Chelsea 3-4 Newcastle. Fair play to the Geordies as they took their chances.

Well we didn't think in our wildest dreams to ever expect a night at the Bridge that we saw there tonight!. Chelsea down to 10-men after making three subs after one of the subs Kalou is stretchered off, then minutes later Benayoun goes off with a problem as we are 3-1 down. Chelsea then come back to make it 3-3 as Newcastle to go down the other end and win it with a Ameobi header with just minutes remaining. A fantastic cup tie but not what Carlo or us fans ever expected!.

Everything looked so bright for Chelsea as we took the lead through the impressive Van Aanholt. Ok we had made changes to the side with no sign of Cech, Cole, Ivanovic, Essien, Mikel, Lampard and Drogba, but we started off ok and began to pass the ball about. Newcastle seemed to looked to contain Chelsea until the goal went in. Once the goal went in everything changed.

Newcastle with experience in their side looked to play and cause Chelsea problems. Sol Campbell had a chance to score and wasted it, Chelsea had a chance as Kakuta fired towards goal and Krul managed to push the ball away from Anelka as he looked to get on the rebound.

Ryan Taylor was lucky to stay on the pitch as he took out Gael Kakuta. Just a yellow card given but he was lucky to still be on the pitch.

Chelsea's gamble on the selection of Bruma and Van Aanholt at the back next to JT and Ferreira backfired as Newcastle equalised half way through the first half. With possession down our right hand side, the Geordies managed to play in a dangerous cross that JT couldn't deal with, the ball bounced through the 6 yard box and Van Aanholt was caught out as Nile Ranger slid in at the back post and stabbed the ball home to make it 1-1. Van Aanholt's immediate reaction said it all. Chelsea mistake at the back 1-1.

We were rattled at the back and literally minutes later Ranger could have made it 2-1 but swung and missed the ball from 6 yards when it was easier to score. Again, from a ball in from our right hand side.

Chelsea continued to look dodgey at the back and Newcastle and Ameobi were looking to exploit us and with that they did. A ball through to Ameobi just outside the box left of centre had him looking to run in on goal, Bruma came across and gave away a silly foul. Ryan Taylor stepped up and blasted a great free kick into the top corner to make it 2-1. Chelsea mistake 1-2.

At this stage, Newcastle were the dominant force in midfield and we looked short of ideas. Half time came and just as Chelsea needed to re-group. 1-2 Newcastle.

Second half and Carlo made his changes. JT off for Alex and Kakuta (who had a heavy knock in the challenge earlier with Taylor) off for Kalou. Carlo was looking to take the game by the scruff of the neck and look to attack Newcastle.

However, Chelsea made things even worse for themselves. Three minutes into the second half, Ferreira (now wearing the Captain's armband after JT went off) was given the ball wide right just inside our half and looked for a ball to a blue shirt. No one looked to give him and option as he was being put under Newcastle pressure. So, rather than blast the ball down the line, he tried to play the ball with the outside of his right foot to Bruma but under hit the ball. Ameobi was onto it like a flash and smacked the ball from outside the box, Turnbull beaten again inside his left hand post and the ball found the corner. Chelsea mistake 1-3 Newcastle.

No sooner had we gone 3-1 down, Kalou was making a run with the ball and pulled up holding his leg and had to be stretchered off!. Great!. The plus side was the introduction of Josh McEachran. He replaced Kalou and that was all three subs made.

Minutes after that the same thing happened to Yossi Benayoun. He also had to be withdrawn from the game. No subs left so Chelsea had to face 32 minutes with just 10 men. Carlo and his staff were up barking orders to the side but it didn't look good for Chelsea.

Then something amazing happened. At 17 Josh McEachran obviously thought to himself, "I have nothing to lose and everything to gain" and my God what a peformance he put in. He played although he was our designated play maker and had time and space to pop the ball about right and left. When put under pressure he was able to wriggle free and lay the ball off. With that, it seemed that Chelsea gained confidence. He even fired a 20 yarder straight into the arms of Krul, but his individual performance was inspiring Chelsea and the fans.

Still Newcastle were a real threat on the counter attack and should have scored through Lovenkrands as they carved us wide open at the back and with just Turnbull to beat he fired wide when it was easier to score!.

Chelsea managed to impose their play on Newcastle once more, and for our efforts with 10-men got our deserved goal. A ball played wide left to Van Aanholt and he knocked it past the defender into wide open space in the left corner of Newcastle's box, he looked up and as Newcastle defenders looked to get back, Anelka stopped his run forward on the edge of the box and Van Aanholt slid the ball back to him, Anelka first time slotted the ball home into the far corner. Great run from Van Aanholt and a classy finish. 2-3 Newcastle.

Ameobi then missed a sitter once more as Newcastle looked to be the side nervous now and not looking as composed on the ball. Young McEachran had provided Chelsea with the option to build from the middle of the park we had lacked in the first half. Chelsea continued to attack as Krul saved a long hopeful shot from Anelka.

Chelsea then got lucky as Alex pushed forward to chase an equaliser. Anelka played the ball into him as it was tight in the box, the defender grabbed his waist, Alex went down and we were awarded a penalty. YES IT WAS HARSH, but at that point we would have taken anything!. Anelka stepped up and cool as you like slotted the ball into the corner as the keeper had chosen to go the other way. What a game! 3-3 with just minutes remaining.

Chelsea had played fantastic with just 10-men to come back from two goals down but it was Newcastle and Ameobi once more that would have a say in this one. A corner taken down our right hand side was swung into the box and at the near post Ameobi beat Alex to the ball and headed the ball into the far corner, Turnbull slow to react once more and it was now 3-4 Newcastle with just minutes remaining!.

Just as we thought we were dead and buried we still had another chance to score. Once more we broke down the left hand side and a cross came over to the back post. Ferriera caught the flight of the ball early and set himself. He connected with a fantastic volley from the right hand corner of the box and the ball flew towards goal. I was up out of my seat as I thought it was going in, but it clipped the outside of the post and behind for a goal kick to Newcastle!.

McEachran was still trying to work his magic as he dribbled one way and then the next on the edge of the box and his tame shot went wide as Krul and Newcastle saw the game out to beat us 3-4 in a game the neutral's would say is one of the games of the season so far.

The thing is we aren't neutrals at all and its a result that I am still gutted about. The difference today was Newcastle's ablity to take their chances and maybe in the first half their experience in vital area's compared to ours. I look at Turnbull in goal and Bruma next to JT and either of them didn't have good games.

I see no future for Turnbull in a Chelsea shirt with one poor display after another. With Hilario out for the next couple of games we need to make sure Cech is wrapped up in cotton wool cause if he gets injured we are stuffed!.

It was Chelsea's mistakes that cost us in the first half and soon after the re-start but you have to hold your hands up to Taylor's wonder free kick and Ameobi's Hasselbaink esque strike from outside the box. Even still the free kick should never have been given away and Taylor should have walked earlier after his challenge on Kakuta, and Ferreira shouldn't have misplaced his pass. We can go on forever about mistakes but I would like to end this on some positives.

Anelka was a class act tonight and with two goals will give him added confidence. Van Aanholt played well (apart from the mistake for the first goal) and his performance shows he is ready to make the step up in my book. Ramires will be happy with 90 minutes.

For me after all is said and done, there is one player who made such a difference when he came on and that was Josh McEachran. He played as if he has been part and parcel of our first team for years. I can't remember him giving the ball away at all. He popped it about from right to left with ease and moved away from tackles and when he was put under pressure as if he had no worries about losing the ball. He made a real difference and took the mantle in midfield, always looking for the ball to feet and making himself available for everyone else as an option for them to pass to.

It's just a shame that we couldn't hold on for those final minutes to take the game into that extra 30 minutes.

All credit to Newcastle for their mature performance and for taking their chances. If they play like that, they have no worries about avoiding relegation. We wish you the best for the rest of the competition and hope you go onto win it now!. Just watch out for Northampton!!!.

Carefree & KTBFFH everyone!!