STEWART RUINS CHELSEA'S GUD DAY
(Sky
Sports)
Resilient Ipswich plucked Chelseas first away win of the season from
beneath the Blues noses as Marcus Stewart completed a determined fight-back.
Top-scorer Stewart and James Scowcroft cancelled out Eidur Gudjohnsens
early double strike, which had seemed certain to end Chelseas dreadful run of
15 away games without a win.
A share of the points was no more than both Blues deserved from an
entertaining Portman Road tussle that started in dream style for Chelsea.
Only seven minutes had gone when the Icelandic striker Gudjohnsen volleyed
Mario Melchiot's right-wing cross firmly past the exposed Richard Wright from 12
yards.
Just nine minutes later, Gudjohnsen claimed his brace by turning home Jimmy
Floyd Hasselbainks precision cross.
Perversely, it was Ipswich who had started the brighter of the two teams and
visiting goalkeeper Ed de Goey was forced to clear a frantically clear a
Jermaine Wright corner in the very first minute.
Marcus Stewart followed up with a rasping shot, but found Marcel Desailly and
Alun Armstrong forced de Goey to save solidly with his right palm, then again
with a 20-yard curler.
Chelsea captain Dennis Wise should have sealed victory for his side just
before the half hour, but he somehow shot straight at Wright.
The miss left the door open for Ipswich, and Scowcroft duly snuck through,
heading Fabian Wilnis deep cross past de Goey moments before the break.
As Ipswich stepped up through the gears on the resumption, Chelsea were
indebted to John Terry's heels, which diverted Hermann Hreidarsson's goal bound
header to safety; the centre-back then cleared another effort of the line,
following a Mark Venus corner.
Ipswich surged forward, gaps appeared at the back and Wise should have
capitalised, but the international only succeeded in shooting the ball along,
rather than over the goal-line.
Nine minutes from time, Ipswich drew level as Stewart, whod earlier seen
de Goey tip his fierce drive over, cracked a Scowcroft lay-off through the Dutch
goalkeepers legs.
Indeed, high-flying Ipswich almost stole all the points, but the omnipresent
Terry cleared Martijn Reusers shot off the line at the death.
Ipswich: Richard Wright, Wilnis (Croft 74), Bramble, Venus,
Hreidarsson, Clapham (Reuser 63), Holland, Scowcroft, Jermaine Wright,
Armstrong, Stewart Chelsea: de Goey, Leboeuf, Desailly, Terry, Melchiot (Bogarde 59),
Wise, Morris, Dalla Bona, Zola (Harley 89), Hasselbaink (Jokanovic 68),
Gudjohnsen. Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Poyet Att: 22,237
Ipswich
Town 2-2 Chelsea
Scowcroft 43, Stewart 81 - Gudjohnsen 8, 16
FA Carling Premiership
Subs Not Used: Branagan, Johnson, McGreal
Goals: Scowcroft 43, Stewart 82
Booked: Dalla Bona, Jokanovic, Desailly, Morris
Goals: Gudjohnsen 8, 17
Ref: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees)