25/02/2006  Chelsea 2 Portsmouth 0
 
Pompey had frustrated the champions for long periods on a ground where they had not won since the 1950s but their resistance was finally broken by Lampard's 65th-minute breakthrough.

Arjen Robben made sure of the points late on after a brief flurry of activity from the visitors had threatened an equaliser but with Manchester United not in league action this weekend and Liverpool not playing until tomorrow the net result was a three-point gain for Jose Mourinho's men to increase their lead to a seemingly unassailable 15.

The first half hour had been devoid of anything memorable however with Lampard's shooting not yet focussed and his team-mates unable to construct any meaningful moves on the notoriously rutted pitch.

John Terry had sent an early header over from a corner but few chances followed as Pompey made sure they kept their shape and harried their more illustrious opponents.

Mourinho was not impressed either and let everyone know with a 31st-minute substitution. Damien Duff was the man to come on, replacing Asier del Horno on the left.

The Spaniard should not have been too jaded from his well-documented midweek exertions, having been sent off for the foul on Lionel Messi that everyone, save the Chelsea manager, had been quick to condemn and disappeared down the tunnel for yet another early bath.

The point having been made, the champions began to put pressure on Dean Kiely and forced the veteran keeper into saves. Terry was first, meeting a free-kick to the back post with a firm header from no more than five yards out.

Kiely used his bulk to block that one and pulled off an even more impressive save to deny Didier Drogba, who had been preferred up front to Hernan Crespo, from a free-kick.

Robert Huth, who had also been recalled, met the rebound with an instant header but the German saw Kiely recover in time to make the save comfortable.

Mourinho had also opted to start with Shaun Wright-Phillips on the right and the former Manchester City man fired in a low cross just before the break which eluded first Robben at the near post and the outstretched leg of Drogba beyond the far upright.

Robben was convinced he had been impeded at the vital moment by an opponent however and rushed to tell referee Mike Riley exactly that, even though his team-mates were still attacking.

Pompey were able to clear their lines and go in at the break on level terms, although they had hardly threatened a breakthrough at the other end.

Debutant Ognjen Koroman, the Serbia and Montenegro international midfielder, sent an early long-ranger tamely wide but apart from the occasional free-kick or corner Petr Cech was hardly tested.

The south coast strugglers made a brighter start to the second period but Pedro Mendes, a Champions League winner under Mourinho at Porto, blazed high and wide from a good position on the edge of the box.

Pompey were angry when play continued despite skipper Gary O'Neil having stayed down hurt. Robben forced a parry from Kiely, who again recovered to get behind Lampard's follow-up effort.

There was a brief glimmer of a breakthrough for Pompey when Lomana LuaLua appeared goal-side of Huth but the defender was able to stick out a long leg to hook away at the vital moment.

Mourinho made two more changes on the hour with the disappointing Joe Cole hooked along with Wright-Phillips to allow Eidur Gudjohnsen and Claude Makelele to come on.

Again there was an instant improvement from the home side and this time a goal followed, with Lampard slotting a low drive from a yard inside the box past Kiely after Gudjohnsen had allowed Drogba's pass to reach him.

Redknapp attempted to match Mourinho with a change of his own, with Wayne Routledge replacing Koroman, and it should have worked too as the recalled Richard Hughes somehow managed to head the substitute's cross wide from only six yards out.

Mendes was only just over with a shot before Sean Davis replaced Hughes with 17 minutes remaining but Robben soon wrapped up proceedings with a clinical finish in the 78th minute. Gudjohnsen set him up with a ball over the Pompey back-line and as Kiely came to meet him, the Dutchman clipped the ball past him to register his seventh goal of the campaign.

Portsmouth remain second from bottom and with fellow strugglers Birmingham having won to move five points clear, Redknapp must now be bracing himself for a second successive demotion from the top-flight following Southampton's final-day demise last season.