For me that decision was the beginning of the end of Chelsea's night.

Without John Terry taking up his usual position at the start of the game, meant Chelsea on the pitch didn't have a leader.

OK there maybe were eleven highly paid footballers on the park with a job to do, but no-one could stake a claim to lead a team in half as a mould as John Terry.

Chelsea made wholesale changes to the side that started at Blackburn.

In came Carlo, Paulo, Ivanovic, Mineiro, Drogba and Belletti.

After twenty odd minutes Belletti went off to be replaced by Super Frank and within seconds, Frankie set up Drogba who scored with a fine finish to put Chelsea 1-0 up.

Whilst celebrating at the away end, coins and other rubbish were thrown towards 'The Drog' and in a moment of madness Drog threw a coin viciously back into the away end.

After the game, Didier issued this apology. He said "This is something I want to make clear. I tried to celebrate the goal and I received some things at me.

"The big mistake I did was to throw it back so if someone was hurt I just want to apologise for it.

"This is not something I should show in a football match and I want to apologise. It was an incident in the heat of the moment and I regret it.

"It was just a mistake and nothing more."

This incident will rumble on and on I fear.

Akinbiyi equalised from close range after Carlo parried a cross into his path.

Chelsea had already hit the bar, Di Santo struck a fizzer which went just wide and then just into the start of extra-time he limped off with a hamstring injury leaving Chelsea with ten men, after all the subs had been used.

Alex missed an absolute sitter right at the death and then we were off on penalties.

At this point I made a decision to leave, missing the shoot-out completely as we are rubbish, our last shoot out success was over a decade ago at Ipswich.

Point proved as Captain for the night Wayne Bridge missed his and Mikel had his brilliantly saved by Jensen.

CONGRATULATIONS TO BURNLEY, they rode their luck at times but they battled and scrapped and despite they had their Captain sent-off, six minutes from the end of extra-time, they held on to send the 6,000 odd Claret and Blue fans packed in The Shed home, extremely happy.

Chelsea: Cudicini, Ferreira, Alex, Ivanovic, Bridge (c), Mineiro, Kalou, Belletti (Lampard 25), Deco (Mikel h/t), Malouda, Drogba (Di Santo 68)

Goal: Drogba 26

Booked: Drogba 27

 

Burnley: Jensen, Alexander, Duff, Caldwell (c), Jordan, Elliott, Gudjonsson (McDonald 96), McCann, Blake (Mahon 76), Eagles, Paterson (Akinbiyi 59)

Goal: Akinbiyi 68

Booked: Caldwell 58, Akinbiyi 68, Eagles 72

Sent-off: Caldwell 114

Penalty History:

1-0 Burnley, Alexander

1-1 Lampard

2-1 Burnley, Mahon

2-1 Burnley, Bridge missed

3-1 Burnley, Eagles

3-2 Burnley, Kalou

4-2 Burnley, MacDonald

4-3 Ferreira

4-3 Burnley, Elliott missed

4-4 Malouda

5-4 Burnley, Duff

5-4 Game Over as Mikel misses