Avram Grant admitted Chelsea rode their luck to beat Middlesbrough but insisted nothing but results are important at this stage of the season.Ricardo Carvalho's sixth-minute goal ended up being the decider but Boro hit the woodwork three times and might also have had a penalty.

The win took Chelsea above Arsenal into second place in the Premier League table and five points behind leaders Manchester United - who travel to Boro next week.

Blues boss Grant conceded that his players had been forced to hang on at the end but correctly countered that more clinical finishing earlier on, especially from Didier Drogba and substitute Shaun Wright-Phillips, could have put the game out of the visitors' reach.

He said: "They hit the crossbar two times but at the other end Shaun could have scored twice and Didier in the first half.

"I cannot say that it was our best game but it was important for us to win today rather than have quality in the game.

"It is a good win. They were unlucky, but we also created some good chances from open play. We started very well and, maybe because of that, we thought it would be easy.

"We controlled the ball and controlled the game but by not making it 2-0, it became a good chance for the other team. But I think we deserved the win. At this stage of the season, it's about winning."

Substitute Afonso Alves was the Boro man guilty of hitting the woodwork twice instead of the net and the January recruit also headed a good chance wide before David Wheater also hit the bar.

Boro boss Gareth Southgate backed the Brazilian, who has yet to score despite his £12million price tag, to come good sooner rather than later.

"You get two or three chances maximum at places like this and you have to take them. I thought Afonso was a threat when he came on, it was the sharpest he has been for us.

"The first one he created for himself and did everything right. Obviously it was galling to see it come off the post. Probably the free header was the best chance, where he missed the target, but that's going to happen. He will get his match-sharpness and he will score goals for us."

Chelsea defender Juliano Belletti was perhaps fortunate to escape conceding a penalty in the second half.

Southgate said: "I can only compare it to one that was given against us at Villa about three weeks ago when our player wasn't even looking at the ball.

"It wasn't as if the ball was played from close range, it was a long while coming. It hit him and then rolled down his arm. We have seen them given - but not for us."

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