Chelsa challenge fades

Chelsea 0 Everton 0:Everton killed off Chelsea's lingering title ambitions with a hard-fought goalless draw at Stamford Bridge. The result leaves Guus Hiddink's side three points behind second-placed Liverpool and six adrift of leaders Manchester United, who beat Portsmouth at Old Trafford and also have a game in hand.

The game, a dress rehearsal for May’s FA Cup final, was dominated by both goalkeepers.

Chelsea’s Petr Cech and Everton’s Tim Howard took the plaudits on a night when both sides failed to make the most of their chances.

“I think we pushed Chelsea really close tonight,” Everton full-back Leighton Baines told Sky Sports 1. “We knew it would be tough after the weekend, but I thought our work rate was really good.

“The result is good confidence wise, but the final will be a different game.

“It does give us a confidence boost ahead of that game and we know that we can play against these sorts of sides.”

Cech came to Chelsea’s rescue in the sixth minute when Tim Cahill put Jo through with a neat pass but the Everton striker was unable to beat the home goalkeeper who kept out his shot at point-blank range.

Moments later Chelsea responded with a long-range effort from Michael Ballack smothered by Howard who dived low to his left to ensure the ball did not creep inside the post.

Frank Lampard and Michael Essien were both off target from long range as well, with Chelsea slowly taking control of the half.

Cech, though, had to back-pedal frantically to ensure that a long-range free-kick from Baines did not creep in underneath the crossbar.

The Toffees almost opened the scoring themselves in the 33rd minute when Jo broke down the left-flank and crossed low for Cahill. The Australian midfielder turned cleverly before drilling a low shot towards the bottom corner of the net but Cech was again equal to it.

He rescued Chelsea again two minutes after the interval when a cross from Leon Osman was met by the head of Cahill, whose glancing effort was well held .

Chelsea managed to wrestle back the initiative from the visitors but despite some intricate approach play, there was little invention in their attack.

John Terry almost broke the deadlock for the home side when he let fly from fully 30 yards only for Howard to leap spectacularly to his left to deny the captain an opening goal.

Jo wasted a chance to pinch the points for Everton when he fired high and wide from 18-yards in the 73rd minute.

Chelsea’s Kalou did likewise at the opposite end when he headed a cross from Malouda over the bar from six yards.

Everton goalkeeper Howard then saved superbly to deny Kalou in the 79th minute after Lampard’s corner found him unmarked.

Pienaar and Cahill both wasted late chances for Everton while Drogba hit the crossbar with a volley in injury time — a miss that almost certainly ended Chelsea’s interest in the title race.