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![Celestine Babayaro](images/1107781.jpg) |
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Babayaro: first goal in ages |
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Chelsea |
1-0 |
Middlesbrough |
Babayaro 47 |
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Premiership, Saturday November 16 |
Celestine Babayaro scored his first league goal in
over three years as Chelsea held on to third place in the Barclaycard
Premiership.
Gianfranco Zola played a delightful ball through to the Nigerian
left-back, who cut in behind Stuart Parnaby and thundered his shot
into the roof of Mark Schwarzer's net from 10 yards.
In an unispiring game the Blues always seemed to be in control but
yet again relied on a handful of amazing saves from goalkeeper Carlo
Cudicini.
Chelsea forward Eidur Gudjohnsen had the first crack at goal, with his
angled effort being deflected wide of Schwarzer's right-hand post. At
the other end, Maccarone picked out Geremi on the right side of the
Blues' penalty box - but the Cameroon international failed to control
and Jody Morris cleared.
Schwarzer looked uncomfortable dealing with crosses - and from Le
Saux's right-wing corner, he flapped at the ball and was relieved to
see it flip over. George Boateng - never far from controversy - was
lucky to escape without a booking when he elbowed Zola after 21
minutes. The Dutchman won the ball but also smacked the little Italian
across the jaw with his right forearm.
The game was really opening up now, with Cudicini making a fine
double save from Maccarone, who was clean through. Cudicini parried
his fellow Italian's powerful drive and seized his follow-up effort.
Emmanuel Petit fired a left-foot volley two yards wide as the half
hour mark neared. And after 40 minutes, Le Saux - who had swopped
wings with Morris - crossed from the left and Zola firmly side-footed
goalwards. Schwarzer reacted well to push the ball over his bar.
Whatever Ranieri said to his players at half-time worked because it
took his team just two minutes of the second period to storm into the
lead. Zola, in space as the Boro midfield went to sleep, dinked a
delightful angled pass to the charging Babayaro.
The left-back cut in behind Stuart Parnaby and thundered his shot
into the roof of Schwarzer's net from 10 yards. Nemeth made a mess of
a tricky chance to haul his side level just before the hour. From a
half-cleared cross, the Boro striker scuffed his angled volley across
the face of goal.
Boateng, lucky not to enter referee Dowd's notebook for flooring
Zola, was shown the yellow card for barging into Frank Lampard in the
68th minute. Lampard was in the thick of things now. He robbed his
England colleague Gareth Southgate 40 yards out, advanced 15 yards
before smacking a piledriver a foot wide.
Cudicini was again left exposed by his defence after 72 minutes.
Geremi's threaded through ball found Boksic, who had just come off the
bench. But Chelsea's number one was equal to the task and first dived
at Boksic's feet and then smothered Whelan's immediate follow-up.
Boksic brilliantly twisted his body to side-foot a cross goalwards
with five minutes left but his attempt deflected off Melchiot and over
the top. Cudicini also parried Joseph-Desire Job's injury-time
thunderbolt.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Carlo Cudicini (Chelsea)
- Yet again Cudicini one was on hand to save the day for the Blues.
The Italian made a number of outstanding saves. Quality 'keeper.
Chelsea: Cudicini,
Melchiot, Gallas, Desailly, Babayaro, Morris (Gronkjaer 45), Lampard,
Petit, Le Saux (Terry 85), Gudjohnsen (Hasselbaink 76), Zola.
Subs Not Used: De Lucas, Pidgeley.
Booked: Petit, Melchiot.
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer,
Parnaby (Queudrue 67), Ehiogu, Southgate, Vidmar, Geremi, Boateng,
Greening, Job, Nemeth (Boksic 71), Maccarone (Whelan 71).
Subs Not Used: Crossley, Wilkshire.
Booked: Boateng.
Att: 39,064
Ref: P Dowd
(Staffordshire).
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