STEWART RUINS CHELSEA'S GUD DAY (Sky Sports)

Sam Dalla BonaIpswich Town 2-2 Chelsea
Scowcroft 43, Stewart 81 - Gudjohnsen 8, 16
FA Carling Premiership

Resilient Ipswich plucked Chelseas first away win of the season from beneath the Blues noses as Marcus Stewart completed a determined fight-back.

Top-scorer Stewart and James Scowcroft cancelled out Eidur Gudjohnsens early double strike, which had seemed certain to end Chelseas dreadful run of 15 away games without a win.

A share of the points was no more than both Blues deserved from an entertaining Portman Road tussle that started in dream style for Chelsea.

Only seven minutes had gone when the Icelandic striker Gudjohnsen volleyed Mario Melchiot's right-wing cross firmly past the exposed Richard Wright from 12 yards.

Just nine minutes later, Gudjohnsen claimed his brace by turning home Jimmy Floyd Hasselbainks precision cross.

Perversely, it was Ipswich who had started the brighter of the two teams and visiting goalkeeper Ed de Goey was forced to clear a frantically clear a Jermaine Wright corner in the very first minute.

Marcus Stewart followed up with a rasping shot, but found Marcel Desailly and Alun Armstrong forced de Goey to save solidly with his right palm, then again with a 20-yard curler.

Chelsea captain Dennis Wise should have sealed victory for his side just before the half hour, but he somehow shot straight at Wright.

The miss left the door open for Ipswich, and Scowcroft duly snuck through, heading Fabian Wilnis deep cross past de Goey moments before the break.

As Ipswich stepped up through the gears on the resumption, Chelsea were indebted to John Terry's heels, which diverted Hermann Hreidarsson's goal bound header to safety; the centre-back then cleared another effort of the line, following a Mark Venus corner.

Ipswich surged forward, gaps appeared at the back and Wise should have capitalised, but the international only succeeded in shooting the ball along, rather than over the goal-line.

Nine minutes from time, Ipswich drew level as Stewart, whod earlier seen de Goey tip his fierce drive over, cracked a Scowcroft lay-off through the Dutch goalkeepers legs.

Indeed, high-flying Ipswich almost stole all the points, but the omnipresent Terry cleared Martijn Reusers shot off the line at the death.

Ipswich: Richard Wright, Wilnis (Croft 74), Bramble, Venus, Hreidarsson, Clapham (Reuser 63), Holland, Scowcroft, Jermaine Wright, Armstrong, Stewart
Subs Not Used: Branagan, Johnson, McGreal
Goals: Scowcroft 43, Stewart 82

Chelsea: de Goey, Leboeuf, Desailly, Terry, Melchiot (Bogarde 59), Wise, Morris, Dalla Bona, Zola (Harley 89), Hasselbaink (Jokanovic 68), Gudjohnsen. Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Poyet
Booked: Dalla Bona, Jokanovic, Desailly, Morris
Goals: Gudjohnsen 8, 17

Att: 22,237
Ref: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees)

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