blackburn 1-0

Independent:

Lampard leap keeps Kean in firing line
Blackburn Rovers 0 Chelsea 1:

In-form midfielder ends Chelsea's losing run as Torres adds another howler to season's miss-list
WILLIAM JOHNSON EWOOD PARK

A match which was in serious danger of disappearing into a quagmire of apathy and ineptitude was mercifully rescued by Frank Lampard's latest demonstration of predatory finishing.
The England midfielder's instinctive plunge to meet a low cross from Branislav Ivanovic gave Chelsea welcome respite from their mini-crisis as the international break beckons. It had the opposite effect on Blackburn Rovers, endorsing their depressing start to the campaign and keeping the heat on their beleaguered manager, Steve Kean.
The campaign by Rovers supporters to rid themselves of the manager who has earned them 28 points from a possible 96 since taking over from Sam Allardyce captured the attention during a first period almost devoid of entertaining moments despite being extended by seven minutes due to Chelsea's goalkeeper Petr Cech requiring prolonged treatment for a broken nose.
During that seemingly interminable stoppage – of the football, not the bleeding – the 21,985 fans were kept awake by the buzzing of a light aircraft which was commissioned, apparently for a fee of £500, by parts of a disgruntled Ewood Park crowd who were prevented from bringing their own protest banners to the ground.
Kean insisted that he was not looking skywards as he waited for Cech to be cleared to play on. "What did the banner say?" he asked. "Steve Kean out!" came the blunt reply, to sheepish press room giggles.
Kean shrugged off that imaginative sacking call as he has during similar displays of dissatisfaction during most of his tenure. "I don't want to sound like a broken record but I am confident that we can go on an unbeaten run very soon," he said, mindful of a forthcoming fixture list which is far more appealing than the one his team has faced so far this season.
"If we continue to play as well as we did today against a very strong Chelsea team who have taken a lot of money to assemble then we should be able to start climbing the table before much longer."
Kean had a point and the pressure he is experiencing could easily have been heaped heavily on his Stamford Bridge counterpart, Andre Villas-Boas, if Rovers had enjoyed a modicum of good fortune in front of goal.
On several occasions they threatened to embarrass the groggy Cech, whose reputation as the Premier League's most accomplished goalkeeper has been indelibly tarnished this term.
Cech, praised by his manager for his bravery and commitment to the cause, was ultimately able to celebrate a first clean sheet since the opening day draw at Stoke but that, he will acknowledge, was due more to luck than judgement. That was especially so when the big goalkeeper failed to deal with a blistering free-kick from Morten Gamst Pedersen and parried it straight to the onrushing Grant Hanley who pushed the follow-up attempt straight at a grateful Cech.
With Yakubu also failing to capitalise on a glittering opportunity carved out by Junior Hoilett's through ball to Mauro Formica and, Ivanovic heading against his own crossbar in a desperate attempt to prevent Gaël Givet from equalising, Kean was justified in claiming that his men deserved a point at the very least.
Villas-Boas hinted at his agreement with that claim. "Blackburn had several good chances and we were glad that we could keep them out," he said. "This is never an easy place to come to as Arsenal discovered recently and we are pleased to get the result after our back-to-back Premier League defeats."
The Chelsea manager's minders protected him from fielding questions about John Terry, restored to duty after his Champions' League lay-off, as investigations continue into alleged racist comments during the defeat at QPR. Theban extended to prohibiting speculation about the England captaincy for the friendlies against Spain and Sweden.
Villas-Boas was instead happy to talk affectionately about another of England's stalwarts, Lampard, who, despite coming under criticism and being left out by Villas-Boas early in the season, is comfortably his club's leading scorer with seven goals. "Frank found his timing to arrive in the box just like the old days" said the manager about the game's decisive moment.
Fernando Torres, the £50m striker Villas-Boas inherited from Carlo Ancelotti, should be at least level with Lampard by now. His horrifying miss against Manchester United at Old Trafford now has company in the list of the season's blunders following the Spaniard's spooning over the bar of anAshley Cole cross from inside the six-yard box.
"We badly needed a second goal to ease the late pressure and it was a pity Fernando could not provide it," was Villas-Boas's view.

Blackburn (4-5-1): Robinson; Lowe, Samba (Hanley, 45), Givet, Olsson; Rochina (Dunn, 71), Formica, Nzonzi, Pedersen, Hoilett; Yakubu.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Cole; Ramires (Romeu, 90), Mikel, Lampard; Mata (Meireles, 82), Sturridge, Malouda (Torres, h-t).

Referee: Mike Dean
Man of the match: Lampard (Chelsea)

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Observer:

Frank Lampard's header gives Chelsea a welcome win at Blackburn Rovers
Paul Wilson at Ewood Park

To say there was a lot going on around this game would be a serious understatement. Chelsea named John Terry in the team and Fernando Torres on the bench, then every time Terry touched the ball in the first half he was heartily booed by the Blackburn crowd.
Chelsea's travelling fans responded with "There's only one England captain", in a more wholesome show of support than they managed in Genk, only for the Rovers end to reprise the "We know what you are" routine, this time directed at Terry.
André Villas-Boas, trying not to be the first Chelsea manager this century to lose three league matches on the trot, found himself under attack via Twitter from the England cricketer Kevin Pietersen. When Steve Kean looked skywards midway through the first half to see where the loud droning noise was coming from, he found the stadium was being circled by a small aircraft trailing a streamer calling for his removal.
Blackburn fans have a proud history of taking to the skies, usually to wind up Burnley, and when anti-Kean slogans were banned from the Ewood terraces the club must have been half-expecting something more imaginative to take their place.
The game was held up for over six minutes in the first half as medics tried in vain to stem a nosebleed Petr Cech gained in diving at the feet of Ayegbeni Yakubu. Then, in a potentially more damaging blow to Blackburn, at the end of the first half Chris Samba had to withdraw with a hamstring problem.
That left the home side with two emergency central defenders in Gaël Givet and Grant Hanley, and threatened to undermine their efforts in an evenly contested first period, when even the Kean-baiters would have to concede they more than held their own against Chelsea.
The Yakubu chance that caused Cech's injury was probably the best worked opportunity of the opening 45 minutes, with Mauro Formica galloping into yards of space on the left from Junior Hoilett's astute pass and only Ashley Cole's alert intervention preventing his square ball reaching its intended target.
Chelsea had a good chance right at the start, when Daniel Sturridge could not quite bring down Florent Malouda's cross in time, though Paul Robinson was rarely troubled afterwards.
Sturridge had a reasonable shout for a penalty turned down when he tumbled under Samba's untidy challenge, but it was never the clearest of fouls and Mike Dean probably took the view he went to ground too easily.
Chelsea sent Torres on for the second half, though he was still struggling to get into the game when Frank Lampard headed the visitors into the lead five minutes in. Branislav Ivanovich crossed from the right with the outside of his right boot, a feat that the Rovers' defence chose to stand back and admire, leaving Lampard free to dive full-length and beat Robinson with a well-directed header. Rovers ought to have equalised when Cech could not hold on to a Morten Gamst Pedersen free-kick and succeeded only in coughing up the ball in front of goal.
Unfortunately for the home side the first man to it was Hanley, a young defender whose finish lacked any sort of conviction and allowed Cech to redeem himself.
The goalkeeper redeemed himself even more in keeping out Blackburn's next attack, though as an experienced striker and regular scorer such as Yakubu should really have done better than bring a full-length save when Terry and Alex got in each other's way to leave him a clear sight of goal. Kean keeps complaining that luck has not been going Blackburn's way yet better finishing might be what is actually required to help them climb the table.
At least when Formica saw an effort cleared off the line by Ramires shortly afterwards, the striker's eye for goal could not be faulted – it was a good shot and a fine defensive block. If that really was bad luck, so was the ball staying out when Ivanovic headed a Blackburn corner against his own bar under pressure from Hanley, though arguably things evened themselves out in stoppage time when Torres missed a sitter after the referee had unintentionally broken up a Blackburn attack.
Not even the Blackburn supporters were heartless enough to barrack their own team at the end. There were a few boos, but mostly support for a plucky effort. The fans may not care for the manager, but the Blackburn players were little short of magnificent in defeat.


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Telegraph:

Blackburn Rovers 0 Chelsea 1
Frank Lamaprd was the difference at Chelsea win at Ewood Park
By Graham Chase at Ewood Park

It was a day of deep droning at Ewood Park, from John Terry’s every touch being booed by the home supporters to the plane which towed a 'Steve Kean out!’ banner, circling overhead.
It was not quite the defiant response to Terry’s last trip to Lancashire amid a scandal when he scored in his team’s 2-1 win at Burnley almost two years ago, but after a miserable fortnight for him and his club it will certainly do.
Frank Lampard’s sixth goal in eight matches secured a vital victory, after a run of just one win in four matches, as Andre Villas-Boas’s team collected a first clean sheet in the Premier League since the opening weekend of the season, despite Petr Cech suffering a suspected broken nose after just seven minutes.
After the shock of the 1-0 defeat at QPR – and the subsequent fallout of the Football Association and police investigations into Terry’s alleged racist abuse of Anton Ferdinand – came the 5-3 home defeat to Arsenal and then the ponderous 1-1 draw in Genk.
The England captain may retain his place in Fabio Capello’s squad for the friendlies with Spain and Sweden but the reaction towards him from the Blackburn Rovers supporters is how the Chelsea defender will be widely-received by many non-Chelsea supporters.
With reference to Chelsea fans singing 'Anton Ferdinand, you know what you are’ in midweek, Rovers supporters boomed out the same about Terry, while 'We’ll sing what we want’ came from the visitors’ section. Questions on Terry were off-limits but Villas-Boas was content with his team’s response to their recent problems.
“It was never going to be an easy game and the difficulties that Arsenal had here show that,” he said. “We were brave enough to get the victory. I think Petr has broken his nose.
“He was in tremendous difficulty and he’s injury-prone in these types of incidents. We asked if he wanted to come off at half time but he wanted to continue, which showed bravery because he’s been suffering a lot from these types of injury.
“We needed the stimulus of a win before the international break and it’s good to be back to winning ways.”
The opening period at Ewood Park was utterly forgettable with what had looked a promising opening interrupted by a seven-minute stoppage for treatment to Cech, who suffered a nose bleed after pressuring Yakubu into missing from Mauro Formica’s cross just a couple of yards out.
Other than that, and the arrival of the plane, there was only a penalty appeal for Chris Samba’s challenge on Daniel Sturridge and a flurry of hopeful long-range efforts from the visitors.
But five minutes after the restart, which saw Fernando Torres replace Florent Malouda, the visitors made their breakthrough, with Branislav Ivanovic cutting inside Junior Hoilett and bending in a cross that was headed in by the stooping Lampard.
Cech’s nose may have been coated in plasters but he retained his team’s advantage with some outstanding work. Firstly, there was a double save from Morten Gamst Pedersen’s free kick and Formica’s follow-up before he denied Yakubu after a fast break.
When Cech was finally beaten, an Ivanovic header from Pedersen’s corner bounced away off the bar before Torres wasted an easy chance to add a second in stoppage time.
Kean claimed not to have seen the plane, even asking a journalist what the banners had said, and took heart from his team’s performance.
“I don’t think you can continue to play like that without going on a strong run,” he said. “We are confident we can climb the table.”


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Mail:

Blackburn 0 Chelsea 1: Lampard strikes to pile more pressure on Kean
By NICK HARRIS

Bizarre though it sounds after Chelsea brought their stuttering recent run to an end and as Blackburn fell to another defeat, Steve Kean's future as Ewood Park manager remains more assured than Andre Villas-Boas's at Stamford Bridge.
That is not to say that the Portuguese, in his debut season in the Premier League, is in imminent danger of provoking Roman Abramovich's perennially itchy trigger finger.
Frank Lampard's 51st-minute diving header - the only and ultimate difference between the sides - will have eased nerves just as the first suggestions surfaced that the Chelsea owner is getting impatient. Again.
Rather, it is Kean's rock-solid position that should be emphasised, with sources in India reiterating yesterday that the Rao family who own Rovers' parent company, Venky's, have no intention of dismissing their man. There is even talk that a long-term contract extension will be agreed soon, though it has yet to be signed.
Villas-Boas has had a torrid few weeks, what with consecutive Premier League losses by QPR and Arsenal and an indifferent result against Genk in Europe. And that on top of the ongoing controversy surrounding his captain, John Terry, and the allegations of racist language. Villas-Boas was forbidden by his own club's officials from speaking about Terry's situation after the match, or about Terry's England call-up, or his England future.
But on the result he said: 'It was never going to be easy following back-to-back defeats in the league and with Blackburn in desperate need of points.
'The first half was low intensity and not a lot of chances. The second was different. I'm glad we got the first goal and we fought to get a second. Blackburn were dangerous at every set play but we defended bravely.'
That bravery also extended to Petr Cech staying on the pitch after an early accidental and bloody clash with team-mate Ashley Cole left him with a suspected broken nose. The incident led to a seven-minute break in play, which only encouraged the crowd to fill the time with chants.
Chelsea's fans chanted in support of Terry: 'There's only one England captain.' Blackburn's responded with: 'John Terry, you know what you are.' This was a reference to an odious recent Chelsea chant in reference to Anton Ferdinand. Chelsea fans, responding to the Blackburn fans, sang: 'We'll sing what we want.' Edifying it was not.
The game itself did little to snare the attention in the first half, with a single shot on target, in the first minute, by Daniel Sturridge, easily held by Rovers' Paul Robinson.
Sturridge's work-rate alone justified his start in the middle of the front line, preferred to Fernando Torres, who was most notable in the final moments of his appearance, as a substitute, for blazing over the bar from three yards.
The match-deciding goal came from a sweet move, the ball crossed by Branislav Ivanovic and steered by Lampard's head into the bottom corner of the Blackburn net. Cech saved Rovers attempts from Yakubu and Morten Gamst Pedersen, while Grant Hanley smashed another effort straight at him when he had an open goal in which to equalise.
Quite how a contract extension for Kean will go down with the Blackburn fans remains to be seen but 'not well' is a safe bet.
There was a fresh round of 'Kean Out' protests at the final whistle, and that followed the novel sight of a small plane circling the ground during the match trailing a 'Steve Kean Out' banner.
It made one heck of a racket but Kean, locked into his team's endeavours, said afterwards he had not noticed it. His claim appeared genuine, as did his frustration at yet another bad result following a not bad display.
'I don't feel that I've been let down by my players because they gave everything and I'm disappointed we didn't get anything from the match,' he said.
He added that he did not want to sound like a stuck record but said that he expected this level of performance to lead to a 'good unbeaten run' soon.
Blackburn have won three matches in the league from the last 25.
Kean agreed that the next five fixtures - against Wigan, Stoke, Swansea, Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion - are likely to make or break Rovers' season.

Blackburn: Robinson, Lowe, Samba (Hanley 45+1), Givet, Olsson, Rochina (Dunn 72), Nzonzi, Pedersen, Hoilett, Formica, Yakubu.Subs not used: Bunn, Petrovic, Blackman, Goodwillie, Vukcevic.
Booked: Lowe, Givet, Hanley, Pedersen

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Mikel, Lampard, Mata (Meireles 82), Sturridge, Malouda (Torres 46). Subs not used: Turnbull, Romeu, Bosingwa, Lukaku, Kalou.
Booked: Sturridge.
Goal: Lampard 51.

Attendance: 21,985.
Referee: Mike Dean.



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Mirror:

Blackburn 0-1 Chelsea
By Lindsay Sutton

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.


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People:

Blackburn 0 - 1 Chelsea: Frank Lampard's goal gives Chelsea the points
by Alan Nixon, The People

John TERRY was left in no doubt by the Chelsea choir and the Rovers boo-boys that he has now officially split public opinion down the middle.
Skipper Terry was serenaded like never before by the Blues’ travelling support with pointed chants of ‘One England captain’ and ‘John Terry, you know who you are’.
But the Blackburn fans booed his every kick and for 90 minutes at least he temporarily replaced under-fire boss Steve Kean as their public enemy No.1.
Terry has always been a Marmite footballer but the row with Anton Ferdinand has taken him to new levels on the love-or-hate scale.
And yet nothing seems to bother Terry – as the Wayne Bridge ‘affair’ proved in the past. The look just gets more defiant and the commitment greater.
Terry (far left) never hides and, for all of the abuse from the home crowd, he went looking for the ball and is clearly not being put off his game.
There is something rather bullish about him that almost revels in this atmosphere and his cult status grows even as the FA and police look at his alleged comments.
Scampering
You will not find Terry buckling under pressure and he stood firm with his pals as they ground out a much-needed win to avoid a third straight league defeat.
It was the kind of no-nonsense display that has won England boss Fabio Capello’s backing – even if there is something about the race row that divides uncomfortably in so many other ways.
The Terry songs were just one of many sideshows, with some Rovers fans pitching in to send a plane over the ground with a ‘Kean Out’ banner.
There was a minor protest at the end, too, but Rovers did not deserve boos for this display.
Frankly the game could have done with a Red Arrows appearance to brighten it up at times, as there was little to choose between an off-form Chelsea and battling Blackburn.
Rovers could have had a precious lead when Junior Hoilett sent Mauro Formica scampering away and his cross for the sliding Yakubu was poked wide as Ashley Cole and Petr Cech bravely tried to block him.
Cech came off worse in the collision, needing lengthy treatment for a bloody nose caused by Cole’s right arm. The big keeper was in pain but played on, although Blackburn sniffed blood.
Tricky Ruben Rochina tried to lob the giant Czech, who also flapped at a corner, but the pain soon passed as Rovers failed to mount enough pressure despite an attack-minded line-up. It was mostly sterile, tactical stuff.
There was not even much controversy to get excited about. Chelsea should have had a penalty when Chris Samba sent Daniel Sturridge flying in the box but ref Mike Dean – a man who usually likes spot-kicks – ­surprisingly said ‘No’.
Sturridge, given his chance through the middle as Fernando Torres was benched, looked sharp and mobile. He fizzed a cross that should have found a taker and a backheel put in Cole before he was tackled.
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas is trying to find the right formula and even shuffled his attack during the game in a bid to find the missing spark.
However they looked far from dangerous apart from some flashes after the break.
Rovers lost skipper Samba just before half time with a hamstring injury, their third centre-half to be sidelined.
Sturridge was close to making sub Grant Hanley suffer, too, as he was inches from connecting with a deep Juan Mata cross, but he could not get a toe on the ball to divert it in.
Torres came on at the break as Villas-Boas chased the win and old faithful Frank Lampard came up with the goal thanks to some superb work by Branislav Ivanovic.
The powerful right-back beat a tame attempt at a challenge by Hoilett and sent over a cross with the outside of his foot that found Lampard all alone to head home from close range.
Rovers should have been level soon after when Morten Gamst Pedersen’s thunderous free-kick came back off Cech, invitingly for Hanley. But the chunky defender made a hash of the rebound.
Chelsea upped their game and Lampard was denied a second when his dipping 25-yarder made Paul Robinson backpedal to turn it over the bar.
Rovers fought hard. Yakubu put the floundering Alex on his backside, sent Terry the wrong way and only Cech’s sharp save kept him out. Formica’s cross-shot also had Ramires using all of his agility to clear.
Protestors
Sturridge was convinced he should have had a penalty when he went down with Gael Givet behind him – and the goal at his mercy from a Cole cross.
He was so upset he eventually talked his way into the referee’s notebook.
It was hard not to feel sorry for Kean at the end. The protestors were ready to have another go as Ivanovic almost gifted Rovers a leveller when he headed against his own bar.
There was still time for Torres to miss an absolute sitter.
He broke well and was at the far post for a Cole cross but shot woefully over from a couple of yards out.


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Sun:

Blackburn 0 Chelsea 1

FRANK LAMPARD nodded home the goal that lifted the pressure on his boss Andre Villas-Boas — but heaped more on Steve Kean.
The beleaguered Blackburn boss could only look to the skies as a canny fan in an aeroplane defied the club's ban on protest banners and flew over Ewood Park with a messge that simply read: Steve Kean Out.
For opposite number Villas-Boas, Lampard's header on 51 minutes ended a run of one win for Chelsea in their last four games.
Blackburn pushed the Londonders hard, but Petr Cech was able to overcome a nasty blow to his face early on to deny them and make it one win and five defeats at home in the Premier League.
John Terry returned to skipper Chelsea, with Villas-Boas dropping Fernando Torres to the bench to make way for Daniel Sturridge.
Lampard and Juan Mata were also among six changes made by the Portugese manager.
Blackburn boss Kean was able to name an unchanged side from last weekend's heartbreaking draw at Norwich.
Chelsea fashioned a chance almost immediately, Florent Malouda finding space on the left and crossing to a surprised Sturridge, who could only scoop the ball into Paul Robinson's arms.
Blackburn almost went ahead themselves when Mauro Formica crossed for Yakubu, who stretched to prod the ball wide under pressure from the advancing Petr Cech.
Both men required treatment after the resulting collision, with play stopped for seven minutes while the Chelsea keeper struggled with a heavy nose bleed.
When play resumed, it was the home side who continued to press forward with confidence, with the impressive Ruben Rochina blazing wide from 20 yards.
The lively Sturridge failed a win a penalty when he fell under the challenge of Chris Samba in the box, then moments later his cross from the left was just too strong for Mata in front of goal.
Sturridge was caught narrowly offside racing onto a through-ball from Malouda then Lampard blazed over from 20 yards after a cross from Branislav Ivanovic.
But Rovers suffered a blow at the start of seven minutes of first half injury time when he limped off and was replaced by Grant Hanley.
Villas-Boas replaced the ineffective Malouda with Torres at the break, but Rovers started the second period in lively fashion.
The visitors grabbed the lead in the 50th minute though with only their second shot on target.
Ivanovic turned inside Hoilett on the right and crossed for Lampard who directed a low header past Robinson.
But Rovers should have equalised four minutes later when Cech parried a Morten Gamst Pedersen free-kick into the path of Hanley, who drilled the rebound straight into the prostrate keeper.
As the game belatedly sprang into life, Ramires had a goal-bound effort blocked in the box by Jason Lowe, then Lampard fired a long-rang shot which was tipped over by Robinson.
Chelsea's defensive frailties were evident again in the 67th minute when Yakubu wriggled between Alex and Terry before hitting a curling shot which Cech saved well.
Rovers had yet another chance to equalise in the 70th minute when Rochina found Formica in the right side of the Chelsea box and while his shot beat Cech it was booted clear by Ramires.
And they were almost gifted their equaliser four minutes from time when Pedersen swung in a corner and the ball ricocheted off the back of Ivanovic's head and against the underside of the bar.
Chelsea should have wrapped the game up in injury time when a one-two between Torres and Cole gifted the Spaniard the simplest of chances which he somehow spooned over the bar.

Blackburn: Robinson, Lowe, Samba (Hanley 45), Givet, Olsson, Rochina (Dunn 72), Nzonzi, Pedersen, Hoilett, Formica, Yakubu. Subs Not Used: Bunn, Petrovic, Blackman, Goodwillie, Vukcevic.
Booked: Lowe, Hanley, Givet, Pedersen.

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Cole, Ramires (Romeu 90), Mikel, Lampard, Mata (Meireles 82), Sturridge, Malouda (Torres 46). Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Bosingwa, Lukaku, Kalou.
Booked: Sturridge, Meireles.
Goals: Lampard 51.
Att: 21,985
Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).

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Star:

BLACKBURN 0 - CHELSEA 1: FRANK LAMPS UP ABOVE: Frank Lampard's goal was enough to seperate the sides
By Adrian Stiles

FRANK LAMPARD fired Chelsea to a vital win with his sixth goal in eight games.
And skipper John Terry answered the boo-boys by leading the Blues to their first clean sheet since the opening weekend of the season.
Terry, who is under investigation by police and the FA over allegedly racist comments made to Anton Ferdinand, was taunted by Blackburn fans.
But Lampard’s goal was enough to earn Chelsea victory, after a run of just one win in four games.
Rovers battled hard but, with just a quarter of the match gone, a plane flew overhead trailing a “Steve Kean out!” banner, encouraging fans in Ewood Park to echo the sentiment.
It was a response to Rovers outlawing banners as a safety issue and Kean’s record now reads just three wins in 25 Premier League matches.
Kean said: “We feel as if we should have at least got a point. Our overall performance was excellent.
“I don’t think you can continue to play like that without going on a very, very strong run. We are confident we can climb the table.”
After their fortnight to forget, Chelsea wanted a flying start and should have gone in front after 65 seconds when Daniel Sturridge failed to control an Ashley Cole cross.
Lampard and Florent Malouda also tried their luck from distance as the Stamford Bridge outfit flexed their muscles.
But Blackburn went even closer when hot property Junior Hoilett cut Chelsea open and Yakubu fired wide.
The game was held up for seven minutes when Yakubu smashed into Petr Cech and the Chelsea keeper needed treatment to stem blood from his nose.
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas reckons Cech could have broken his nose.
He said: “He was in tremendous difficulty and he’s injury-prone in these types of incidents. We asked if he wanted to come off at half-time but he wanted to continue, which showed bravery.”
Chelsea took the lead soon after when a Branislav Ivanovic cross found a diving Lampard’s head and he directed the ball into the corner of the net.
Chances were coming at both ends with Cech pulling off a double save from a Morten Gamst Pedersen free-kick and Mauro Formica’s follow-up and there was still time for a shocking miss from Fernando Torres.


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Express:

BLACKBURN 0 CHELSEA 1: FRANK LAMPARD KO FOR UNDER-FIRE STEVE KEAN
By Richard Jolly

WITH a vote of no confidence from bon high and a stooping header from down low, the aerial attack on Steve Kean was double-pronged and doubly damaging.
It was a classic pincer movement from Blackburn fans and Chelsea’s most ruthless finisher. Frank Lampard’s winner returned Andre Villas-Boas’ side to winning ways, left Rovers marooned in the relegation zone and intensified the beleaguered Kean’s problems.
His side are playing better but, with three wins in 25 league games, the Scot’s record gets worse by the week. Blackburn supporters have taken to the streets, the stands and now the skies to protest.
After the objections over the airwaves came the complaint from above. “Steve Kean Out” read the message behind a plane flying over Ewood Park – banners were banned inside the ground, supposedly because of health and safety – and that was even before Lampard scored.
When he did, it relieved the pressure on Villas-Boas. After back-to-back derby defeats and after conceding five goals to Arsenal, he needed a win and a clean sheet.
He got both, but not without a few alarms. “We had to suffer a little bit,” he said. “It was important to win, no matter what.”
But at one end, Yakubu missed a sitter. At the other, Branislav Ivanovic headed against his own bar. In between, Blackburn had more chances. But this was old-style Chelsea, grinding out a victory.
A back four including the roundly booed John Terry – for once, Kean had a rival for the title of the most unpopular man at Ewood Park – got a first Premier League shut-out since August.
They used to be weekly events for Chelsea. This was a rarity. And it was only achieved after a series of escapes. “We certainly had some chances,” said Kean. “I don’t think you can continue to play like that without going on a very, very strong run. We feel as if we should have at least got a point.”
After nine minutes, Junior Hoilett and Mauro Formica combined to set up Yakubu, who fired wide. As the striker shot, he and Ashley Cole collided with Petr Cech.
The goalkeeper broke his nose, but carried on. It was just as well for Chelsea he did. He made a double save to stop Morten Gamst Pedersen’s ferocious free kick and Grant Hanley’s tamer follow-up.
He blocked again when Yakubu went clear. And when he was beaten by his own team-mate, Ivanovic’s header thudded against the woodwork.
But the Serb had made his mark at the other end, when Chelsea made the breakthrough. Lampard’s header came from the sort of height when it would have been easier to volley the ball.
The midfielder took the difficult approach with wonderful precision. But the cross from Ivanovic was superb, struck with the outside of his right foot. It was more the skill of a tricky winger than a towering defender.
“It was a good goal,” added Villas- Boas. “Frank has found his timing to arrive in the box like the old days and the cross from Ivanovic is inch perfect.”
He had been moved to right-back as Villas-Boas reacted to the historic humiliation against Arsenal by wielding the axe and shuffling the pack.
Out went Fernando Torres. The £50million man was dropped again before being brought on at half-time.