"It was a terrific second-half performance by my team and really pleasing. Chelsea are always be difficult to play against. We are disappointed we have not nicked a point. We gave it our best shot and I cannot ask any more than that. We created chances and took the game to the opposition and tried to get back in it. I was hoping to get in at half time at 0-0 and we were a split second away from doing that. I know they deserved that goal for way played against us, but the result could have been different."
Chelsea (4-1-3-2): Cudicini; Geremi, Carvalho, Terry, A Cole; Makelele; Essien, Ballack, Lampard; Shevchenko (Kalou, 77), Drogba (Mikel, 89). Substitutes not used: Hilario (gk), Boulahrouz, Wright-Phillips.
Referee: S Bennett (Kent).
Booked: Bolton Campo, Faye, Nolan; Chelsea Carvalho.
Goal: Ballack (45) 0-1. Man of the match: Terry.
Attendance: 23,559
Michael Ballack's goal on the stroke of half time secured Chelsea a crucial 1-0 win against Bolton at the Reebok Stadium. The goal arrived in stoppage time at the end of the opening 45 minutes after Andriy Shevchenko went on a surging run before firing in an effort which keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen did well to push behind for a corner. From Frank Lampard's flag kick Ballack was left unmarked to guide his header into the net from close range.
The first half saw Chelsea enjoy the
majority of possession peppering the Bolton
goal by shooting from distance. However, the
champions had to survive an early scare when
Cudicini slipped as a cross came over but
Davies could only head meekly wide. The
scare seemed to wake Chelsea up and after a
quiet passage of play the visitors were to
force the home keeper into making three
parried saves just before the mid way part
of the half.
The first came when a Lampard free kick,
from all of forty yards, moved all over the
place, after Ballack had been fouled by
Speed. Moments later the same offence was
committed and Drogba saw his shot parried
away. The resulting corner saw Carvalho hit
the outside of the post before Essien fired
just over. With Bolton under pressure Drogba
again saw a shot palmed to safety. Bolton
tried to ease the pressure but Cudicini
dealt well with any dangerous crosses.
Geremi, pushing forward, shot wide before a
rare Bolton attack saw Diouf skip past two
challenges before being intercepted by
Makelele. With two minutes of stoppage time
announced, it looked as if the game would go
into the interval without a goal. However,
Shevchenko showed a flash of genius by
skipping past a challenge before hitting a
rasping shot from all of twenty five yards
that the keeper tipped over. Lampard
delivered the ball to the near post and
there was Ballack to head home giving
Chelsea a half time lead.
The second half was a closer affair with
possession probably shared. Bolton used
brute force to bludgeon their way through
whilst Chelsea tried to use a little
finesse. Ben Haim was the first to try his
luck for the home side but his shot went
well wide. Chelsea retaliated by resorting
to long range shots.
Drogba saw a shot saved low down whilst
Lampard forced the keeper to tip an effort
around the post for a corner that was easily
cleared by the home defence. Carvalho was
penalised for a foul but Carlo reacted well
to push away the resulting free kick with
Anelka strangely watching as the ball passed
by him. The former Arsenal striker then
headed tamely across goal when presented
with a decent cross but Bolton were slowly
starting to get into the game.
Shevchenko shot wide from all of twenty-five
yards as Chelsea went for that vital second
goal However, the home side were determined
to press Chelsea all the way and Carlo had
to react smartly to save a Diouf effort low
down. Drogba, slowly coming more into the
game planted a shot onto the roof of the net
after a good run before then shooting tamely
at the keeper when well placed. With three
minutes of injury time declared Bolton had
one last chance to equalise when Jussi
launched a long ball into the box that Carlo
let bounce. Diouf tried a cheeky back heel
but Carlo was up to the challenge and the
three points belonged to Chelsea. On the
balance of play, I think a draw would have
been a fair result. But we couldn't convert
the chances we had. Same old story, but I
guess going down to the champions by only
1-0 isn't too bad a result.
Big Sam said........
"They are very good at it (set pieces) and that's the difference in terms of the result," Sam said. "In open play we limited them to shots outside the box. But right on the very stroke of half-time on a corner was very disappointing but I have to praise the players for the way they approached the second half. "Unfortunately our finishing has let us down. "Certainly on second-half performance I think we deserved a point."
Bolton slipped to 4th after Portsmouth got a point from Liverpool - ahead of our lads on goal difference.