The Hindu : Sport / Football : Chelsea keeps its hopes alive

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Monday, Mar 05, 2007
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Chelsea keeps its hopes alive

MAKE THAT 29: Chelsea's Didier Drogba (left) celebrates with Andriy Shevchenko after scoring his 29th goal of the season against Portsmouth. — Photo: AP

PORTSMOUTH: Didier Drogba rifled in his 29th goal of the season as Chelsea kept its Premiership hopes alive with a 2-0 win against Portsmouth here on Saturday.

Manager Jose Mourinho prepared for the champion's delayed kick-off at a rain-swept Fratton Park by watching United open up a 12-point gap at the top with a 1-0 victory over Liverpool.

Top-scorer Drogba ensured that the extended lead was short-lived with a superb solo effort 12 minutes before half-time to drag Chelsea back into the chase. Substitute Salomon Kalou grabbed a second late on.

But goalkeeper Peter Cech did just as much to deliver the victory, producing two superb second-half saves to deny Portsmouth an equaliser before Kalou's late goal sealed the issue.

Drogba gave Chelsea a lead it scarcely deserved with another strike to add to his collection of sublime finishes. Cole put a deep cross in behind the Porstmouth defence and Drogba arrived at the back post to volley a pinpoint first-time shot beyond James and into the opposite corner.

Cech denied Portsmouth what looked like a certain equaliser when he produced a brilliant one-handed save to keep out substitute Andy Cole's point-blank header. Cech pulled off an identical stop to claw away Kanu's diving back post header less than a minute later.

Kalou put the game beyond Porstmouth's reach and gave the scoreline a more one-sided look when he helped himself to the visitor's second goal eight minutes from time. Kalou got in between Sol Campbell and Linvoy Primus to latch on to Ashley Cole's flick and slot past James.

The results: English Premier League: Blackburn 2 (Benni McCarthy (2)) bt Bolton 1 (Nicolas Anelka); Chelsea 2 (Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou) bt Portsmouth 0; Arsenal 2 (Gilberto Silva-pen, Julio Baptista) bt Reading 1 (Fabregas-og); Fulham 1 (Bocanegra) drew with Aston Villa 1 (Carew); Manchester City 0 lost to Wigan Athletic 1 (Folan); Newcastle 0 drew with Middlesbrough 0; Sheffield United 1 (Hulse) drew with Everton 1 (Arteta-pen); Watford 2 (Bouazza, Francis) drew with Charlton 2 (Young, Ambrose).

Spanish league: Sevilla 2 (Alexander Kerzhakov, Daniel Alves) bt Barcelona 1 (Ronaldinho); Valencia 1 (Fernando Morientes) bt Celta Vigo 0.

Italian league: AC Milan 3 (Gilardino, Oddo, Seedorf) bt Chievo 1 (Pellissier 17); Ascoli 1 (Soncin 31) drew with Roma 1 (Wilhelmsson 85); Livorno 1 (C. Lucarelli 27) lost to Inter Milan 2 (Julio Cruz 35, Ibrahimovic 66). — Agencies

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