A FIRST-HALF Didier Drogba goal and an outstanding free-kick from Alex sealed Chelsea's first win on Teesside for three years, writes GORDON COX from the Riverside Stadium.

The Boro side showed two changes from the side which lost 13 days ago at Manchester City as Mido and Tuncay returned to the starting line-up.

Chelsea were without injured England duo John Terry and Ashley Cole, Claude Makelele missed out, Andriy Shevchenko and Shaun Wright-Phillips were on the bench and Wayne Bridge was suspended. But Michael Essien, John Obi Mikel, Alex and Didier Drogba all returned.

Possession was virtually all Chelsea's in the opening few minutes but good movement off the ball and neat one touch football with it failed to stretch  Boro, who started with Fabio Rochemback playing just in front of the back four.

But constant pressure eventually paid off with just over seven minutes played when a low return pass from Frank Lampard picked out Didier Drogba and a low shot across Mark Schwarzer from an angled 12 yards rolled into the goalkeeper's bottom left-hand corner to register his third goal of the season.

The goal was far too easy to create and score.

The game was being played at Chelsea's pace and Boro needed to up the tempo - easier said than done against a side so well organised.

When Boro had the ball options were limited but excellent work and cross from Gary O'Neil and a header from Mido grabbed on the line by Petr Cech gave hope and life to a subdued crowd.

Andrew Taylor linked with Mido to force a corner and suddenly Chelsea had to defend. It was almost as if belief had started to course back through the veins.

It took a late block from Ricardo Carvalho on the edge of the area to prevent Cech from being called into action to deal with a low shot from Mido, the central defender quickly turning to his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Ferreira for a sharp exchange of words.

A crisp challenge from O'Neil confirmed Boro's renewed wellbeing.

Suddenly Chelsea broke and Jonathan Woodgate conceded a free-kick right on the edge of the penalty area when he flatted Joe Cole and was shown the game's first yellow card. Drogba sent a low, curling effort into the side netting.

Entering the final minutes of the first half, Chelsea were awarded a corner when Luke Young cleared away from Drogba. All three officials were a long way from the action and the decision not to award a thrown-in annoyed those considerably closer and the Ivory Coast international incurred the wrath of a sections of Boro fans when appearing to mouth something in their direction.

Schwarzer was fouled as the corner swung over and ironic cheers rung round the ground as Drogba, sportingly, helped him to his feet.

Half-time: Middlesbrough 0 Chelsea 1

A bright start to the second half saw urgency from both sides and an early chance for Boro. Stewart Downing took possession of a long ball, none of Lampard, Essien, Cole or Mikkel wanted to track back and the England winger provided a fine cross for Mido, whose header was again grabbed on the line by Cech.

Back came Boro and a Downing cross was deflected off the chest of Mikkel for a corner, though a couple of players and half the crowd screamed for a penalty.

None of the 50-50 decisions seemed to be going in Boro's favour and it was again a source of annoyance to the crowd as another Chelsea infringement appeared to go unchecked, only for seconds later a free-kick to be awarded to the visitors - and this one counted.

Midway inside the Boro half, not far from being in line with Schwarzer's right-hand post, Lampard tapped a short ball to Alex and a thunderous,  unstoppable drive flew into the goalkeeper's top left-hand corner.

It was the first time Chelsea had scored two away from home in the league for 15 games and the Brazilian defender's first goal in Chelsea colours.

But for a superb save from Schwarzer which parried a Cole header and an incorrectly raised linesman's flag it could have been three just a couple of minutes later.

It took a while for Boro to recover but they steadied and created a fine chance with a great cross from the right from Young, but Tuncay, well placed, seemed to jump under the ball.

However, the second goal seemed to have punctured Boro's belief and the game again was dictated largely at Chelsea's pace and chances became a rare commodity.

One was created approaching the final minute of normal time as Downing sent over a fine cross but O'Neil got underneath his shot from the left-hand edge of the six-yard box and cleared the bar by a yard.

Boro: Schwarzer; Young, Woodgate, Riggott, Taylor, Tuncay (Craddock 83), Boateng (Capt) (Cattermole 67), O'Neil, Downing, Rochemback, Mido. Unused subs: Turnbull (gk); Wheater, Lee.

Chelsea: Cech; Belletti, Alex, Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira, Essien (Sidwell 81), Mikel, Lampard (Capt), J Cole, Malouda (Wright-Phillips 75), Drogba (Shevchenko 85). Unused subs: Cudicini (gk); Ben-Haim.

Referee Mark Halsey, Welwyn Garden City.

Bookings

Boro Boateng, 47, foul.

Chelsea Malouda, 71, foul.

Attendance 27,699

Conditions Cold and sunny

Website Boro Man of the Match Another fine performance from Gary O'Neil, but Stewart Downing gets the vote.