Chelsea 1
Middlesbrough 0

Forget the promise of attractive football. Discount the honourable intentions. Avram Grant has swiftly moved from purist to pragmatist mode on the back of a fortunate victory over Middlesbrough which may yet prove vital in the hectic race to the Premier League title.

The Chelsea manager signed up to play the beautiful game when he succeeded Jose Mourinho but all that has gone out of the window.

Grant thought his side had deserved their 1-0 win over a plucky Middlesbrough side - but there were not many who agreed with him. True, Chelsea were by far superior in the first half before and after Ricardo Carvalho had headed them into an early lead.

Middlesbrough came back strongly after the break, though, hitting the woodwork three times and having a reasonable penalty appeal turned down.

But the end, it was Chelsea who were hanging on and they may have to show similar resolve in their Champions League clash against Fenerbahce tomorrow night. Principles in football are all very well when there's not much at stake but when you're in the final straight and are second favourites for the title, only one thing really matters.

Win well if you can, ugly if you have to - but win. The first thing Grant did in the post-match press conference was knock on wood. He might also have had some lucky heather in one pocket, a rabbit's foot in the other and his fingers crossed as well, for all we know.

Chelsea in the second half were almost unrecognisable from that in the first. Before half-time they strutted their stuff.

Carvalho's marvellous header from a Wayne Bridge free-kick in the fourth minute, rocked Gareth Southgate's young side back on their heels and with a little more luck and better finishing, Didier Drogba could have added another two by half-time. Southgate tinkered with his team at the break, matching Chelsea in midfield. He also told them to get back out there and get right in the faces of the opposition.

Both managers made a further change in the 64th minute. Shaun Wright-Phillips replaced the ineffectual Michael Ballack for Chelsea and £12million signing Afonso Alves came on for Middlesbrough. Wright-Phillips promptly missed two good chances before Alves, breaking beyond a wide open Chelsea defence, watched while the on-rushing Carlo Cudicini missed his clearance completely out by the touchline. The Brazilian then saw his shot hit an upright.

Southgate was left cursing along, no doubt, with Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger but worse was to come.

Ten minutes later Alves contrived to head against the Chelsea crossbar as did David Wheater from the rebound.

Chelsea were not so much riding their luck as milking it for all it was worth and it hadn't finished there.

With four minutes left, Stewart Downing crossed from the left for the umpteenth time and the ball seemed to strike Juliano Belletti on the chest before running down his arm.

"I can only compare the penalty appeal to one which was given against us at Aston Villa three weeks ago when our player wasn't even looking at the ball," said Southgate. "It wasn't as if the ball was played from close range. It was a long while coming, it's hit him and then rolled down his arm. We've seen them given but not for us.

"You get two or three chances maximum at somewhere like this and you have to take them."

Grant, who badly missed Frank Lampard, still not recovered from the stomach problem which ruled him out of last week's England match, admitted that it has to be substance over style from now on.

"I cannot say this was our best game but it was more important to win rather than the quality of the game," he said.

"Because we are so close to the end of the season this was a good win.

"They were unlucky but we also created three good chances before that.

"We started very well and maybe because of this we thought the game would be easy. You need to make it 2-0, though, because otherwise there is always a good chance for the other team to score from a set-piece.

"At the end of the day I think we deserved our win, even if it was not our quality game.

"Because Manchester United and Arsenal both won on Saturday it was important for us to win also, no matter how we did it.

"The top, top three teams can't take all the points. Since I've been here we have chased other teams.

"We've passed Liverpool, then Arsenal and now we keep winning and waiting.

"Perhaps when Manchester United come here it will still be important."

All Chelsea fans would drink to that but they must also be hoping that, by the time United hit town later this month, their nervous team haven't used up all their luck.