Clark stop Chelsea to win 3 points !!

CIARAN CLARK bagged an incredible stoppage-time equaliser as Aston Villa snatched a point from a thriller at Chelsea.

Gerard Houllier's under-fire visitors had looked set for all three, leading 2-1 with just six minutes remaining.

John Terry then thought he had won it for the champions when he followed up Didier Drogba's equaliser with an 89th-minute strike.

But Villa were not to be denied as Clark's dramatic late header further dented the title hopes of Carlo Ancelotti's men.

Both sides had held the lead in the topsy-turvy game, with Frank Lampard's first-half penalty cancelled out by Ashley Young's spot-kick before Emile Heskey headed home just after half-time.



The Blues had handed Jeffrey Bruma his full Premier League debut going into the game, with Villa drafting in the fit-again Young and Heskey, as well Richard Dunne and Clark.

Houllier's side, bottom of the form table, were thrashed 7-1 on their last visit to Stamford Bridge.

But despite Chelsea having nearly all the ball early on, the visitors had the first shot when Gabriel Agbonlahor drilled narrowly wide.

At the other end, Bruma's header from a corner was blocked but, for all their possession, the home side lacked penetration.

But Villa's lack of discipline cost them when James Collins climbed all over Malouda to concede a penalty.

Lampard stepped up to convert his first goal since August, with Brad Friedel and Collins booked for their protests.

Villa's frustration boiled over into needless fouls, but they could have been level twice before their eventual equaliser.

An unmarked Clark should have netted on the half-hour mark when he nodded Young's corner over the top.

And Dunne missed a great chance he hooked over after Chelsea failed to deal with Stewart Downing's clipped ball into the box.

Ramires was booked for clipping Stiliyan Petrov's heels and Villa's pressure finally told when Michael Essien's clumsy tackle on Nigel Reo-Coker handed them a penalty four minutes before the break.

Young made no mistake from the spot.

Agbonlahor and Clark then became the fifth and sixth Villa players booked for bad tackles on Ramires and Essien before half-time.

Villa picked up where they had left off at the restart and Petr Cech just beat Heskey to the ball, with Paulo Ferreira ultimately forced to clear.



But Heskey had the last laugh just two minutes in when he climbed above young Bruma to power home Downing's right-wing cross. The former England player was then booked for a late tackle on Essien as Chelsea began to wake up to the fact their title defence was now hanging by a thread.

Lampard, Drogba and Ramires all saw shots blocked before the latter drilled just wide after the ball broke to him in the box.

The weakness of Ancelotti's bench was summed up when he sent on Bosingwa for Ferreira.

Lampard was unlucky not to level in the 63rd minute when he sent a vicious volley straight at Friedel, who then brilliantly closed down Malouda in a one-on-one.

Ancelotti threw on Salomon Kalou for Ramires for the final 17 minutes.

But it was Drogba who came to his manager's rescue six minutes from time, when he rifled home a rebound off Carlos Cuellar.

With barely a minute remaining, Chelsea snatched what they thought was a winner, with Terry side-footing home.

But the joy was short-lived as Clark stole in completely unmarked at the back post to nod in Marc Albrighton's superb cross.