15/03/2008  Sunderland 0 Chelsea 1
 
John Terry chose the perfect moment to return to goalscoring form as he headed Chelsea to victory at Sunderland.

The England defender struck after 10 minutes to score his first goal for the club since August 2006 and maintain his side's Barclays Premier League title hopes.

Terry's intervention was decisive on an afternoon when the Blues were far from their best, but still created more than enough opportunities to win the game comfortably.

However, having failed to take them, they were left hanging on as the relegation-haunted Black Cats mounted a sustained fightback which came up only just short.

Blues keeper Carlo Cudicini had to make fine saves from Andy Reid and Grant Leadbitter either side of half-time, but it was striker Kenwyne Jones who might have snatched a point with 15 minutes remaining, only to head straight at the Italian.

But if Chelsea boss Avram Grant was disappointed with his side's performance, he was at least able to console himself with a clean sheet and a victory which keeps alive their title challenge.

By contrast, opposite number Roy Keane could not fault the efforts of his players, who were warmly applauded by a crowd of 44,679 as they left the pitch, but a second successive home defeat leaves them entrenched in the battle for survival at the opposite end of the table.

Chelsea arrived on Wearside having smashed six past Derby in midweek, but still smarting from their shock FA Cup quarter-final exit at the hands of lowly Barnsley.

If Keane had sent his troops out warning them of a continuing backlash, he was not to be disappointed as the Blues started in determined fashion.

Midfielder Michael Ballack could have put them ahead with just five minutes gone when he managed to lose his marker to meet Lampard's corner, but the German directed his header harmlessly across goal.

But for some brave defending, the home side would have succumbed three minutes later after Didier Drogba had carved them open with a driven pass to Salomon Kalou.

The striker was denied by a superbly-timed tackle from Phil Bardsley before he could shoot, and when the loose ball arrived at Joe Cole's feet, Jonny Evans responded with a vital block.

But the breakthrough finally arrived after 10 minutes when Terry, who had earlier survived penalty appeals for an untidy challenge on Roy O'Donovan, powered another Lampard corner home to end his personal drought.

Joe Cole was inches away from converting namesake Ashley's 18th-minute cross with Sunderland finding themselves repeatedly stretched down their right flank.

However, just when it looked as though Chelsea might run away with the game, Keane's men gritted their teeth and set about the task of dragging themselves back into the match.

Cudicini was not troubled by Carlos Edwards' wayward 23rd-minute volley, but he was fully extended to keep out Reid's curling free-kick four minutes later.

That set the stage for a determined fightback as Jones kept Terry and central defensive partner Alex on their toes, while O'Donovan's industry and Reid's quality on the ball caused problems for the visitors, who had lost a little of their shape.

However, the title-chasers continued to look dangerous in attack, and it took a good save from Gordon at his near post to deny Lampard in first-half injury-time after Kalou had picked out his run into the box.

The visitors returned seemingly determined to kill the game off as quickly as possible, and might have done just that had first Kalou and then Joe Cole not missed the target from promising positions inside the opening four minutes of the second half.

But once again, Sunderland rolled up their sleeves and threatened to get themselves back on to level terms.

Leadbitter called Cudicini into action with with a 53rd-minute shot from distance, and from the resulting corner, defender Danny Collins headed just wide.

A weary Edwards, playing his first senior game since breaking his leg on December 1, made way for striker Rade Prica with 28 minutes remaining, but Chelsea could have increased their lead three minutes later had Drogba not fizzed his cross just over the unmarked Lampard's head.

Keane introduced Dwight Yorke as a 73rd-minute replacement for O'Donovan, and he handed the unmarked Jones a glorious opportunity to snatch a point within two minutes of his arrival with a delicate cross, but the striker glanced his header straight at a grateful Cudicini.

Substitute Prica headed just wide after 81 minutes and Jones landed another on the roof of the net in the dying seconds, and Drogba and Dean Whitehead both went desperately close at either end in a tense finish.