Chelsea |
5-1 |
Bolton |
Gudjohnsen 41
Hasselbaink 45
Zenden 56
Hendry o.g. 76
Lampard 87 |
|
Nolan 3 |
FA Barclaycard Premiership |
Andy Clarke reporting
Eidur Gudjohnsen produced a fine performance to earn Chelsea three
points at the expense of his former club.
The pre-match talk in Lancashire had been of the threat posed by
the Icelandic international - and he showed exactly why his former
manager Sam Allardyce still holds him in such high regard.
Chelsea had looked anything but championship challengers in a
subdued first half display and trailed to Kevin Nolan's early headed
goal when Gudjohnsen fired in a blistering drive to draw them level.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink broke clear down the left before cutting
the ball back to his strike partner, who fizzed a low shot beyond
Jussi Jaaskelainen's left hand.
Four minutes later Gudjohnsen returned the favour to Hasselbaink,
teeing up the Dutchman for a rising shot into the top corner to give
Claudio Ranieri's side a half time lead which will undoubtedly have
been greeted with surprise in the home dressing room.
Only three minutes had elapsed when Bolton took the lead, Nolan and
three colleagues reacting quickest to Per Frandsen's curling cross,
and the young midfielder glanced a free header past Carlo Cudicini.
It was only the second time the Italian keeper had been beaten in
11 matches this season and Chelsea were fortunate that a third didn't
follow shortly after when Nolan's drive was harshly ruled out for a
handball decision against Michael Ricketts in the build-up.
Bolton had other chances in the first half, notably when Cudicini
flapped at Ricardo Gardner's corner only for Mario Stanic to clear the
ball off the line. Cudicini then redeemed himself with a one-handed
save from Gardner's angled shot.
With the visitors' resistence broken by the interval, a relieved
Chelsea had much the better of the second period, which was
illuminated by a superb solo goal by Boudewijn Zenden.
The Dutch international benefitted from a fortunate ricochet off
Paul Warhurst before chesting the ball down and lifted a delicate lob
over Jaaskelainen from 22 yards.
Bolton might have given themselves a lifeline when substitute Dean
Holdsworth headed goalwards but Cudicini pulled off an excellent save.
Seconds later they were dead and buried as Sam Dalla Bona broke
clear and squared the ball towards Gudjohnsen, only for Colin Hendry
to shin the ball into his own net.
Hasselbaink then squandered a glorious chance of a fifth as Bolton
were reeling, but Frank Lampard was more accurate three minutes from
time with a right foot shot which beat Jaaskelainen from 25 yards.
Man of the Match: Eidur Gudjohnsen -
Scored the crucial goal which brought Chelsea back into
the game and was a constant threat to his old colleagues.
Chelsea: Cudicini, Le Saux (Ferrer 82),
Gallas, Terry, Melchiot, Lampard, Stanic, Dalla Bona, Zenden (Petit
66),
Gudjohnsen (Zola 80), Hasselbaink.
Subs Not Used: de Goey, Jokanovic.
Booked: Gudjohnsen, Terry.
Bolton: Jaaskelainen,
N'Gotty, Whitlow, Hendry, Warhurst (Hansen 77), Charlton, Frandsen (Farrelly
58),
Gardner, Johnson (Holdsworth 59), Nolan, Ricketts.
Subs Not Used: Poole, Diawara.
Booked: Johnson, Whitlow.
Att: 34,063
Ref: U Rennie
(Sheffield)
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