers so dearly.
