Drogba’s goal enough to seal points for Blues

Chelsea 1 West Brom 0

The Ivory Coast striker put Chelsea a step closer to their first title triumph for 50 years when he finished off a flowing three-man move in the 26th minute.

Frank Lampard sent Damien Duff free on the left with an exquisite through ball and the Irishman delivered a low cross for Drogba to turn home from six yards.

Chelsea broke the deadlock with a swift counter-attack in the 26th minute when Duff burst down the left and crossed on the run for Drogba who, having outsprinted the defence, calmly stabbed the ball into an empty net for his 13th goal of the season.

The goal settled Chelsea's nerves and they began to play with more control while Albion relied on the occasional foray into the Londoners' half.

The closest they came to scoring was a feeble header from Kevin Campbell from a right-wing cross by Ronnie Wallwork.

Chelsea continued to search for more goals and Cole sent Drogba clear again in the 33rd minute but this time although he rounded Hoult he was unable to prevent Martin Albrechtsen clearing the loose ball.

In the 48th minute Chelsea's hunger for more goals was almost satisfied when Lampard again sent the impressive Duff clear on the left flank.

Hoult, who paid for his indecision by staying on his line for the first goal, opted to intercept Duff's subsequent cross as the Irishman again looked to find Drogba inside the six-yard box.

Two minutes later, Duff forced Hoult to dive low to his right to prevent him scoring Chelsea's second.

That should have arrived on the hour when Lampard was again the architect of another stunning Chelsea move.

This time the England international midfielder played a slide-rule pass to Drogba, who turned Thomas Gaardsoe on the edge of the box only to send his low drive around the outside of the right-hand post.

Lampard, enjoying the freedom of the midfield, continued to inspire Chelsea and with the skilful trickery of Duff on the left and Cole on the right, Albion simply had no answer as they searched in vain for a way to stop the advancing blue tide.

Chelsea should have wrapped the game up in the last 12 minutes but Drogba was guilty of two glaring misses which could have brought him a hat-trick.

First he headed wide from Cole's cross and then blasted the ball over the bar from six yards after Duff once again found him with a low cross from the left.

CHELSEA: Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Terry, Huth, Gallas, Makelele, Cole, Lampard, Duff, Gudjohnsen, Drogba.

WEST BROM: Hoult, Robinson, Gaardsoe, Clement, Albrechtsen, Gera, Richardson, Wallwork, Horsfield, Campbell, Kanu.

Referee: N Barry

Glentoran 2 Longford Town 1

Glentoran made a winning start to the new All-Ireland Setanta Cup tournament when second half goals from strikers Michael Halliday and Stephen Parkhouse gave the Belfast side a deserved victory over FAI Cup holders Longford Town at The Oval last night.

Glentoran grabbed the lead just two minutes after the interval when a superb 22-yard strike from Halliday gave O'Brien no chance.

Halliday made the opening for Parkhouse on 64 minutes, as the big striker shrugged off the attentions of central defender Danny O'Connor to shoot low into the corner of the net.

Longford made the breakthrough six minutes from the end when substitute Paul Keegan nodded home a cross from Sean Dillon.

GLENTORAN: Morris; Ward, McGibbon, Leeman, Glendinning; K.Keegan, Melaugh, Holmes, McCann; Halliday, Parkhouse. Subs: Walker for McGibbon (54 mins.).

LONGFORD TOWN: O'Brien; Dillon, Ferguson, O'Connor, Paisley; Kirby, Fitzgerald, Martin, Prunty; Baker, Barrett. Subs: Byrne for Martin (45 mins.), Lavine for Kirby (76 mins.), P.Keegan for Prunty (76 mins.).