Blues Blast Blades

Last updated : 01 November 2006 By @blades_mad1889

The Portuguese stopper - preferred to the returning Carlo Cudicini who was on the bench - dived low to his left to keep out Danny Webber's 17th-minute penalty before Lampard took over.

Lampard's long-range 43rd-minute free-kick caught out Blades keeper Paddy Kenny to give the visitors the lead, then his cross enabled Michael Ballack to head home number two five minutes after the break.

But the scoreline did scant justice to the performance of Neil Warnock's men, for whom defender Claude Davis, their own record signing at a mere £2.5million, was outstanding.

The Blades enjoyed swathes of first half possession and restricted the visitors - who left out £30million-man Andriy Shevchenko - to half-chances prior to Lampard's opener.

Had Webber not let the pressure of a packed home crowd get the better of him as he delivered a weak spot-kick to Hilario's left, it might have been a different afternoon entirely for Mourinho's men.

Nick Montgomery and Alan Quinn had both got forward with plenty of purpose before Didier Drogba was forced back to nip Quinn's 16th-minute cross off the toes of Davis in the box.

One minute later Drogba and Davis tangled again and referee Martin Atkinson pointed to the spot, only for Webber - the only man to keep his place from the midweek Carling Cup loss to Birmingham - to miss.

It looked likely the Blades would pay for blowing their chance but they responded in positive fashion, Quinn shooting just over the bar and Rob Hulse edged out by John Terry chasing a Webber cross.

Chelsea's best early shout had come from a penalty appeal of their own, when Paulo Ferreira cut into the box and fell theatrically under the challenge of Davis.

Davis was also on hand to block an Arjen Robben cross, and Ballack had a half-chance squeezed around his own post by Chris Armstrong, before Lampard began to make his match-winning contribution.

The England midfielder saw a point-blank header brilliantly saved by Kenny - but one minute later counted his luck from a long free-kick which bounced horribly over Kenny into the net.

Shorn of the in-form Drogba at the interval, Mourinho's men grabbed the crucial second in the 50th minute when Lampard found space on the left and crossed for Ballack to head home from point-blank range.

It was harsh on Neil Warnock's men but as Bramall Lane quietened the champions sought to press home their advantage, Lampard firing over from long-range then just wide from a Bridge cross.

Kenny came to the home side's rescue with a brave save at the feet of Robben in the 54th minute as the visitors belatedly began to show their quality.

Gillespie tried to bring the home side back into it with a fizzing effort which flashed inches over the bar, only for referee Atkinson to change his mind and blow for an earlier free-kick infringement.

That momentary controversy galvanised the home side again, with tackles beginning to fly in and Montgomery booked for hacking down the flying Kalou on Chelsea's left wing.

But Ballack came close to grabbing his second with a 65th minute snap-shot from close to the penalty spot which flashed inches over Kenny's bar.

United continued to have their moments, mostly through the impressive Quinn on the left, and his fine 72nd minute cross fell to Hulse who headed over in front of goal.