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Substitute Hernan
Crespo headed home a fine cross from Damien Duff two minutes from time to snatch
a 2-1 victory for Chelsea at Middlesbrough in the premier league on Sunday.
The Argentine rose beyond the far post to head down from a tight angle past
England defender Danny Mills and inside the right hand post of goalkeeper Mark
Schwarzer after Duff had sent in a left-footed cross from the right.
Chelsea, determined to make amends for their midweek home defeat by Besiktas of Turkey in the Champions League, stayed third in the standings, one point behind leaders Arsenal and level with Manchester United, who both won on Saturday.
Man-of-the-match Duff also set up Chelsea's opening goal in the 17th minute for Iceland's Eidur Gudjohnsen who fired a low shot inside Schwarzer's right hand post from the Ireland international's defence-splitting pass. Ticketmaster
It was the first goal conceded by Middlesbrough in four games after three successive 1-0 wins.
Middlesbrough were ultimately unlucky to lose when, having played poorly in the first half, they could have won the match in the second.
They equalised through Szilard Nemeth virtually from the restart when the Slovakian forward took a ball from midfielder Gaizka Mendieta after a stumble by Chelsea defender Robert Huth.
Duff said the defeat to Besiktas, Chelsea's first loss of the season, "was a bad game and a bad result but thankfully we got back on track today. Ticketmaster
"We're not playing the best of football (yet) but we got the three points and we're happy enough," he told Sky Sports.
CRESPO ERROR
Crespo's winner made up for his bad miss in the 77th minute when the Argentine, who came on for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink at the interval, should have scored.
Having robbed Boro captain Colin Cooper, Crespo looked set to put Chelsea back in front but shot straight at Schwarzer, hitting the advancing keeper squarely in the face.
Chelsea could have been two up at halftime but central defender John Terry's header from Frank Lampard's free kick came back off the bar and the ball was scrambled to safety. Ticketmaster
The visitors had almost gone in front in the second minute when Schwarzer had to dive sharply to his left to turn away Jesper Gronkjaer's shot.
Middlesbrough managed only three weak attempts at goal in the first half but were a different side after the break.
Following their equaliser they had a string of chances which stayed out largely thanks to the goalkeeping of Carlo Cudicini.
Mendieta broke free on the right in the 55th minute but his low diagonal shot across the face of goal was missed by Nemeth and then skimmed the outside of the far post. Ticketmaster
On the hour, Brazilian midfielder Doriva volleyed through a melee of players and the unsighted Cudicini did well to parry the ball for a corner.
Striker Malcolm Christie shot over the bar six minutes later when Cudicini came out sharply to the Boro man's feet. Ticketmaster
In the 73rd minute, Christie broke away down the middle and Boro had three men in attack to two Chelsea defenders. He chose to pass out to George Boateng on the right but the Dutchman's cross shot went just wide of the far post.