Gareth Southgate was missing but Ugo Ehiogu returned to partner Colin Cooper at the heart of the defence. Paul Ince was declared fit and joined Robbie Mustoe in midfield, where Jonathan Greening and Noel Whelan were also returning. Dean Windass played up front with Benito Carbone.
Chelsea could have taken the lead in the opening minutes bur Mark Schwarzer saved Boro's blushes with a smart stop from Boudewijn Zenden.
Boro had some good pocession in the first half-hour and but for some dodgy refereeing decisions would have been in the lead. Boro twice had the ball in the net.
The first 'goal' by Franck Queudrue was cancelled out by the referee who blew for an offside flag seconds earlier.
The second 'goal' was disallowed for something that the referee saw off the ball, as Cooper headed home a Carbone corner. The crowd were disappointed to say the least and had a go at referee, Barry Knight, who could do no right for a couple of minutes. It finally lead to some ironic cheers from the North Stand as the Orpington referee finally gave Boro a free-kick.
Boro had a number of chances, Greening having the best opportunity, but he lost his footing just as he was about to shoot, when one-on-one with Carlo Cudicini.
Chelsea took the lead shortly before half-time when Carlton Cole headed home a free-kick and they incresed their lead on the stoke of half-time with a deflected shot from Zenden which left Schwarzer wrong footed.
It was not a fair reflection of the play and Steve McClaren was quick to change things round by making a triple substitution at the break. Carbone, Windass and Mustoe were replaced with Szilard Nemeth, Stewart Downing and Michael Debeve.
Boro certainly started the second half with more enthusiasm and went close through Whelan, twice, and Debeve, the Frenchman being unlucky to see a volley fly inches past the post.
As the game went on it petered out like most end-of-season games, but large numbers of Boro fans stayed behind to applaud the team and McClaren after a good first season in charge.
The highlight of the second half was the Chelsea fans being outsung by a couple of hundred Scholl kids in the South Stand who had the whole stadium applauding after their renditions of 'she fell over' and Chelsea scum'. A hilarious and lighthearted end to the seasons procedings.