London: Chelsea reached the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday with a 1-0 win at Queens Park Rangers after Juan Mata scored a second-half winner to decide an occasionally heated match.
John Terry was taunted throughout by the Loftus Road crowd over allegations he racially abused QPR defender Anton Ferdinand when the teams last met in October, but the Chelsea captain seemed unaffected.
After a forgettable first-half, Mata scored the 62nd-minute winner with a penalty kick after Clint Hill was ruled to have brought down Daniel Sturridge.
That prompted Chelsea fans to chant "Anton, what's the score?"
Ferdinand was spared having to decide whether to give Terry a pre-match handshake after the Football Association allowed the sides to forego the traditional ritual.
The game started brightly, with Ashley Cole's crunching tackle setting the tone for the game. However any hopes of a feisty west London clash quickly diminished as Chelsea settled into their stride. QPR found it hard to gain and retain possession as the away side stroked the ball across the Loftus Road pitch.
Mata had the first real chance of the game in the 12th minute, pouncing on Luke Young's slip to drive at the heart of the QPR defence. His shot from just inside the area was on target but close enough to Paddy Kenny to have it parried away for a corner.
The first half saw few chances as both teams cautiously worked their way into the game. David Luiz's overhead kick from a Terry flick-on required a much more deft touch to trouble Kenny's goal.
Shaun Wright-Phillips was booked for a lunge borne more from frustration at a loose touch than genuine malice and that summed up an opening period that offered supporters little cheer.
Chelsea were reduced to shots from range as Fernando Torres drifted wide in search of the ball, and it nearly paid off as Raul Meireles found room on the edge of the box to take a touch on his thigh and volley the ball at goal. The well-struck shot fizzed wide of Kenny's right-hand post.
There were moments of magic though and the most notable invariably came from Mata, whose backheel on 40 minutes played Ramires into the right channel of the box. For the Spaniard's good work, the Brazilian fluffed his lines, over-hitting his cross well past the waiting Florent Malouda at the back post.
Chelsea's intent was obvious and Luiz combined to a more positive start to the second half, roaming to the edge of the box before unleashing his drive just wide.
Then came the minute of drama. QPR produced their first glimmer of threat as Federico Macheda and Wright-Phillips teamed up to unlock the Chelsea defence. As Cole was left on his heels, Wright-Phillips nipped down the right channel but his flashed drive across goal was beaten away by Petr Cech.
The Chelsea break, perhaps stirred by the QPR chance, showed intent but it was smothered in controversy. As Mata cut back and crossed towards Sturridge, the striker felt contact from Hill and tumbled in the box. Referee Mike Dean had no hesitation in pointing to the spot amid boos from the home support, who had presumed Sturridge was guilty of simulation.
Regardless, Mata composed himself before striding towards the penalty spot and sending Kenny the wrong way to give Chelsea the lead in front of the away support.
Ramires was then stretchered off after tumbling awkwardly on the edge of his box. The time taken to deal with the Brazilian allowed Andre Villas-Boas to compose his team and ensure they saw out a result that was much deserved.
In other matches, Stoke easily accounted for an unexpectedly lackluster Derby 2-0 to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Derby had won five straight matches at home and not conceded a goal in their last four, but that run ended within five minutes. Stoke, last year's finalists, scored from a corner when Cameron Jerome tapped in.
The match muddled on until the 81st, when another corner set up centerback Robert Huth's volley to double the lead.
Elsewhere, Bolton rallied to beat Swansea 2-1.
Swansea went 1-0 up in the 43rd minute through Luke Moore's deft chip at the Reebok Stadium before Darren Pratley got his first goal for Bolton. Pratley scored against his former team with a header in first-half stoppage time.
Chris Eagles settled the fourth-round tie between the two Premier League teams, putting the ball into the corner of the net in the 56th when Swansea goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel failed to hold Martin Petrov's strike.
Substitute Simeon Jackson scored a late winner as Norwich beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 to secure an FA Cup fifth-round spot for the first time in five years.
Jackson took advantage of an error by West Brom defender Craig Dawson after Marc-Antoine Fortune had equalized at the Hawthorns in the 54th. Dawson was dispossessed inside his own box and Jackson drilled a low shot past Ben Foster into the far corner of the net with five minutes left.
Norwich captain Grant Holt's ninth goal of the season in the 35th had separated the sides at half-time.
Norwich goalkeeper Jed Steer impressed on his debut, with the 19-year-old making several fine saves.
In the day's final game, second-tier Brighton beat Premier League Newcastle 1-0 at the Amex Stadium in a Cup match that Magpies defender Mike Williamson will want to forget.
Williamson deflected in Will Buckley's close-range effort for the only goal 14 minutes from time. The defender also scored an own goal last season when Newcastle lost to then League Two side Stevenage in the third round of the competition.
On a day without any major shocks, fourth-tier team Crawley provided the biggest upset by beating Hull, who are fifth in the second tier, 1-0. There are 45 places between the teams in English football's pyramid.
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