Chelsea landed a hat-trick of headers through Tore Andre Flo, John Terry and George Weah to emphatically end Gillingham's Wembley pipe-dreams.

Now Gianluca Vialli's Blues, who turned victory into a stroll with two more late strikes by Gianfranco Zola and Jody Morris, are set for their eighth major cup semi-final in seven years on April 9, against Newcastle at Wembley.

They also have a European Champions League programme coming up, too, but such is the price of fame - and nobody at Stamford Bridge was complaining.

Gillingham, eighth in the Nationwide League Second Division and already the possessors of two Premiership scalps in Bradford City and Sheffield Wednesday, enjoyed their afternoon out at one of English football's finest citadels and caused a few early flutters.

But they were effectively beaten when teenager Terry - scoring his first-ever Chelsea goal - and Liberian ace Weah planted headers beyond ex-Arsenal reserve keeper Vince Bartram during a two-minutes spell early in the second half.

And Chelsea were able to indulge themselves with two more strikes in the last five minutes.

Zola - recalled to the side as captain - slotted home a penalty in the 87th minute after being brought down before Morris, stand-in for the suspended Dennis Wise, made it a nap hand when scoring at the second attempt after his initial effort had hit a post.

Flo's 15th-minute header had been the only material difference at half time between FA Cup favourites and gallant minnows as the battling Kent side made their glamourous hosts work hard.

But the gulf in class became a chasm in the second period as Chelsea unfurled a wide range of superior technique and also matched their opponents for work-rate.

Gillingham, playing an FA Cup quarter-final for the first time in their 87-year history, packed the midfield with five players in front of a rigid back-four and left Andy Thomson as a lone-striker.

It wasn't until the second half that boss Peter Taylor, the ex-Spurs and Crystal Palace winger, boldly sent an extra striker on in Carl Asaba.

Within seven minutes though, Gillingham's dreams were over as Terry notched his first-ever Chelsea goal with a header from Zola's corner and then Weah back-headed Didier Deschamps' chip beyond Bartram.

It should never have been a real contest and in the end it wasn't. But Gillingham's 7,000 travelling fans had reason for some hope even after Flo's 15th-minute opener.

Just when it seemed Chelsea might be in for a frustrating afternoon against a thick yellow wall of resistance, they scored from their first real opportunity.

Gus Poyet did the damage with a strong run down the left and put over a perfect cross to the far post where Flo had pulled away from his marker and headed his 14th goal of the season.

The breakthrough brought even more pressure on the Gillingham goal but they almost equalised in a brilliant breakaway in the 22nd minute.

Skipper Paul Smith released Mark Saunders and it needed a superbly-timed tackle by Bernard Lambourde to rob him just eight yards from goal.

A minute later, though, Bartram had to dive full length to turn away Poyet's fierce drive from 20 yards.

And Gillingham were rocking when Jon Harley's cross flew across a crowded goalmouth without anybody getting the touch which would have meant a certain goal.

But the pint-sized Gills worked tirelessly to close the gap in class and had a great chance to equalise when Nicky Southall put in a splendid cross from the left, eluding the lunge of Marcel Desailly only for Thomson to head inches over the bar.

It was to be their last real hurrah.

Asaba briefly threatened to turn things around with a couple of surging runs early in the second half, but by the time the flagging Thomson had been replaced as his strike partner, Chelsea had the tie in their pockets with the double-header response from Terry and Weah.

The rest was just a matter of how many Chelsea would get and the under-siege Bartram superbly blocked Morris when the midfielder was clean through and Lambourde lost control of the ball after dribbling past the keeper.

There were just three minutes left though when Zola's persistent probing brought him overdue personal reward.

Substitute Marcus Browning brought him down as he arrowed in on goal and the little Italian picked himself up to out away the spot-kick for his first goal since October.

It was almost too cruel on the gallant visitors when having seen Morris's shot crash away off a post their defenders were left for dead by the speed of his follow-up and a firm finish.

Teams

Chelsea: De Goey, Lambourde, Terry (Clement 73), Desailly, Harley, Poyet, Deschamps, Morris, Zola, Weah (Sutton 78), Flo (Ambrosetti 73).

Subs Not Used: Petrescu, Cudicini.

Booked: Harley.

Goals: Flo 16, Terry 49, Weah 50, Zola 85 pen, Morris 88.

Gillingham: Bartram, Southall (Browning 78), Ashby, Pennock (Asaba 46), Butters, Edge, Smith, Hessenthaler, Lewis, Saunders, Thomson (Nosworthy 58).

Subs Not Used: Hodge, Mitten.

Booked: Lewis.

Att: 34,205

Ref: P Durkin (Dorset).