Chelsea 2-1 Manchester United

Apr 27 2008 Gordon Waddell At Stamford Bridge

Blues Dedicate Victory To Tragic Frank's Mum

CHELSEA blew the Premiership race wide open - as boss Avram Grant dedicated their stunning win to the memory of Frank Lampard's mum. A goal in either half from Michael Ballack hauled the Blues level on points with Man United with two games left.

But the touching gesture from Chelsea's players and staff put the match in perspective as they showed their support for their grieving team-mate.

Lampard was given compassionate leave from the crunch clash after mother Pat passed away on Thursday aged 58.

Ballack headed home the first right before the break. And the ball had barely hit the net when skipper John Terry and his team-mates burst to the dugout to unveil a shirt with "PAT LAMPARD - 58 - RIP" embroidered on its back.

Afterwards boss Grant shelved his joy at the best result of his troubled time at Chelsea to share the pain of his player.

Grant said: "We're one big family here and all so sad - we send our sympathies.

"We have a game this week against Liverpool but it will be up to Frank to see how he feels. Football is important but other things are more important."

It was the game of the Premiership's dreams, the title on the wire between its two biggest clubs.

Man United were just a win away from Sir Alex Ferguson's 10th title - and the action had everything.

Stunning strikes, back-line blunders, a cat-fight between two Chelsea stars, two last-minute goal-line clearances, a postmatch punch-up as Chelsea's groundsman laid intoManU's subs - even Rio Ferdinand kicking a female steward as he tried to boot the wall on the way up the tunnel.

Bottom line though? It's game on. Chelsea stretched their unbeaten run at home to an astonishing 81 games.

They deserved every second of the ovation they took at a sun-drenched Stamford Bridge. And skipper Terry vowed: "We want to win this Premiership and take it away from United. We've heard all season we can't play as well as Man United and Arsenal.We can match anyone on our day."

And they more than matched Sir Alex's men.

Fergie had moaned about the lack of a gap between their Champions League semi against Barcelona and this clash.

But he still stunned his fans when he benched Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez - with 56 goals between them - in a side that showed six changes from midweek.

The upheaval cost them dear in the first half.

They weren't helped when Nemanja Vidic was stretchered off just eight minutes in, taking an accidental knee in the jaw from Didier Drogba that put him out like a light.

It forced an early reshuffle from Ferguson - but it always had that "moving deckchairs on the Titanic" feel about it.

United's ball retention was chronic with Ronaldo's replacement Nani especially culpable. Wayne Rooney's fury with him grew with every miss-hit pass or aimless cross.

Chelsea were, meanwhile, bombing on with a purpose and although it took a while the opener was exquisite.

Drogba's cross was perfect, Ballack timed his late run to perfection and placed a superb header past Edwin van der Sar.

If the away dressing room had wallpaper, it's hard to imagine it would have survived the interval.

And furious Ferguson got the response he wanted.

United looked a different side, pulsing forward at last.

But it still took a howling Chelsea blunder to get them back in the game. The Blues had the ball at their feet with a free-kick just inside their own half.

Paulo Ferreira's pass to Carvalho was poor but when the Portuguese stopper rolled it inside looking for his partner, he could only throw his hands around his head as he found Rooney there instead.

The striker ate up the space and buried a clinical finish past Petr Cech in off the post.

At that stage United had the point they had come for - but as it wore on, they were never going to keep it. Van der sar had to pull off a miracle stop from Drogba's free-kick - one he almost never took after an amazing spat between him and Ballack.

But there was nothing the keeper could do to stop the German bagging the second.

Michael Carrick's handball was spotted by the assistant ref, and Ballack soaked up the pressure to bury the winner.

Even then, Man U didn't give up and twise in injury time Chelsea scrambled as Ronaldo then Darren Fletcher had certain goals denied on the line by Ashley Cole and incredibly Andriy Shevchenko.

Despite coming from eight points behind at Christmas, Chelsea remain 16 goals worse off - and praying United slip in their closing games.

With West Ham at home and Wigan away it would take a brave man to put the mortgage on that happening.