Ricardo Carvalho's first goal of the season was enough for victory although Chelsea were almost made to pay for missed chances as Middlesbrough hit woodwork three times late on.
The goal came early and for long periods, Avram Grant's side looked a good bet to add to the lead but as time wore on, mistakes began to be made and all in blue were glad to hear the final whistle.
Chelsea were asked to do the job today without our talismanic midfielder Frank Lampard, still afflicted by the illness that kept him out of midweek England duty.
With Claude Makelele not selected, the way was open for John Mikel Obi to return in the middle and Michael Essien to resume midfield duties after his right-back start against Arsenal.
Instead Juliano Belletti was selected on the right of defence with Wayne Bridge on the left. The front three remained unchanged.
It took three minutes for the hero of last week's win over Arsenal, Didier Drogba, to test Schwarzer, stinging the Boro keeper's hands with a drive from 30 yards. The ball span loose, but not far enough to reach Joe Cole following up.
There was nothing Schwarzer could do just a minute-and-a-half later when Carvalho planted the perfectly-placed header into the bottom left corner, the Portuguese man from the back nipping between two markers to reach Wayne Bridge's free-kick.
Seconds later Riccy was doing his job at the other end, sliding in to block a Boateng shot.
On eight minutes Ballack won a corner with an excellent piece of skill and Drogba this time met Kalou's set-piece, heading powerfully wide at the near post.
Cudicini made his first save from Downing after a Belletti slip on 12 minutes but Chelsea were looking very comfortable.
Approaching the half-hour, speculative efforts from Mikel and from closer range, Joe Cole, flew well off-target.
The Blues going forward were spreading the play and pulling our opponents around but without successfully getting shots on-target.
When Essien expertly escaped on the right-hand goal-line, his pass into the six-yard box was at the feet of Kalou for an agonisingly long wait. His eventual shot was blocked by Wheater and Ballack's follow-up volley was charged down.
Cole was crowded out as he shot following a Drogba charge. A free-kick from the Ivorian in the 43rd minute was deflected just wide by the wall and within seconds, Drogba was heading a Joe Cole cross at the near post but though springing high, he sent the ball wide.
In stoppage time at the end of the first half, Cattermole became the first booking for a foul on Drogba. As the players went down the tunnel, there had been little to suggest this game would not result in three crucial points for Chelsea.
Cole had an early race with the keeper at the start of the second half and just lost out. Mikel then shot wide from 20 yards. On 56 minutes, Essien genuinely worried Boro when a corner was cleared his way but his crisply-struck volley dipped just over.
Both managers opted to make their first change on the 64th minute - Wright-Phillips coming into midfield in place of Ballack and Middlesbrough's January signing, Afonso Alves, going up front for Tuncay.
Within two minutes, Wright-Phillips had missed two chances to double the lead, first dragging a shot just wide after combining with Cole and then lofting badly over when picked out in space by Kalou.
Middlesbrough sounding a warning about the fragility of the lead on 69 minutes when a ball in from the right was only inches out of reach of the head of Alves.
If that was a gentle reminder, what followed three minutes later was a bellow into the earhole. Cudicini darted out his area but completely missed an attempted clearance. The goal was there unguarded for Alves but as Terry watched helplessly as the shot flew past him, he then gleefully saw it rebound off the post and back to a grateful Chelsea keeper.
The Blues went straight up the other end and twice came within a whisker of a goal. This time Wright-Phillips did hit the target after Drogba mis-kicked but the ball diverted wide off the back of Taylor. Then the same player chipped out to Kalou whose header was superbly tipped over by Schwarzer.
Anelka came on for Kalou with 13 minutes remaining and played down the right.
The slapstick passage of play continued however. Belletti conceded a free-kick wide on the left and from it, Middlesbrough won the first header which Alves then headed onto the bar. Essien cleared the lines but now Wheater headed onto the woodwork. Another chance came as the ball fell but this time Aliadiere smashed over the bar.
Before the end Middlesbrough appealed for a Belletti hand ball in the box, correctly turned down by referee Dowd. Deep into stoppage time, Wright-Phillips conceded a free-kick, Belletti was booked for kicking the ball away but when Downing made a hash of his delivery, the three points were assured.
Boro had come close to ending their six-and-a-half year wait for a goal at the Bridge but the bottom line is Chelsea remain hard on the heels of Man United in the finishing straight for this year's title race.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Cudicini; Belletti, Carvalho, Terry (c), Bridge; Essien, Mikel, Ballack (Wright-Phillips 64); J Cole, Drogba (Alex 89), Kalou (Anelka 73).
Scorer Carvalho 4,
Booked Belletti 90+3.
Booked Cattermole 45+1.
.jpg)
0 Comments:
Post a Comment