Blackburn |
0-0 |
Chelsea |
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FA
Barclaycard Premiership |
Blackburn still face an anxious
bid to beat the drop after failing to stretch their run of
successive Ewood Park victories against a Chelsea side again
struggling to find a cure for their latest dose of away-day
blues.
Graeme Souness' side should have
made it four in a row at home, but were forced to settle for a
draw which leaves them languishing in 17th in the Premiership,
and just three points above the relegation zone.
The point, though, was good
enough for Chelsea to see them leapfrog Newcastle back into the
vital fourth place which carries with it Champions League
football next season, although the Magpies have two matches in
hand.
While Chelsea can look forward to
continental action of some description, the question is whether
Claudio Ranieri will be at Stamford Bridge next season to
oversee such a campaign.
On this occasion they were
indebted to goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini for ensuring they suffered
nothing worse than this goalless clash. The Italian needed to be
at his best as Blackburn looked like a side which had won their
previous three home games, and far from a team embroiled in a
relegation scrap.
In a thoroughly-entertaining
encounter, Cudicini was helped by his post early on as Andy Cole
_ returning after a three-match ban for his stamp on Bolton's
Mike Whitlow _ struck the outside of the woodwork, albeit from
an almost-impossibly acute angle.
But then the Italian superbly
blocked a powerful Damien Duff drive, while later in the half he
was at full stretch in pushing away a 15-yard shot with the
outside of his right boot from Lucas Neill. Duff was again
denied by arguably the best save of the game early in the second
half when the Republic of Ireland star struck an angled screamer
from 12 yards, only for Cudicini to somehow keep out a shot
destined for the top right-hand corner.
Tugay, who last played against
Chelsea for Galatasaray in a 5-0 Champions League thrashing, was
within a whisker of gaining sweet revenge after Cudicini had
fisted clear a cracking cross from Neill from the right-hand
edge of the area.But in sending back a first-timer from 22 yards
with his right foot, the ball was within inches of the
right-hand post as Blackburn appeared the team more likely to
break the deadlock.
But Rovers could not break
through, although Chelsea were not without their chances, with
Eidur Gudjohnsen having the first of the game after seven
minutes. But the Iceland international, like Tugay, was within a
whisker of scoring as his fierce left-foot shot flashed past
Brad Friedel and the woodwork from 20 yards.
Friedel was indebted to Stig Inge
Bjornebye whipping the ball off the toes of Mario Stanic midway
through the first half after Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's goal-line
pull back had fizzed past the American and through the six-yard
box to the far post.
It was a fumble by Friedel three
minutes after the break which gave Chelsea their best
opportunity as Gudjohnsen was onto the rebound following
Hasselbaink's drive, but after a touch to cut inside Craig
Short, he then scooped the ball over with his weaker right foot.
In the end, neither side will have been happy ending the game
honours even.
Blackburn: Friedel, Neill, Short, Berg,
Bjornebye, Gillespie, Dunn, Tugay, Duff, Jansen, Cole.
Subs Not Used: Flitcroft, Johansson, Yordi, Unsal, Kelly.
Chelsea:
Cudicini, Ferrer, Terry, Desailly, Melchiot, Stanic, Lampard,
Petit, Zola, Gudjohnsen (Zenden 76), Hasselbaink.
Subs Not Used: Jokanovic, Dalla Bona, Cole, de Goey.
Att: 25,441
Ref: S Dunn (Bristol).
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