Michael Ballack was Chelsea's hero once again as Avram Grant's title-chasers kept the Barclays Premier League title race alive with a hard-fought win at Newcastle United.

The German glanced home Didier Drogba's 60th-minute free-kick to give his side the edge in a tight match at St James' Park before Florent Malouda wrapped up the victory eight minutes from time.

Captain John Terry had earlier hit the bar, but the England defender had to clear Michael Owen's 29th-minute shot off the line and Obafemi Martins saw Ricardo Carvalho deflect his effort just wide 19 minutes from time.

The match kicked off with the home crowd knowing the visitors had not won a league match at St James' Park since December 2001, and with the Magpies' relegation fears a distant memory, there was little or no pressure on them.

Newcastle got behind the Chelsea defence with six minutes gone when Nicky Butt collected Jose Enrique's throw-in to feed Michael Owen, who ran away from England team-mate John Terry but lifted his first-time shot high over the bar.

Martins failed to trouble Petr Cech with a weak shot after a tricky 10th-minute run, but Habib Beye should have done better after muscling his way past Wayne Bridge four minutes later only to drive his cross harmlessly across goal.

The Magpies were making life uncomfortable for the visitors, but they gradually started to force their way into the match, although Bridge wasted a good opportunity when he blasted a 19th-minute free-kick straight into the wall after Barton had fouled Essien.

Newcastle's pressing game was frustrating Chelsea as they struggled to get star man Drogba into the match, while Anelka was seeing plenty of the ball, but wide on the right.

Anelka managed to force his way past Butt on the edge of the penalty area after 27 minutes, but his threaded pass was cut out by Abdoulaye Faye.

But Keegan's men came agonisingly close to taking the lead two minutes later after Martins caused havoc in the Chelsea box.

The Nigerian's chest control allowed Mark Viduka to stab in a shot which Cech blocked, and Owen seemed certain to convert the rebound - but was denied by a superb goal-line clearance from Terry.

Chelsea could have gone ahead seconds later when Essien's pass left Michael Ballack in acres of space inside the Newcastle box, but he sliced his left-foot shot from a narrowing angle wide.

Anelka drilled a long-range effort just off target as the visitors started to increase their tempo, but the home side held firm.

Beye got a rare sight of goal in the final minute of the half when Terry could only half-clear Martins' left-wing cross, but the full-back sliced his effort.

Keegan made a change at the break when Viduka, who has been struggling with an Achilles problem, failed to reappear and was replaced by Alan Smith.

Paulo Ferreira found himself under intense pressure within two minutes when Jose Enrique played the ball down the line for Martins to chase, although referee Steve Bennett rescued him by awarding a free-kick as the pair made contact.

With Lampard and Joe Cole warming up on the sidelines, Chelsea set about the task of trying to force their way ahead once again, and they had a chance when Faye conceded a 50th-minute corner.

Ricardo Carvalho met Malouda's corner under pressure from Faye and Harper, but could not hit the target.

The visitors came desperately close to the opening goal with 53 minutes gone after Steven Taylor was forced to clear hurriedly from Ballack.

Malouda curled the resulting corner to the near post where Terry arrived to thunder a header against the bar - and the home side just about managed to smuggle the loose ball away.

Newcastle simply could not force their way out of their own half, and it was all they could do to repel wave after wave of attacks from the Londoners.

But they were finally breached on the hour when, after Faye had tripped Malouda, Ballack got ahead of Smith to head home Drogba's free-kick.

Geremi, who had earlier driven a free-kick from a promising position into the wall, was replaced by Damien Duff after 71 minutes, and his side were almost back on terms twice within seconds.

First Carvalho deflected a Martins shot inches wide with Cech stranded, and then Owen only just failed to get a touch on Nicky Butt's mishit effort in front of goal.

Taylor had to block Lampard's shot at the other end and Harper made a smart save from Ballack's driven follow-up as the match opened up.

Alex replaced the injured Carvalho with 79 minutes gone, but Malouda wrapped up the win with a neat 82nd-minute finish from Lampard's pass.