Blues cruise despite Derby boos

Wright-Phillips, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and returning captain John Terry were all jeered and taunted following England's abject failure to qualify for next summer's Euro 2008 finals.

But after Salomon Kalou had fired home the 18th-minute opener at Pride Park, Wright-Phillips sealed the points in the 73rd minute to send Chelsea up to fourth in the Barclays Premier League. It was a contentious strike as Giles Barnes lay on the ground injured at the time following a challenge from behind from Andriy Shevchenko.

That had followed a disputed, disallowed effort from Kenny Miller, who was also involved in another moment of controversy in injury time. The Scotland international striker was caught in the face by a flailing arm from 75th-minute substitute Michael Essien, who was shown a straight red card by referee Andre Marriner.

It was a hotly-disputed end to a game that had started with boos and jeers for Chelsea's England quartet, including Terry, who was back after seven weeks out following a knee operation. Nevertheless, Terry was his customary composed self until furiously disputing Essien's red card, twice throwing the ball to the ground as he confronted Marriner.

And yet the game had started so comfortably for Chelsea, who took the lead courtesy of Kalou's fifth goal of the season. Mikel Jon Obi, Shevchenko and Steve Sidwell played their part, with the latter sliding a ball into the path of Ivorian Kalou, who proceeded to pass a low shot into the net beyond Stephen Bywater.

With six minutes of the first half remaining, it should have been game over as centre-back Claude Davis inexplicably nodded a Wright-Phillips cross down into the path of Kalou. But the 22-year-old failed to accept the gift, inexcusably not even testing Bywater as he sidefooted Davis' gaffe over the cross bar from six yards.

Derby made Chelsea work a lot harder after the break and they could have been level when Miller coolly lobbed an advancing Carlo Cudicini after taking a Dean Leacock pass on his chest, only for a linesman's flag to wrongly flag him offside.

If boss Billy Davies was unhappy with that, he was furious soon after as he appealed for a foul from behind by Shevchenko on Barnes. As the youngster lay on the ground in pain, Lampard strode away before twisting and turning his way into a shooting opportunity. Although his effort struck the post, the rebound fell to Wright-Phillips, who stroked home from close range.

Substitute Steve Howard then missed a close-range header late on as Derby's goal drought now stretches to 10 hours and shows no sign of coming to an end. That was before the game erupted in fury, but a rightful dismissal for Essien.