AMID all the swirling rumours about Chelsea’s corporate future, the team stuttered, then succeeded against a resolute Ipswich Town. For 25 uncomfortable minutes after the visitors equalised, the Blues seemed to be heading for a miserable sequel to cap their 3-0 thrashing at Old Trafford and the humiliating home draw in the 3rd round of the Cup against Southend.

As it was, without ever achieving full fluency and plainly missing Joe Cole, Chelsea and Michael Ballack recovered to win without excessive pain. The recovery in Ballack’s case was that he had missed an early chance before he twice found the net. The error came after nine minutes when Nicolas Anelka, who moved constantly into different positions throughout the match, crossed from the left. David Wright, the Ipswich left-back, jumped for the ball but couldn’t connect. Ballack, unmarked, had an excellent opportunity to settle the nerves but whacked it wide.

He substantially atoned for that piece of profligacy, though, and this is a competition he is taking a fancy to, after a superb strike at Southend. In that match he came to his team’s rescue when they were behind and he is beginning to make a habit of being a man for a crisis. His first goal here came after 16 minutes when Frank Lampard sent a diagonal pass with great accuracy to Ashley Cole on the left. His cross found Ballack, who scored smartly.

The second goal was somewhat more spectacular. It arrived after 59 minutes when Owen Garvan, the industrious Ipswich midfielder, was punished for a foul on Anelka. Ballack struck his free kick expertly with his right foot and into the top left-hand corner of the Ipswich goal.

Afterwards, assistant manager Ray Wilkins, back at the Bridge where he was once a player, praised the German midfielder. “The Michael Ballack you saw today is what a top-quality footballer is all about. It was very doubtful he would play after he took a nasty kick in the week but he turned up this morning sore, wanted to play and was fantastic.”

Ipswich, much to their credit, had hit back to equalise after 34 minutes, again casting doubt on Chelsea’s ability to defend free kicks effectively.

Garvan crossed from the right and with Chelsea’s central defenders Ricardo Carvalho (later forced off with an injured hamstring) and Alex confusing each other, the ball bounced around the area and ran to the perfectly positioned Alex Bruce, who scored. At that moment you could not help but come to the conclusion that the Bridge was going to suffer another day of anxiety.

In the second half Richard Wright, once an England goalkeeper, was dealing resolutely with a series of shots and Chelsea were beginning to fret. On 57 minutes there were cheers from the crowd when Chelsea sent on Didier Drogba but he wasn’t to be the saviour, just a mere spectator for Ballack’s strike, which arrived just two minutes later.

Chelsea began to play with more freedom once they regained the lead and it was the start of a busy period for the Ipswich goalkeeper. On 64 minutes, Salomon Kalou, filling in on the flank for the absent Joe Cole, served by Lampard, shot at point-blank range, but Wright was commendably fast to dive on the ball. Two minutes later, the keeper blocked a shot he couldn’t hold and then smothered a rebound effort.

By this time Chelsea were dictating the game and when Lampard, increasingly influential, crossed from the right, the ball reached Kalou, ideally placed on the far post, only for him to head a good chance wide. Lampard and Chelsea, however, would have the last word when, on 84 minutes, a memorable right-footed free kick by the midfielder from the best part of 30 yards soared out of Wright’s reach.

Jim Magilton, the Ipswich manager, said: “I think we gave a really good account of ourselves. I thought we had some really good opportunities, scored a good goal from a set piece and, with a little bit of quality on the ball, could have got something more.”

Star man: Michael Ballack (Chelsea)

Yellow cards: Ipswich: Bruce, Garvan, Lisbie

Referee: A Wiley

Attendance: 41,137

CHELSEA: Cech 7, Bosingwa 6, Carvalho 6 (Ivanovic 70min), Alex 6, A Cole 6, Belletti 6, Ballack 7 (Deco 79min), Lampard 7, Malouda 6 (Drogba 58min, 6), Kalou 6, Anelka 7.

IPSWICH: R Wright 7, D Wright 6, McAuley 7, Bruce 6, Garvan 7, Miller 6 (Quinn 81min), Counago 6, Norris 6, Balkestein 7, Haynes 6 (Lisbie 60min), Walters 6 (Stead 71min)

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