Soccer-Chelsea strike late to close gap at the top

ByABC News
March 21, 2014, 2:37 PM

— -- LONDON, March 13 - Chelsea laboured for more than an hour before two goals in three minutes turned things round at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday and gave the Londoners a 2-0 premier league win over unlucky Bolton Wanderers. The goals, by defender John Terry and winger Damien Duff in the 71st and 74th minutes, took second-placed Chelsea to 61 points, still six adrift of Arsenal, who visit Blackburn Rovers later on Saturday. Manchester United, who face Manchester City on Sunday, are third on 58. It was Chelsea's 11th away win of the season. Bolton beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in December and were clearly again not overawed by the Champions League quarter-finalists, dominating the first half. Henrik Pederson hit a post in the 12th minute, Chelsea's third-choice goalkeeper Marco Ambrosio got down well to smother a swerving shot by Jay Jay Okocha soon after, while Kevin Davies looped a shot just wide after some casual Chelsea defending late in the first half. Chelsea improved after the break, though without really building any sustained pressure, and the opening goal came out of the blue. Centre back Terry stepped in to clear up a messy situation in his own half, strode forward with the ball before feeding Duff and then arrived in the box to turn in a neat low volley after the Irishman crossed from the right. Duff was on the receiving end three minutes later when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink sent over another cross from the right and the midfielder turned the ball in from six metres. Joe Cole then ran through the Bolton defence and seemed certain to score only for Simon Charlton to clear off the line while Okocha shot tamely at Ambrosio two minutes from the end in Bolton's only real chance of the second half.