Sun, Aug 16, 2009 page20

• Drogba’s late strike downs Hull

  TIGERS TAMED: Hull City hadn’t read the script and they scored first at the Bridge, but they left with nothing after Didier Drogba’s injury-time goal

  • AFP
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  Didier Drogba’s injury-time goal — his second of the match — ensured Carlo Ancelotti enjoyed a winning start to his new life in the Premier League as Chelsea narrowly beat Hull City 2-1 yesterday.

  Chelsea manager Ancelotti was heading for an opening day disappointment with Hull hanging on for a point after Stephen Hunt’s 28th-minute goal had been canceled out by Drogba’s 37th-minute equalizer.

  Drogba claimed all three points, however, from a cross that squeezed in from the narrowest of angles to secure three points for the hosts at Stamford Bridge.

  

  Chelsea’s Florent Malouda, right, battles for the ball with Hull City’s Steven Mouyokolo during their English Premier League match at Stamford Bridge in London yesterday.

  PHOTO: AP

  Chelsea started the stronger, a slick opening move inside the first minute that involved an exchange of passes between Michael Essien and Jose Bosingwa on the right flank creating an opening that Essien exploited before delivering a precise cross toward Drogba.

  Positioned in front of goal, the striker should have claimed the honor of scoring the first goal of the new campaign, but wasted the excellent opportunity by firing wide.

  The ease with which Chelsea had unpicked Hull’s defense suggested another chance would arise sooner rather than later and sounded an ominous warning for the visitors, who have already been earmarked as favorites to go down.

  The way they responded following Drogba’s early miss, however, suggested they still have the capacity to shock.

  After finally settling, the visitors’ packed midfield and organized defense restricted Chelsea to a series of half-chances.

  Ancelotti’s preference for a narrow diamond in midfield gave Hull space to exploit from the flanks, with Hunt and George Boateng linking particularly effectively down the City left.

  The chinks in Chelsea’s defense were fully exposed when, after another swift break, Boateng’s shot cannoned off John Obi Mikel’s knee and into the path of Hunt, who finished comfortably from close range.

  Hull were well worth their lead, but Chelsea — and Drogba especially — were finally spurred into action by the shock of falling behind

  The Ivory Coast striker was given the chance to make amends for his earlier miss in the 28th minute when Seyi Olofinjana fouled Mikel outside his own penalty area and Drogba delivered a superb, dipping free-kick beyond Hull goalkeeper Boaz Myhill.

  From that moment on, Hull were forced into survival mode with Chelsea dominating possession.

  It helped Hull’s cause that Chelsea were in wasteful mood, never more so than when Nicolas Anelka tamely shot straight at Myhill just seconds after the restart, a miss that was as glaring as Drogba’s had been at the start.

  Myhill repeatedly dealt with anything Chelsea threw at him in the second period, including an outstanding save to deny Drogba. Worringly for Ancelotti, his side ran out of ideas until Drogba’s winner.

  Also See: Liverpool face early test of their title credentials
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