Chelsea clinch Uefa Cup spot

Melchiot, left, and Kennedy tussle for possession

Manchester City 1-2 Chelsea

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's 23rd Premiership goal for Chelsea secured their place in the Uefa Cup after a victory against Manchester City.

Hasselbaink struck his winner midway through the second-half to earn the Golden Boot award for finishing as the Premiership's top scorer.

But Chelsea were not on top form as they ended relegated City's season on an all too familiar disappointing note.

Dennis Wise had opened the scoring for the visitors before Steve Howey equalised for the home side.

But a valiant City did their best to try and deny Chelsea the point they needed to secure a European berth.

  Key incidents

7 Wise high with 20 yard shot

16: Hasselbaink shoots over with a 22-yard shot

19 Howey and Hasselbaink confrontation

19: Le Saux's low cross evades everyone in the City box

20: Wise scores after Hasselbaink's back-heel

32: Hasselbaink foul on Whitley, who is stretchered off

40: Howey steals in to head home Kennedy's corner

62: Hasselbaink scores Chelsea's second

City have a penalty appeal turned down

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The home side's determination was fuelled by their anger at the way they were treated by fans and players at Chelsea in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

Celestine Babayaro's shirt was torn on two minutes after a challenge from Paul Dickov in a fiery encounter.

Defender Howey and striker Hasselbaink came face-to-face as well before Chelsea increased the pace of their game against the Maine Road outfit.

Italian Gianfranco Zola's excellent control started a move which ended in Graeme Le Saux's low cross evading both sets of players in the City box.

A minute later Chelsea were in front.

A Hasselbaink back-heel left the home defence briefly static and Wise arrived on the edge of the box to fire a low shot past Carlo Nash.

Wise was then booked, along with Dickov, before the rash challenges resulted in Jim Whitley having to be stretchered off.

Whitley was caught high on the thigh by Hasselbaink's boot.

Chelsea failed to build on their goal before the interval and flattered to decieve.

Wise, right, celebrates

They paid the price when Howey stole into their six yard box to head in Mark Kennedy's 40th minute corner.

Tempers calmed down somewhat in the second-half before Chelsea again took the lead.

Zola found Hasselbaink in space and the Dutch striker needed no second invitation as he controlled and powered a shot past Nash for his 23rd league goal this season.

City were sparked into action and had a penalty appeal against Babayaro turned down.

Shaun Goater was played through on the Chelsea goal but could not get a shot in under the attentions of John Terry.

A late City rally saw a Dickov shot from a corner cleared off the goal-line but they failed to salvage a point.

They will be playing in the First Division next season while Chelsea held on to rescue a season of under-achievement by earning a Uefa Cup slot.

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Man City: Nash, Edghill, Dunne, Howey, Granville, Whitley, Wiekens, Dickov, Goater, Wanchope, Kennedy. Subs: Dunfield, Horlock, Day, Brian Murphy, Egil Ostenstad.

Chelsea: Cudicini, Babayaro, Desailly, Jokanovic, Wise, Le Saux, Melchiot, Terry, Morris, Hasselbaink, Zola. Subs: de Goey, Leboeuf, Poyet, Gudjohnsen, Dalla Bona.

Referee: M Riley (Leeds)