Soccer English FA Cup quarter-finals/ Chelsea 1 Newcastle United 0: Chelsea claimed their place in the English FA Cup semi-finals and Newcastle, as has too often been the case, took merely credit from the nature of the defeat. The record books will suggest that this was vengeance for the victors over opponents who had knocked them out of this tournament in the fifth round last year, but it did not feel like it.

This occasion did not see the Premiership leaders mounting a show of strength in the wake of the defeat by Fulham.

Perhaps too many fixtures have already been fulfilled and too many miles run for that.

Alan Shearer will end his Newcastle career without a trophy as he will retire at the end of the season, bringing the curtain down on 10 years as a Newcastle player. He will end it as the club's all-time record goalscorer, after breaking Jackie Milburn's long-standing record this season.

But he will not emulate Geordie legend Milburn by bringing the English FA Cup back to Tyneside. Shearer's decade in black and white is destined to end in disappointment. His misery was completed when he was booked for arguing with the referee in the last minute.

Shaun Wright-Phillips thrashed wide after 85 minutes and the initial impression of this encounter was countered by the tense conclusion, in which Robbie Elliott was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in the 90th minute.

It was difficult on occasion to tell recuperation and challenge apart where Chelsea were concerned.

Following the loss at Craven Cottage, it appeared, after a fourth-minute opener for Jose Mourinho's side, that they would build their confidence as well as advance their bid for the double.

The visitors looked then, and in other first-half episodes, as if they had no means to defend themselves.

Jean-Alain Boumsong had been so feckless even before his weekend dismissal that jokers argued Chelsea themselves ought to appeal against the centre-half's suspension. Whatever the truth of so scathing a jest, the fact is that Glenn Roeder, the caretaker manager, has no simple means of replacing the Frenchman while Titus Bramble is injured.

Peter Ramage, the relative novice who has been nursed along at right-back, had to be shifted into the central position that he is expected to occupy only in the longer term. There was no cover from him or anyone else when Damien Duff clipped a laconic corner into the goalmouth that left John Terry to shoot first time into the net off Nolberto Solano.

It should have settled a Chelsea line-up that had been shaken up, with only Terry, Claude Makelele, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole surviving from the starting selection at Fulham.

They were fairly sound, but the bids to prey on the Newcastle defence were intermittent.

Perhaps they were lulled into believing that it would be sufficient to hit the ball down the middle.

That was almost good enough, for instance, after 23 minutes when Didier Drogba and Duff helped play on before Eidur Gudjohnsen thrashed a shot high from an angle.

For all that, the visitors were not completely beleaguered and when Carlo Cudicini fended away a Lee Bowyer shot in the 17th minute Terry had to react forcefully to prevent Alan Shearer from converting the loose ball.

Chelsea's heart rate quickened, too, after the Asier Del Horno foul on Bowyer four minutes later that allowed Solano to air his expertise at free-kicks. The attempt went narrowly wide, even if Cudicini probably had it covered.

Chelsea were spasmodic in their work and the employment of Cole in a deeper area meant that the side, with Michael Essien on the bench, did not have as much muscle as usual to apply in midfield.

Mourinho's team were merely in a workmanlike mood, confident that victory would emerge from diligence. That way of thinking often does make sense for them, particularly if the opposition are as unacquainted with marking as Newcastle.

A minute before half-time Frank Lampard bent in a free-kick and a stretching Ricardo Carvalho volleyed wide of an open goal.

Wastefulness of that order must encourage any opponents and Newcastle, whatever the other flaws that beset them, did not lack energy. Steve Carr, making his first appearance in two months after a hernia operation, was as willing as ever to overlap.

The visitors' perseverance kept having to meet new tests, though, and Craig Moore had to make his debut by coming on for the injured Celestine Babayaro.

Chelsea, despite the reputation for vigilance, have been afflicted recently with lapses in concentration and they were striving last night for only their second clean sheet in 10 matches.

The contest, at least, did not put them in danger of drowsiness. There was a minor fracas in the 59th minute after Robbie Elliott had kicked Cole as he lay on the ground.

Steve Bennett restored order with cautions for Moore, Shola Ameobi and Drogba. Almost immediately, the Ivorian international forced an excellent block from Shay Given. Gudjohnsen, though, failed lamentably to do even that in the 63rd minute. Running through on the left, his finish ran so far askew that it remained in play.

In the 76th minute, Chelsea made a double substitution with Hernan Crespo and Michael Essien replacing Gudjohnsen and Cole.

• Guardian Service

CHELSEA: Cudicini, Geremi, Ricardo Carvalho, Terry, Del Horno, Joe Cole (Essien 77), Makelele, Lampard, Duff (Wright-Phillips 68), Drogba, Gudjohnsen (Crespo 77).

Subs Not Used: Cech, Huth.

Booked: Drogba, Geremi.

Goal: Terry 4.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Carr, Elliott, Ramage, Babayaro (Moore 52), Solano (Emre 70), Bowyer, Parker, Dyer, Ameobi, Shearer.

Subs Not Used: Harper, Faye, Clark.

Sent Off: Elliott (90).

Booked: Elliott, Ameobi, Moore, Shearer.

Att: 42,279

Referee: S Bennett (Kent)