SHEER brilliance from Gianfranco Zola and Finnish wonderkid Mikael Forssell ended United's brave resistance at Stamford Bridge last night, but only after plucky Oxford had again stunned their Premiership opponents.

When Phil Gilchrist bundled the Division 1 side into a shock sixth-minute lead, the Chelsea players' minds went back to the torrid time they were given at the Manor Ground nine days earlier.

But a sparkling Zola run helped create a Dennis Wise equaliser just seven minutes later, and although United then gave as good as they got for the rest of the first half, Italian master Zola delivered a telling blow five minutes before the break with a goal of audacity and world class.

Zola played a one-two with Wise and darted beyond Gilchrist before executing a wonderful chip from wide on the right over goalkeeper Elliot Jackson, who could only stand and watch as the ball floated down, hit the far post and ran over the line.

It was the kind of goal few Premier League players could have scored. Wonderful to watch . . . unless you were a United fan. And from it, Chelsea went on to secure their place in the FA Cup fifth round, and a Hillsborough meeting with Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday week.

Had Malcolm Shotton been able to get his men in at half-time still level at 1-1 he might have had a chance, but Zola's goal meant they would have to come out in the second half and Chelsea had already shown how dangerous they could be by breaking with pace.

But, already 2-1 down, a dreadful backpass by Nicky Banger 55 seconds into the second half really killed them off.

Banger tried to knock the ball back to Jackson, but succeeded only in tapping it a couple of yards and in a flash Forssell was on to it. He advanced purposefully and then shot high into the net, leaving the keeper not an earthly.

It was an outstanding finnish from the Finnish teenager, especially considering this was his debut.

But the 17-year-old blasted an even better second seven minutes later.

This time Celestine Babayaro's run had United back-tracking and when the Nigerian laid the ball back to Forssell 25 yards out, he unleashed an unstoppable shot - timed by the TV radar gun man at 65mph - into the corner of the net. Forssell's selection had been a surprise, as Gianluca Vialli decided to rest himself.

Oxford were unchanged from the original fourth-round tie at the Manor and they again began the game playing at a high tempo, closing down quickly.

What they couldn't have expected was to go in front so early. Too early, some would say, since many fancied their best chance of victory would have been to steal an 89th-minute winner.

Booed loudly by the 3,000 Oxford fans, referee Mike Reed awarded the first four free-kicks for fouls to United, as if that in some way made up for his shocking penalty decision at the Manor.

United also won the game's first corner, in the fifth minute, and when they scored from it - almost a carbon copy of Dean Windass's goal against Chelsea at Oxford - nine-tenths of Stamford Bridge fell into stunned silence.

Windass tried to get a flick on Jamie Cook's flag kick from the right but it brushed off a Chelsea defender. Gilchrist, running in, got a touch with his body and it also brushed off Marcel Desailly on its way into the net. Four minutes later and United were just grateful they still had 11 men on the park after Jody Morris raced through, knocked the ball past Jackson and then went over the keeper's leg.

This time Reed sensibly took account of the fact that it probably wasn't a goalscoring opportunity since Morris was very wide of the goal, and he branded just a yellow card to the keeper.

It must have been an unnerving moment for Jackson but he didn't show it and moments later made a great blocking save from Forssell.

On 13 minutes, Chelsea scored a well-worked equaliser. Frank Leboeuf began the move with a break from defence, Zola continued it and Wise finished with a first-time shot past Jackson's left.

Fine defending by Gilchrist and Mark Watson kept Chelsea out as the Premiership side sensed blood.

They broke with menace from Oxford's second corner, Zola laying on a glorious chance for Forssell who, this time, showed his inexperience by running the ball too wide as Paul Tait got back to clear.

Most of United's problems came down their left as Petrescu and Wise combined cleverly.

The visitors stemmed the tide in the second half but after Forssell's two goals in seven minutes, and the score suddenly 4-1, United were then looking at damage limitation as Christophe Remy was sent on for Banger.

By then Kevin Francis had come on to a standing ovation from the whole stadium which echoed to "Francis for England".

The big man started winning a lot of headers and substitute Joey Beauchamp had a rasping drive beaten away by Ed de Goey.

United were rewarded with a second goal 14 minutes from time as Wise received his fourth red card of the season.

Good work from Francis on the left paved the way for a Powell cross and Windass, trying to curl a shot into the far corner, saw it stopped by Wise's hand. The Chelsea captain, who had already been booked, should have been sent off automatically for deliberate handball, but Reed lessened the punishment he will receive by giving him just a second yellow, though in the end it meant the same thing: he was sent off.

Windass calmly converted the penalty for his 15th goal of the season.

At 4-2, United could see a glimmer of light but their one-man advantage was cruelly blown away when Tait had to go off after catching Babayaro's boot above his left eye. The U's had used all their subs so the final 12 minutes were played out by ten against ten.

In the end, it had been comfortable for Chelsea after their early scare. But United's players had done their club proud.

Story date: Thursday 04 February

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