Hilario ensures Blues victory

Third-choice keeper Hilario came to Chelsea's rescue before Frank Lampard wrapped up three hard-earned points for the champions with a 2-0 win over battling Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

The Portuguese stopper - preferred to the returning Carlo Cudicini who was on the bench - dived low to his left to keep out Danny Webber's 17th-minute penalty before Lampard took over.

Lampard's long-range 43rd-minute free-kick caught out Blades keeper Paddy Kenny to give the visitors the lead, then his cross enabled Michael Ballack to head home number two five minutes after the break.

But the scoreline did scant justice to the performance of Neil Warnock's men, for whom defender Claude Davis, their own record signing at a mere £2.5million, was outstanding. The Blades enjoyed swathes of first half possession and restricted the visitors - who left out £30million man Andriy Shevchenko - to half-chances prior to Lampard's opener.

Had Webber not let the pressure of a packed home crowd get the better of him as he delivered a weak spot-kick to Hilario's left, it might have been a different afternoon entirely for Mourinho's men.

Nick Montgomery and Alan Quinn had both got forward with plenty of purpose before Didier Drogba was forced back to nip Quinn's 16th-minute cross off the toes of Davis in the box. One minute later Drogba and Davis tangled again and referee Martin Atkinson pointed to the spot, only for Webber - the only man to keep his place from the midweek Carling Cup loss to Birmingham - to miss.

It looked likely the Blades would pay for blowing their chance but Lampard saw a point-blank header brilliantly saved by Kenny - but one minute later he counted his luck when Kenny misjudged his long range free kick which flew straight into the net.

Shorn of the in-form Drogba at the interval, Mourinho's men grabbed the crucial second in the 50th minute when Lampard found space on the left and crossed for Ballack to head home from point-blank range.

And Ballack came close to grabbing his second with a 65th minute snap-shot from close to the penalty spot which flashed inches over Kenny's bar.

United continued to have their moments, mostly through the impressive Quinn on the left, and his fine 72nd minute cross fell to Hulse who headed over in front of goal.