Terry puts ´affair´ to one side with Chelsea winner

John Terry ensured he would make headlines on both the front and back pages after his late winner sealed a 2-1 win at Burnley that extended Chelsea’s Premier League lead to four points.

Terry headed home Frank Lampard’s 82nd minute corner on Saturday to increase the pressure on title rivals Manchester United and Arsenal, who face one another on Sunday, courtesy of a sixth consecutive victory.

Nicolas Anelka’s first-half effort looked to have paved the way to a comfortable win, but Steven Fletcher’s equaliser soon after the break gave the relegation-threatened hosts hope of springing a surprise at Turf Moor.

But Terry’s second goal of the season is unlikely to end the scrutiny of his personal life as the married father of two faced calls to be stripped of the England captaincy after allegations of an affair with the ex-girlfriend of his former Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge.

Assistant Chelsea manager Ray Wilkins was adamant the Blues had no hesitation in picking Terry, booked for a first-half foul on Robbie Blake, after Saturday’s reports of his alleged infidelity.

“He’s got his football head on and there was never any doubt about him playing in this game for us,” former England midfielder Wilkins said.

On the pitch, Chelsea appeared untroubled by the media circus which met their arrival in East Lancashire, and went about the business of extending their current unbeaten run to 11 games.

Relegation threatened Burnley can count Premier League champions United among their scalps at Turf Moor this season, while fellow title hopefuls Arsenal escaped with a draw.

But the bookmakers’ odds of 9-1 on them springing a shock victory looked about right from the early stages of a memorable encounter, which leaves new manager Brian Laws still searching for his first win and facing a fight to earn a second season in the top flight after promotion last May.

Chelsea, who spurned early chances to break the deadlock through Lampard and Anelka, took the lead through their in-form French striker’s sixth goal in as many games.

It was a length-of-the-field goal to remember launched by a long throw from goalkeeper Petr Cech that found Joe Cole surging down Chelsea’s right.

With Burnley struggling to get back and short on numbers, the England midfielder’s measured cross found Florent Malouda in the area, who cut the ball back for the unmarked Anelka to complete the flowing move with a simple finish from six yards.

The visitors failed to capitalise on their first-half dominance and were left to rue a Burnley equaliser five minutes after the re-start.

Blake’s hopeful ball into the area should have been dealt with by Alex, but when the defender failed to clear the danger, Fletcher muscled his way through to fire his 10th goal of the season under Cech.

A draw wouldn’t have been flattering on Burnley for their second-half transformation, but Terry had other ideas, showing his off-the-field issues haven’t affected his performance on it with a winner that could prove invaluable in Chelsea’s attempts to wrestle the title away from United.