Walsall 1-4 Chelsea: Ramires, Loic Remy, Kenedy and Pedro strikes secure Blues' Capital One Cup fourth round spot

• Ramires scored the opener for Chelsea at Walsall after 10 minutes and Loic Remy made it two in the 41st
• But James O'Connor pegged one back just before the break to keep the League One side in the match 
• Kenedy scored his first goal for Chelsea early in the first half before Pedro added a fourth late on 

By Matt Barlow for the Daily Mail

Published: 15:38 EST, 23 September 2015 | Updated: 04:40 EST, 24 September 2015

After the dirty tricks and the lady vanishes, Chelsea will have been grateful for more signs that their showman Jose Mourinho might be getting his act back together.

Mourinho did not look like satisfied man as he fumed about Diego Costa's ban but his team eased into the fourth round of the Capital One Cup with a solid display and goals from Ramires, Loic Remy, Kenedy and Pedro.

He said the loss of Costa was certain to 'hurt' his team, and Radamel Falcao backed up those words as he misfired on a wet Wednesday in Walsall. 

Ramires shows his delight as he puts Chelsea in the lead against League One Walsall in the Capital One Cup

Kenedy buries Chelsea's third goal and his first for the club early in the first half at Banks's Stadium on Wednesday

James O'Connor reacts as Walsall shock Chelsea to peg a goal back in the first minute of time added on in the first half

Falcao had two efforts cleared from the goal line and blazed a glorious chance so high over the bar that it hit the Banks's ale sign on top of the stand behind the goal.

The Colombian, on loan from Monaco, brought the house down when he slipped taking a free-kick, and succeeded in merely scooping the ball into the air and only just cleared the wall.

It threatened to turn into one of those nights. A pitch sprinkler burst into life during the second-half, and the Chelsea fans sang: Is there a fire drill?

But in truth there was only one brief moment of alarm for the Barclays Premier League champions.

It came just before half-time when centre-half James O'Connor struck for Walsall, reducing the lead to 2-1, just before half-time and offering hope to the League One team.

The Banks's Stadium buzzed with belief during the break and memories were rekindled of Chelsea's FA Cup demise at the hands of Bradford in January.

Mourinho's team had led 2-0, on that occasion, only to concede before the interval and lose 4-2.

'It was not easy,' said the Chelsea boss. 'When you start with bad results in the league as we did you cannot lose against a League One team. You can do that when the league form is fantastic.

'To lose against a League One team now would not be good for us. We don't need those feelings. I'm happy with the results and I'm happy with the players.'

Kenedy scored the vital third, a goal his vibrant performance deserved. Signed this summer for £6.7million from Fluminense, the teenage Brazilian created an early chance for Ramires, which was saved by goalkeeper Neil Etheridge. 

Ramires heads in at the far post to get Chelsea off the mark after 10 minutes in their Capital One Cup match at Walsall 

The Brazilian watches as the ball beats Walsall keeper Neil Etheridge after he got on the end of Kenedy's cross 

Ramires wheels away and does a somersault in celebration after claiming his first goal for the Blues since April

Chelsea boss Jose Mourino, wearing his casual matchday attire for the League Cup road trip, attempts to fire up his troops up

When Kenedy and Ramires combined again, Chelsea were ahead. Ramires arrived at the back-post to head in from close range. It was a simple goal and reflected the early dominance of the top-flight visitors.

Falcao almost stretched the lead. Released by Ramires, the Colombian clipped a shot over Etheridge but the 'keeper managed to make a partial block, which was enough for O'Connor to recover and clear from the line.

Falcao was denied again before half-time. Having wriggled past Etheridge inside the penalty box his effort, turned on goal from an acute angle from was headed off the line by Paul Downing.

After a torrid start, Walsall grew in confidence as the first-half developed and produced some patches of pleasing football.

'We never lost the philosophy or the way we try to play,' said boss Smith. 'At times we were very good.' 

John Terry fends off Walsall's Jordan Cook as he makes his first appearance since Chelsea's 3-1 loss to Everton on September 12

Loic Remy picks up Chelsea's second in his fourth appearance for Chelsea this season, after he came on after 82 minutes against Arsenal

Chelsea players (from left) John Obi Mikel, Branislav Ivanovic, Remy, Radamel Falcao and Ruben Loftus-Cheek celebrate the second goal

Walsall players are elated and O'Connor (right) looks like he can't believe it after the No 4 scored on the stroke of half-time

Chelsea keeper Asmir Begovic (left) and defender Branislav Ivanovic can do nothing as the ball finds its way into the net 

Chelsea's second, created by Ramires and converted emphatically by Remy before the interval, ought to have soothed any anxieties, but the home team responded quickly.

Begovic was unable to hold a free-kick from Milan Lalkovic and centre-half O'Connor pounced on the rebound. He did not connect cleanly but squeezed a shot past Chelsea's goalkeeper and two defenders, sliding across the goal.

There would be no heroic comeback. Mourinho's team performed well in the second half.

Pedro Rodriguez came off the bench to score the fourth and quell a spirited finish from Walsall.

The holders were into round four, on their way to Stoke and back in the old routine. Three wins in eight days, despite the storms around Costa, Gabriel and Eva Carneiro.

Brazilian 19-year-old Kenedy scores his first goal for the Chelsea first team with a shot through keeper Etheridge's legs

Kenedy, making his third appearance for Chelsea this season and his first start, watches as his strike finds the back of the net

Pedro launches into the shot that bagged a fourth goal in what ended up a comfortable night at the office for Chelsea

Remy (right) congratulates Spaniard Pedro on his goal as Chelsea won their third match in eight days

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