Blackburn 0-1 Chelsea: Sunday Mirror match report

Frank Lampard may not be an England automatic choice any more, but what a godsend he is to Chelsea.

The 33-year-old midfield powerhouse pulled his side out of the doldrums yesterday as he fearlessly dived in to put home the winning strike.

Branislav Ivanovic set him up in the 51st minute as he switched direction on the right flank to hit a lowish cross that Lampard met in full flight to power the ball past keeper Paul Robinson.

Lamps certainly lit up Ewood Park for the Blues’ travelling army of 3,500 fans with his seventh goal of the season but he plunged beleaguered Blackburn into further gloom.

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas looked a relieved man as he admitted: “It is never easy coming to Ewood Park, especially with back-to-back defeats in the Premier League, and bearing in mind Blackburn’s desperate need of points. Arsenal found that too.

“But Frank’s goal gave us the impetus and we were brave enough to defend well.”

And it could have been worse for rocky Rovers if Lampard’s looping shot minutes later had not been palmed away at full stretch by an alert Robinson.

As is the case so often, yet another defeat was hard for Blackburn to swallow.

Twice, Yakubu was unlucky not to score, and Chelsea lived dangerously as a Morten Gamst Pedersen’s low shot was kept out by keeper Petr Cech’s feet, with Blackburn substitute Grant Hanley hitting the follow-up straight at the keeper.

Right at the death, Pedersen hit a screamer that went over the bar, with Chelsea’s defence in disarray. And to top it off, second-half substitute Fernando Torres missed a sitter, scooping over from in front of goal.

However Rovers had to survive a first-half penalty claim when the lively Daniel Sturridge broke away.

Big defender Chris Samba appeared to clip the back of his leg as he attempted to stop the striker, but experienced referee Mike Dean ruled play on and, in truth, it would have been tough on Blackburn, since Sturridge went down easily.

Rovers boss Steve Kean said: “I don’t feel let down. I’m just disappointed not to have got a point when we gave everything and had the chances.

“We just have to

keep putting ourselves in there.

“We show that we don’t approach games like a team down there at the wrong end.”

The drama off the pitch was just as controversial.

John Terry tried hard to impose his presence, attempting to shake off the gathering clouds of the racist comment allegation made by Anton Ferdinand.

Disgruntled Rovers’ fans may have been banned from bringing protest banners into the ground.

But high above Ewood Park the drone of a hired plane was heard, towing a banner that read: Steve Kean Out.

That’s the price of Kean notching up only six Premier League wins in his 32 games in charge, in stark contrast to Villas-Boas totting up seven in his 11 league games at the helm.

On the pitch, Kean was boosted by his side’s early get-up-and-go attitude as they put their visitors on the back foot.

David Hoilett threaded a beautiful pass to Mauro Formica, the Argentine responding well by sliding a pass straight in to the path of Yakubu.

Both Cech and Ashley Cole went to cut out the danger, and though the Yak put the ball wide in the bundle that followed, Cech was struck on the nose.

Looking groggy, it took seven minutes for him to be treated.

But in the end, it didn’t matter. He recovered well and kept Blackburn out.

More Ewood Park fireworks will follow from the protesting fans and this famous old club, that was formed on Bonfire Night back in 1875, faces some tough times.