Blues end season on a high Down Under

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Loic Remy scored a sublime winner as Chelsea concluded their post-season Asia tour with a second successive 1-0 victory.

Having disposed of a Thailand All-Stars side on Saturday thanks to a Dom Solanke volley, the Blues were again indebted to a goal of considerable quality as Remy cut inside and spanked an unstoppable effort into the top corner from fully twenty yards to seal victory here against Sydney FC in front of 83,598 supporters.

José Mourinho named a strong side as the Blues sought to conclude a successful season on a high note, and with the menacing Diego Costa and the magical Eden Hazard offered both time and space on the ball by their A-League opponents, Chelsea were not short on invention and attacking quality in an entertaining, end-to-end affair.

It was Costa who had the first effort of note as he looked to have squeezed a shot from the tightest of angles through the goalkeeper's legs, only for the keeper to recover and pick the ball up before it trickled in.

By the time Remy had smashed in the opener in the 30th minute he should arguably have already been on the scoresheet. Hazard, a constant threat, dribbled inside and his low cross across the face of the six yard box found the Frenchman who could only sweep his left-footed finish into the side netting.

There was to be no repeat when the opener did indeed come, however, as Remy benefited from an incisive pass out wide from Jeremie Boga. Taking a touch to compose himself, Remy shifted inside before guiding his shot with laser precision beyond the helpless goalkeeper to give the Blues a 1-0 lead.

Sydney almost replied instantaneously, but for a superb save from Petr Cech. Young Nathan Aké was caught drifting too far inside, allowing space for the Sydney striker to have a shot on goal. Cech, however, spread himself expertly, and Branislav Ivanovic acrobatically volleyed away the goalbound follow-up to clear the danger.

Costa had another effort - this time very well saved - as he dribbled inside and then outside in a moment

, in what was to be his last involvement as he was substituted off after an impressive 40 minutes.

Both he and Remy had showed composure and technique in protecting the ball and linking it with the midfield as the Blues probed away patiently, and it ought to have been 2-0 before half-time as Boga sidefooted over from a presentable opportunity with Hazard again the architect, but the Blues were well worth their interval lead.

The second half started tentatively after a swathe of half-time substitutions, with one of those new arrivals, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, failing to make the most of an intelligent reverse pass from Hazard on the edge of the box.

At the other end, Hoole toe-poked a shot wide after similarly positive build-up play outside of the Blues' penalty area, whilst Remy showed great confidence as he drove forward before forcing the goalkeeper to scramble across his goalline - but thankfully, from his perspective, Remy's low effort bobbled wide.

That signified the beginning of a more open period with both sides exchanging blows: first Antonis forced Cech into a relatively comfortable parry with a powerful drive from the right side of the area, whilst a miraculous goalline clearance by a Sydney defender prevented Remy from doubling his tally after Hazard had rounded the goalkeeper and found the Frenchman. With the whole of the goal to aim for, Remy instead could only direct his effort straight at the defender on the line, who headed clear.

Cech made another routine save before another moment of Hazard magic opened up an opportunity for young Chelsea full-back Andreas Christensen, who could only find the goalkeeper's gloves with his drilled effort. Hazard had dribbled froward from the half-way line, nutmegging one defender and outpacing another two before finding his team-mate, and was understandably frustrated that the young Dane failed to either slot the ball home or find one of the forwards in the penalty area.

Cesar Azpilicueta and Nemanja Matic could then both be criticised for picking the wrong option as both chose to go for goal from an acute angle instead of passing inside, whilst at the other end Cech had to make a truly stunning save to prevent Hoole from heading home an equaliser. The loose ball was bundled into the back of the net but only after the intervention of a Sydney hand.

Despite that nerve-wracking moment and a couple of necessary blocks from John Terry and Ivanovic at the back as the home side pushed forward for a leveller, the Blues were able to hold on and secure a winning end to a silver-lined season.

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