Soccer: Gallas keeps Chelsea on course for title

LONDON - French defender William Gallas smashed home a superb stoppage-time winner to give champions Chelsea a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the English premier league's London derby at Stamford Bridge yesterday.

Knocked out of the Champions League's last 16 by Barcelona in midweek, Chelsea took a deserved lead through Ghana midfielder Michael Essien after 14 minutes.

Midfielder Jermaine Jenas equalised just before halftime but Gallas blasted in a curling shot from 25m in the second minute of stoppage time to secure the points for the premier league leaders.

Victory moved Jose Mourinho's side ever closer to retaining their title. They have 75 points and an 18-point lead over Manchester United, who have two games in hand before hosting Newcastle United today.

There were comfortable wins yesterday for Bolton Wanderers, who trounced West Ham United 4-1, and Everton, who beat Fulham 3-1, while Blackburn Rovers rode their luck in a 2-0 win over Aston Villa.

Blackburn's win hoisted Mark Hughes' side into fifth place in an increasingly tight race for the final Champions League qualifying slot, held by Spurs.

Despite their defeat, Tottenham have 49 points to lead Blackburn (46), Bolton (45), who have two games in hand, and Arsenal (44), who face third-placed Liverpool (55) at Highbury today.

Bottom club Sunderland's first game under caretaker manager Kevin Ball ended in a 0-1 home loss to Wigan Athletic. Sunderland look all but doomed, Birmingham City remain in the drop zone after drawing 1-1 with West Bromwich Albion in the Midlands derby, but second from bottom Portsmouth kept their survival hopes alive with a stoppage-time winner to beat Manchester City 2-1.

Chelsea are still bidding for a domestic double, with an FA Cup quarterfinal against Newcastle to come on March 23.

Looking back to their European exit at the Nou Camp, Chelsea captain John Terry said: "Everyone was disappointed, but we've all picked ourselves up in training in the week.

"After a bad week, we're buzzing and everyone's happy. We've still got a great chance of the double - we know we can do it."

Yesterday's game was preceded by a minute's applause for former striker Peter Osgood, who died on March 1, with Chelsea players of the 1960s and 1970s gathered on the centre circle.

Spurs have not beaten Chelsea in the league since 1990 and the defeat risks loosening Tottenham's hold on a place in the Champions League qualifiers.

Down in the relegation zone, an equaliser by substitute Nathan Ellington kept West Brom in 17th place on 27 points - three clear of Birmingham.

Although his side remain in the drop zone, City manager Steve Bruce was relieved to have taken a point.

"Analysing it for us defensively -- it was a shocking afternoon for us," he said.

"We just couldn't defend properly at all ... we've probably had more luck this afternoon than we've had all season."

Portsmouth's luck looked to have run out after Richard Dunne's 83rd-minute equaliser for Manchester City but Pedro Mendes struck a glorious goal, his second of the day, to move Harry Redknapp's men on to 21 points.

Redknapp said: "It was important we stayed in the race, if we hadn't won today I think we'd be dead and buried. We've given ourselves a chance now ... today will give everyone a lift."

Protesters gathered at Sunderland, calling for the resignation of chairman Bob Murray after the sacking of Mick McCarthy as manager. They are bottom on 10 points.

- REUTERS