Lampard 35

                                                                      Terry 67

Chelsea eased to an FA Cup semi-final meeting with Aston Villa – a repeat of the 2000 final – as a goal in each half was enough to see off a disappointing Stoke.

Frank Lampard’s deflected effort from a John Terry pass ten minutes before the break and Terry’s towering header from a Lampard corner midway through the second half decided the tie.

And once Chelsea got into gear after a difficult start, they were convincing enough – Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen keeping the score down as the chances flowed after the half-time interval.

Stoke were a threat early on, mainly thanks to the inevitable Rory Delap long-throws. But after Dean Whitehead had a shot cleared off the line, Chelsea were in control.

They took the lead on 35 minutes, Lampard’s right-foot drive, after being set up by Terry, taking a slight deflection off Abdoulaye Faye.

Sorensen saved from Lampard, Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou. But in the midst of these chances, he couldn’t stop Terry grabbing the headlines.

On 67 minutes Terry forced his way onto the end of a Lampard corner to head home, before parading his captain’s armband in answer to the Stoke fans who had barracked him all match.