Wanderers 1 CHELSEA 1: YOURI Djorkaeff struggled to find the English words but there was no need for an interpreter to voice his disappointment as he placed his fingers to his mouth and twisted his face.

The absence of any bruising meant his discomfort had nothing to do with the whack he'd got from Celestine Babayaro's elbow that earned the Nigerian a red card and left Chelsea down to 10 men for the last 14 minutes. The pain was emotional rather than physical.

"That's it," the Frenchman agreed on prompting. "A bitter taste. We should have won and it leaves a bitter taste because we played very well."

The result was clearly not to his liking; Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink's glancing header three minutes from time denied Wanderers a victory that would have lifted them out of the bottom three. But the performance - taking high-flying Chelsea to the wire - certainly was.

The current league table might not show it but Djorkaeff firmly believes Wanderers are on the right track and no-one is doing more to get the fans thinking along the same positive lines.

All of a sudden, after three-and-a-half seasons of Premiership football, they have a real sense of belonging, a genuine belief that, in terms of star quality, they need not feel out of place.

This time last season Wanderers were showing a collective will, a team spirit and a determination not to waste that flying start that put them briefly but famously on top the table. They were never going to sustain it but they managed to hang on and, deservedly, survived to fight another day.

Today, having been slow out of the blocks, they are having to come from behind. And it's threatening to turn into a long, hard slog. But, with Djorkaeff at the helm and Jay Jay Okocha and Ivan Campo starting to make their quality count, it should only be a matter of time before relegation fears are banished.

"I am very disappointed for the team, for the fans and for the manager," the Frenchman added after seeing Henrik Pedersen's 63rd minute header - the first goal Chelsea had conceded in six Premiership games - harvest just one point.

"But life is like this; football is like this. After winning at Leeds it was very important for us to play well again and we did - unfortunately in the last minute we conceded a goal, just after we could have killed the game!

"But we are going in the right direction. What we need for our confidence is two good results but we are going the right way."

It was little consolation to either Djorkaeff, or Sam Allardyce for that matter, that Wanderers - decimated by injuries and suspension - matched the 'New' Chelsea as their ubiquitous chairman Ken Bates and modest manager Claudio Ranieri have taken to referring to the boys from The Bridge, who are showing a greater consistency and strength of purpose these days. Points are

precious and two more were lost when, having played so well, they allowed Gianfranco Zola the time and the space to deliver the cross for Hasselbaink to finally beat the outstanding Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Big Sam didn't even try to hide his disappointment. Wanderers had missed good chances to make the game safe, Okocha had wantonly squandered possession when he could have soaked up vital seconds then, as Chelsea quickly countered, the defence went missing.

But his frustration did not cloud his judgment of a performance that provided further proof that, having come from behind to rescue a point against West Brom and having stunned Leeds at Elland Road, the signs are encouraging.

They have not turned the corner just yet, but they are making the right manoeuvres. They must be if a player of Djorkaeff's reputation is happy with the way they are playing.

"I have it on my shoulders ... the responsibility," says the man whose influence on those around him is as important as his personal contribution.

"I am here to try to set an example to others and I am delighted when other players follow.

"We are playing very well with the ball and there is some good movement. I am happy about things. It is a start."

It was no surprise to see the imperious Djorkaeff and the inventive Okocha - two of the most talented players ever to play in a Wanderers' shirt - produce touches of class to match anything Zola, Petit or the impressive Frank Lampard had to offer. But the sight of Pedersen menacing Marcel Desailly was a real eye-opener.

The powerful Dane's confidence was obviously on a high after finally breaking his Premiership duck with his superb double strike at Leeds - as the Chelsea skipper discovered to his cost.

Typically modest, Pedersen admits heading is not his strongest suit but he showed great anticipation to give Desailly the slip and excellent technique to place the ball past the previously unbeatable Carlo Cudicini to convert Djorkaeff's corner.

When Babayaro left Djorkaeff in a heap - missed by referee Mike Dean but spotted by his assistant - the odds on Wanderers recording their second home win of the season shortened considerably. And Chelsea would have been under an even bigger handicap had Mr Dean not taken the lenient line and only booked Desailly for his cynical foul when Pedersen threatened to leave him for dead and in the clear.

Not everything Pedersen touched turned to goals though. Set up superbly by Okocha, he rounded Cudicini but missed the unguarded net and was off-target again when he headed Ricardo Gardner's cross wide.

When Cudicini kept Chelsea in the game, spreading himself to save Kevin Nolan's shot, it was a missed chance Wanderers would rue. With Zola, Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen in harness and Lampard a towering influence in midfield, a makeshift defence was always going to have its work cut out - as well as they played.

There was no hint that the game would turn into such a close affair as Chelsea - slick, precise and incisive with their passing - dominated the first quarter. But once Allardyce had changed his formation - Paul Warhurst looked distinctly uncomfortable at right wing-back - Wanderers began to drive Chelsea onto the back foot.

Per Frandsen's non-appearance for the second half was down to a hamstring injury that adds to Allardyce's injury woes. But he should have fewer concerns than before on that score after seeing the way his players rallied to the cause on Saturday.

By his own admission, Anthony Barness is only in the side because of injuries but he continued in the rich vein of form he has shown recently; Simon Charlton showed again that intelligent footballers can play anywhere when he operated to great effect at centre-back and Warhurst, after his early problems, went on to make a big contribution in midfield.