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Ballack Keeps Blues Dream Alive (Sky Sports)
Chelsea 2 Blackburn Rovers 1
Chelsea
passed a stiff examination of their Quadruple credentials with a 2-1 extra-time
win over Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup semi-final to book a Wembley showdown
with Manchester United.
Michael Ballack's finish in the second period of extra-time earned The Blues a
gritty success at Old Trafford after surviving a fright from a much-improved
Blackburn team.
Frank Lampard struck after just 16 minutes of a first half in which Mark Hughes'
men were eons off a pedestrian pace dictated by their opponents.
Hughes' half-time pep talk revitalised Rovers and Jason Roberts levelled before
Blackburn had chances to win the tie, only to succumb to Ballack's goal in
extra-time.
Blackburn were busy in the early stages, but the physical presence of Benni
McCarthy and Roberts soon foundered on the rugged rock of John Terry and Ricardo
Carvalho, while Morten Gamst Pedersen failed to test any chinks in Michael
Essien's armour at right-back.
For their part, Chelsea barely broke sweat in the first half and created the
game's opening chance on 12 minutes when the two Coles combined, with Ashley's
shot beaten out by Brad Friedel.
Rovers failed to heed the warning from Chelsea's quick movement and tellingly
switched off again on 16 minutes to allow the favourites to take the lead.
Didier
Drogba showed great strength to hold
the ball up and feed Ballack, whose simple pass found Lampard on a charge and he
skipped past Ryan Nelsen before firing his shot across Friedel.
Aaron Mokoena - the supposed shield for Rovers' defence - was nowhere to be seen
again on 22 minutes as Drogba chested down for Joe Cole to blaze a volley off
target.
England hopeful David Bentley was fortunate not to be booked for a blatant dive,
while Pedersen's 30-yard dribbler was easy for an under-worked Petr Cech to
gather.
Joe Cole let out an embarrassing shriek from a token Brett Emerton challenge
before Stephen Warnock's dithering almost gifted Chelsea a second goal on 40
minutes.
The full-back was robbed of possession by Drogba by the touchline, but the
country's top scorer failed to pick out Andrei Shevchenko, with his poor cross
cut out by Christopher Samba.
Rovers finished the half strongly, with McCarthy harshly penalised for handball
before Cech beat away David Dunn's 25-yard stinger.
From the resulting corner, Cech was less assured as he flapped at Pedersen's
set-piece, but Samba headed over an inviting net.
There was a greater sense of urgency from both teams at the start of the second
half and Chelsea should have put the game to bed within two minutes of the
restart.
Ballack's incisive pass exposed the Blackburn offside trap, Drogba unselfishly
squared the ball for Shevchenko, but the misfiring Ukrainian struck his shot
against his standing leg and the chance was gone.
Rovers' response was impressive, with Roberts turning sharply on a Bentley pass,
but he was unable to beat Cech at his near post.
Cech had to tip Pedersen's meek free-kick, which was deflected skywards by
Bentley, over the bar, while Friedel made a routine save from Carvalho at the
opposite end.
Blackburn were growing in stature and their threat increased when only the post
denied Pedersen an equaliser on 61 minutes.
Just two minutes later and the Norwegian set up the leveller, when Roberts got
the drop on Terry and dangled out a foot to divert Pedersen's free-kick past
Cech.
Ballack's curler, from a contentiously-awarded free-kick, had Friedel scrambling
across his goal, but Blackburn had a golden chance to score on 83 minutes.
McCarthy held the ball up strongly before teeing up Bentley to cross for
Pedersen, who headed wide of the target when unmarked from close range.
Blackburn were looking the more likely to settle the tie in normal time and only
a magnificent save from Cech prevented Terry from heading Pedersen's long throw
into his own net.
The first half of extra-time passed with Friedel making a comfortable save from
Drogba's header after the striker had darted in front of Samba at a corner.
The decisive goal came four minutes into the second period of extra-time when
substitute Shaun Wright-Phillips wriggled to the by-line to pull the ball back,
and though Warnock blocked Salomon Kalou's shot, the rebound fell to Ballack to
drill past an unsighted Friedel.
Essien thundered a 25-yard drive against the crossbar late on as Chelsea kept
Blackburn at bay to remain in the hunt for an unprecedented four-trophy haul.
Blackburn Rovers |
Team Statistics |
Chelsea |
1 |
Goals |
2 |
0 |
1st Half Goals |
1 |
6 |
Shots on Target |
6 |
10 |
Shots off Target |
5 |
4 |
Blocked Shots |
3 |
6 |
Corners |
8 |
30 |
Fouls |
20 |
4 |
Offsides |
5 |
4 |
Yellow Cards |
1 |
0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
60.6 |
Passing Success |
74.6 |
21 |
Tackles |
21 |
90.5 |
Tackles Success |
81 |
38.5 |
Possession |
61.5 |
50.6 |
Territorial Advantage |
49.4 |
Teams
Chelsea Cech,
Carvalho, A. Cole, Terry, Ballack, J. Cole (Wright-Phillips 97), Essien, Lampard,
Makelele (Mikel 81), Drogba, Shevchenko (Kalou 63)
Subs Not Used Cudicini, Boulahrouz
Booked
Mikel, Ballack
Goals Lampard 16, Ballack 109
Blackburn Rovers
Friedel, Mokoena, Nelsen, Samba, Warnock, Bentley
(Derbyshire 114), Dunn (Peter 106), Emerton, Pedersen, McCarthy, Roberts
Subs Not Used
Enckelman, Henchoz, Kerimoglu
Booked
Emerton, Mokoena, Pedersen, Warnock
Goals Roberts 64
Attendance 50,559
Referee A. Wiley