Blues recover from slow start to take points

Michael Ballack's headed goal sealed the points for Chelsea

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Saturday, 28, Oct 2006 08:03

Chelsea's title-winning knack of doing just enough to take victory was in full display as they beat a competitive Sheffield United side 2-0 to go top and put pressure back on Manchester United.

The hosts welcomed the champions to Bramall Lane with an energetic start that gave Jose Mourinho's men little time to settle on the ball.

Ivorian striker Didier Drogba was forced back into a defensive role as the Blades pushed forward, and although he did well to deny Claude Davis from Alan Quinn's cross minutes earlier, he then brought the defender down for a penalty with a little over quarter of an hour played.

However Danny Webber's weak spot-kick was easily seized upon by stand-in goalkeeper Henrique Hilario and seeing the chance of an early lead slip by seemed to deflate the initially-buoyant Yorkshire outfit.

Chelsea gradually asserted their quality on the game and Frank Lampard had seen a header tipped over by Paddy Kenny before he secured the breakthrough from a 43rd-minute set-piece.

When the England midfielder sent a low shot skimming in from 35 yards out there seemed little danger, but a combination of some late swerve and Kenny's misjudgement saw it beat the keeper and nestle in the net.

The visitors doubled their lead soon after the restart when Lampard swapped passes with Arjen Robben before chipping in a delicate cross for Michael Ballack to meet with a forceful back-post header.

Holland international Robben was had been a nuisance to the Blades defence all afternoon and forced Kenny into a heroic block as he bore down on goal soon after Ballack's strike.

With the match sewn up Chelsea comfortably played out time and although Sheffield United continued to work hard Webber will be ruing his tentative penalty as a crucial turning point in the game.