09.09.2006 chelsea 2-1 charlton

..feza.. · Site Admin Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Posts: 304

RICARDO CARVALHO ruined Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's return to Stamford Bridge.

Charlton were heading for a shock point after former Blues striker Hasselbaink cancelled out Didier Drogba's opener.

But Carvalho had the final say with a thumping header on 63 minutes to confirm Chelsea's superiority.

Hasselbaink, who quit the Bridge after four years for Middlesbrough, refused to celebrate his goal and the home fans applauded as he made his way back to the centre.

Perhaps the Dutchman knew his strike would actually mean nothing as the champions bossed the game from start to finish and always looked strong favourites.

Marcus Bent saw a second equaliser ruled out for handball late on while Frank Lampard missed another penalty.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho backed Lampard despite it being his third miss from the spot in four attempts for club and country.

Mourinho said: "You only miss a penalty if you have the courage to take a penalty.

"He has the courage. He has taken penalties for two years and has taken some very important penalties for us, so I’m ready to carry on with him.

"I know I have some very good penalty-takers and, if the next penalty is a crucial penalty in the crucial moment of a game and he thinks it’s better to give the chance to a more confident player, I am happy with that. But I trust him as always.

"Frank doesn’t need sympathy. He is an unbelievable player and in my opinion he is playing well for Chelsea.

"I won’t give my opinion about England because that is for Steve McClaren.

"I am more than happy with Lamps. Sympathy is not the word because with me he always plays.

"He can be under pressure and you can give him some stick but with me he always plays.

"He will be out if I decide to give him a rest or in the Carling Cup at home but for me he plays always."

It took just six minutes for Mourinho's men to make their mark.

Michael Ballack, on his home debut, met Lampard's corner with a powerful diving header which was destined for the bottom corner but was blocked by Bryan Hughes.

The rebound fell for Drogba who forced the ball into the net for his third of the season.

Scott Carson prevented Charlton from slipping two behind in the 13th minute with a fine save low to his left.

Shaun Wright-Phillips skipped past Djimi Traore on the right and Drogba met his low cross with a fierce drive, which Carson smothered at the second attempt.

Charlton were outplayed for most of the first half but one wonderful chance fell to Darren Bent in the 31st minute.

Sub Dennis Rommedahl, on for the injured Andy Reid, seized on a poor clearance from Wayne Bridge, who started ahead of new boy Ashley Cole.

The Dane delivered from the right with a perfect cross for Bent, who sprang well but glanced his header wide.

Chelsea hit back. Lampard threaded a neat pass to Drogba but the Ivory Coast striker, clean through on goal, slid the chance wide.

Carvalho launched another sweeping Chelsea break out of defence.

He ran the ball from box to box, exchanged passes with Wright-Phillips, but lashed his shot over the bar.

Ballack showed beautiful poise on the edge of the penalty area, twisting one way and then the other before curling a left-footer just wide.

Andriy Shevchenko should have given Chelsea a two-goal cushion before the break when Bridge landed a deep left-wing cross on his head.

The Ukraine marksman looked certain to score as he hung in the air but headed the ball straight at Carson.

Ballack escaped the offside-trap just before the break but glanced his header wide.

Charlton made them pay for their wastefulness when Hasselbaink stunned his former club with an equaliser in the 54th minute.

Rommedahl sped down the right and turned a pass in-field. Carvalho mistimed an interception leaving Hasselbaink with time to guide his shot into the bottom corner.

Chelsea went back in front when Charlton were down to 10 men.

Souleymane Diawara had hobbled off before a corner and there was no sub on when Carvalho leapt to head Lampard's kick past Carson with the help of a deflection off the head of Amady Faye.
Marcus Bent eventually came on for Diawara and soon had the ball in the Chelsea net but it was ruled out by referee Alan Wiley for handball.

Wiley gave Chelsea a late penalty when Talal El Karkouri was adjudged to have shoved Salomon Kalou off the ball but Carson denied Lampard.

Mourinho revealed afterwards why he started Ashley Cole on the bench.

He said: "I started with Wayne Bridge because Ashley played two matches with the national team and Bridge didn’t.

"And because Bridge did very well for us in previous matches and because Ashley has been through a very difficult period in the last few weeks.

"I put him on the bench because I was thinking the game could be difficult and I may need to make a change.

"He is more offensive, faster and a good crosser of the ball. He goes forward with power."

Mourinho added: "I’m happy with the performance in the first half and I’m happy with the result.

"We should have killed the game in the first half. We did enough to score two or three.

"In the second half it was easy to see the difference between fresh legs of a team who could prepare properly and the heavy legs of a team with 14 or 15 players involved in international football."

Charlton boss Iain Dowie was not convinced about the disallowed goal or the penalty award.

Dowie said: "I haven’t seen the goal but it looked a much closer call than the penalty.

"He gets it wrong, end of story. I’ve no problem with that. I get things wrong all the time. As long as he says so."

Chelsea: Cech, Boulahrouz, Ricardo Carvalho, Terry, Bridge (Ashley Cole 62), Essien, Ballack, Lampard, Wright-Phillips (Kalou 61), Shevchenko (Mikel 86), Drogba. Subs not used: Cudicini, Geremi. Booked: Ballack, Ricardo Carvalho.

Goals: Drogba 6, Ricardo Carvalho 63.

Charlton: Carson, Young, El Karkouri, Diawara (Marcus Bent 64), Traore (Kishishev 49), Ambrose, Faye, Hughes, Reid (Rommedahl 30), Hasselbaink, Darren Bent. Subs not used: Myhre, Holland. Booked: Faye.

Goals: Hasselbaink 54.

Att: 41,194

Ref: A Wiley (Staffordshire).