Blackburn Rovers 2 Chelsea 3

Last updated : 01 February 2004 By Footymad Previewer

Indeed it could all have been so different for Graeme Souness' men. They took the lead inside three minutes, then saw Chelsea steal two goals, equalised with three minutes left but still succumbed to a late, late winner.

Skipper Garry Flitcroft volleyed home his second goal in successive games from Markus Babbel's knock-down with only 180 seconds on the clock, this after Carlo Cudicini had produced a wonderful save to deny Jonathon Douglas.

However, Frank Lampard and Emmanuel Petit gradually hauled their team back into the game and indeed it was Lampard himself who again took on the mantle of goalscorer, first sweeping home Hasselbaink's pass and then slotting beyond Brad Friedel after a Tugay error.

Blackburn's young starlet, Paul Gallagher, clambered off the bench to touch Alan Mahon's cross beyond Cudicini on 65 minutes but his effort was correctly ruled out for offside.

Friedel then showed flashes of last season's incredible form, producing an incredible one-handed save to prevent Lampard from completing his hat-trick.

With just three minutes to go, Gallagher did get a goal, arriving at the back post to beat Cudicini with a well-placed finish.

A point well earned - or so it seemed.

Chelsea pushed forward and immediately won a corner. From the delivery the ball broke to Glen Johnson who skilfully beat two defenders before flashing a brilliant finish into Friedel's far top corner from 17 yards.

Dejected home manager Souness said after the defeat: "It was a 100 per cent effort from my players against a good team.

"Unfortunately we don't have the kind of player who will try to keep the ball out of the net and it cost us."

Opposite number Claudio Ranieri was pleased with the win that keeps his side in the race for the title.

"I thought it was finished when they scored in the last two minutes but my players showed great character," he said.

"We played very well after a bad start."