Chelsea 1 - 0 Newcastle United

Chelsea 1-0 Newcastle

Updated: December 13, 2006, 10:05 PM UK

Didier Drogba climbed off the substitutes' bench to score the only goal of the game for Chelsea against Newcastle and cut Manchester United's lead at the top of the Barclays Premiership to five points.

Drogba, left out of coach Jose Mourinho's starting line-up in a bid to rest a niggling hamstring injury, was forced into action at the interval after Chelsea had failed to break down Newcastle's injury-ravaged side.

• Jose: Sheva was axed

The move paid off for the champions in the 74th minute when Drogba pounced for his 15th of the season and his ninth in the Premiership to take their unbeaten home sequence to 53 games.

It was an unfamiliar Chelsea line-up that had been given the task of overcoming a Newcastle side missing 12 first-team players through injury.

Andriy Shevchenko, Drogba and Claude Makelele were all forced to sit in the dugout behind coach Mourinho while Shaun Wright-Phillips, Salomon Kalou and Arjen Robben were charged with the task of taking the game to the Geordies.

Mourinho's decision appeared to be vindicated when Wright-Phillips just failed to convert a flick-on from Kalou inside the first three minutes.

Two minutes later a mazy run from Ivorian forward Kalou provided Frank Lampard with a shooting opportunity on the edge of the penalty area but the England midfielder failed to hit the target.

Mourinho's decision to switch from the midfield diamond to a 4-3-3 formation was clearly causing United some early consternation.

That was underlined yet further in the 11th minute when a smart move involving Michael Essien and Robben gave Kalou a clear shot on goal from 10 yards but again the accuracy was found wanting.

But it was Newcastle who came closest to breaking the deadlock in the 16th minute when Antoine Sibierski hit the crossbar with a header from six yards after James Milner's corner had eluded the home defence.

The offside flag spared the blushes of the young Kalou on the half-hour when he got on the end of Robben's headed knock-down only to turn and fire over the crossbar from six yards.

But United were still a danger and Giuseppe Rossi emphasised the fact in the 34th minute when he sent a 25-yard drive flashing wide of Hilario's right-hand upright.

The on-loan Manchester United striker had been relatively quiet by his own standards but his opportunist effort was a warning to Chelsea that he had the necessary firepower to do his parent club a massive favour.

Chelsea were finding Newcastle's stubborn resistance somewhat frustrating and Mourinho spent much of the half berating his troops from the touchline.

The 4-3-3 formation, which had promised much success earlier in the contest, was clearly hampering the champions.

Newcastle's rookie side, which included a debutant right-back in Paul Huntington, coped adequately enough with the receding threat from Chelsea's front three.

Magpies boss Glenn Roeder was already without a dozen first-team players through injury when his squad was depleted yet further minutes before the break.

Charles N'Zogbia had to be stretchered off after a collision with Lampard and was replaced by another rookie in Matty Pattison.

Mourinho was obviously unimpressed with the contribution of Wright-Phillips as he was replaced at the start of the second half by Makelele.

Drogba was also back in action as a substitute for injured centre-back Ricardo Carvalho.

It took Drogba just two minutes to make his presence felt when he headed Robben's left-wing cross just wide of Shay Given's left-hand upright.

On the hour Robben almost broke the deadlock with a cheeky free-kick after Celestine Babayaro had felled Kalou on the right flank.

With the Newcastle defence expecting a cross into the centre, the Dutch winger curled the ball towards the near post and Given had to act quickly to keep it out.

Chelsea were now powering forward at every opportunity but the Newcastle rearguard refused to buckle under the onslaught. Their cause was helped by wayward shooting from Chelsea's Michael Ballack, whose 20-yard effort sailed high over the crossbar in the 63rd minute.

Chelsea almost paid for the wastefulness moments later when Essien skied a clearance towards his own goal and Hilario failed to collect it under pressure from Obafemi Martins. Thankfully for the home side, Terry was on hand to tidy up and clear the danger.

But Chelsea finally broke the deadlock with an incisive move started by Robben. His pass into the penalty area was helped on by Shevchenko and Drogba pounced to provide the decisive finish.

Mourinho enjoying United chase

Relieved Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho axed £30million striker Andriy Shevchenko because he felt his side required different qualities against Newcastle tonight.

But the Portuguese coach was forced to rely on Ivorian striker Didier Drogba for the second-half winner which reduced the gap behind Manchester United to five points at the top of the Barclays Premiership.

Drogba, left out of the starting line-up at Stamford Bridge along with Shevchenko, climbed off the bench to hit the decisive 74th-minute goal despite struggling with a hamstring problem.

But Mourinho had no qualms about dropping the under-performing Shevchenko, who has managed just three Premiership goals all season.

Mourinho said: 'I make decisions from my analysis. I took him out of the team because I felt the team needed different qualities.

'With Salomon Kalou and Arjen Robben, I get different qualities. Kalou is still a bit naive but I think the team needed their qualities in this moment.

'So we decided to make some changes and Shevchenko was out. I think he took it as a professional. He was not happy but behaved properly. He came on when I decided and did well for the team.'

Mourinho also found himself having to defend German international Michael Ballack, who was heckled by the home fans when he sent a second-half shot into the crowd.

But Mourinho declared: 'I don't select players because of the fans. I select players from my analysis - some of them based on my vision of the game. In my opinion, Ballack is still an `untouchable'.'

Mourinho was forced to call upon Drogba even though he was desperate to leave him on the bench for the entire game.

But Newcastle's resistance and an ankle injury to defender Ricardo Carvalho, forced him to change his plans.

Mourinho added: 'Drogba was injured. A normal player, with a normal attitude would not have played.

'So I was trying to explain to him the best decision was to save him. If the result was positive at half-time we would not have played him.

'But I felt we needed him at half-time. His attitude in the game and the way he worked for the team meant he was very important for us. He is one of the top players at the moment.'

The Chelsea boss was more than pleased that the victory left them just five points behind United because he is banking on catching them by the time they face each other at Stamford Bridge in April.

Mourinho said: 'I am not disappointed with the result. They defended very well and were very good tactically.

'They have only one player in attack but that player, Obafemi Martins, can kill you because he is fast.

'We tried to give more in attack but at the same time the defence was a little more fragile because Michael Essien is not a central defender.

'We deserved the three points. But, no doubts, we should play better. However, the result is the most important.

'I am enjoying the experience of being second in December because I've not had that since I've been here.

'We are the second team and in this moment Manchester United are top with five points because they deserve to be there.

'But there is a long way to go and I don't see it as five points, I see it as three because they still have to come here.

'It is up to us. I am not saying we will win that game 100% for sure but it is with us.

'So until we play against them we have to be sure we have two more points than them when we meet.'

Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder was left cursing another injury and Drogba's goal which came after a scuffed Shevchenko shot.

United, already without 12 first-team players, lost Charles N'Zogbia with knee ligament damage.

But overall Roeder was proud of his young rookies, who stubbornly resisted everything Chelsea could muster until Drogba struck.

Roeder said: 'I am very proud but I would have rather have had another point.

'It's unbelievable that a player of the quality that Shevchenko has got scuffed his shot and the ball fell to a player who does not miss from five or six yards. It was a scruffy goal.

'We had 12 injuries, that's not an excuse, it's a fact. Now N'Zogbia has ligament damage. We don't know how long he will be out or how bad it is.

'I am proud because some of our defending was top quality. The boys did magnificently. It would be unfair to say anything else.

'I don't think Jose Mourinho wanted to bring on Drogba, Claude Makelele and Shevchenko. But he had to because of our performance.

'There is a feeling of disappointment in our dressing room.'