Hasselbaink strikes twice as Chelsea beat Spurs

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored twice for Chelsea as their hoodoo over Tottenham Hotspur continued on Wednesday with a 2-1 victory in their League Cup semifinal first leg at Stamford Bridge.

The lethal Dutchman gave Chelsea the lead in the first half and, after Les Ferdinand had levelled for Spurs, Hasselbaink lashed in a 25-metre free kick with 13 minutes left to secure a narrow advantage for the return leg in a fortnight's time.

Chelsea were also denied what appeared to be a clear penalty in the closing minutes when substitute Mikael Forsell went down as he tried to round Spurs keeper Kasey Keller.

The hard-fought victory maintained a 12-year monopoly which has kept Chelsea unbeaten in their last 26 matches against their London rivals, the last loss coming in February 1990.

It will also give Chelsea a clear advantage in the second leg on January 23 at White Hart Lane, where Spurs have not beaten them since 1987.

The eventual winners will face either Blackburn Rovers or Sheffield Wednesday in the final at Cardiff's Millenium Stadium on February 24.

Though it was a balanced game, Chelsea deserved their win for having an attacking edge that Spurs lacked in the absence of suspended skipper Teddy Sheringham.

The hosts turned on the pressure right from the start and were soon rewarded when Eidur Gudjohnsen threaded a superb ball through the Spurs defence for Hasselbaink to run on and tuck his first-time shot past Keller in the 10th minute.

Hasselbaink forced a good save from the Spurs keeper minutes later with a booming free-kick as the Blues went looking for a killer second goal.

SPURS RALLY

But Spurs gradually rallied and two chances went begging when first Simon Davies and then Christian Ziege, following a penetrating break down the left, raked in low crosses across the face of the Chelsea goal.

Spurs midfielder Gustavo Poyet, returning to the Bridge for the first time since being offloaded by Chelsea last season, and wearing the captain's armband, ballooned another effort over the bar.

Chelsea had let a lead slip in their last home game with a 4-2 league defeat to Southampton and, with England's Darren Anderton lighting up the Spurs midfield, there seemed a chance it could happen again.

Hasselbaink, both times picked out by Gudjohnsen, squandered two clear chances after the restart and Ferdinand should have levelled in the 63rd minute when he beat the Chelsea offside trap and burst through acres of space before having the ball whipped from his feet by Carlo Cudicini.

Ferdinand made no mistakes two minutes later, though, collecting a defence-splitting pass from substitute Tim Sherwood and steering his shot beneath the Italian keeper.

But Hasselbaink smacked home a deserved winner in the 77th minute -- his 17th goal of the season -- to put Chelsea on course for a place in next month's final.