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Chelsea 2 Albion 2 - Report and pictures

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[gallery]A late James McClean equaliser ensured Albion came back from Stamford Bridge with a well-earned point in a thrilling match that ebbed and flowed from the start.

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McClean's right-footed shot from the edge of the area four minutes from time rescued a point for the Baggies after Gareth McAuley's own goal in the 74th minute looked to have wrestled it away from them.

In the first half, Craig Gardner's first goal of the season - a belter from 25 yards out - had cancelled out Cesar Azpilicueta's opener in the 20th minute.

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Both teams can count themselves lucky to have kept ten men on the pitch in a feisty encounter full of blood and thunder.

Diego Costa and Claudio Yacob walked the tightrope with referee Anthony Taylor and it was the measure of the contest that by the end of it, both sides were still going for the win.

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The draw keeps Albion above the champions and means they have picked up seven points out the last nine games.

Pulis brought Boaz Myhill back in goal for Ben Foster and Craig Dawson returned at right-back in place of James Chester.

Jonas Olsson recovered from his hamstring injury to start, and despite being the best player on the pitch in the 2-2 draw with Bristol City in the FA Cup, Stephane Sessegnon dropped to the bench so Pulis could shore things up in midfield with Claudio Yacob.

Hiddink made three changes from the side that beat Scunthorpe on Saturday, bringing Thibaut Courtois, John Terry and John Obi Mikel back into the fold.

After a dismal start to the season under Jose Mourinho, Diego Costa's resurgence under Hiddink has been swift, and the striker with four goals in his last three games looked dangerous early on, nutmegging Jonny Evans before blasting his shot just wide of Myhill's near post.

Albion's preparations were scuppered in the seventh minute when James Morrison limped off with a pulled hamstring to be replaced by Gardner.

But it did nothing to deter the visiting side, who took control of the game for the next ten minutes and nearly took the lead too.

First, Azpilicueta denied Darren Fletcher with a flying block and then Thibaut Courtois pushed away Craig Dawson's downwards header.

Chelsea though, scored soon after with a move clinical in its simplicity. Costa chested down a long ball and laid it off to Willian, who fed Branislav Ivanovic on the overlap, and the Serb's low cross was tucked home at the back post by Azpilicueta, Chelsea's other full-back.

The goal sparked Hiddink's team into life, and Costa ballooned another chance over the bar, but just as Cesc Fabregas and Oscar were starting to wind up their passing wheel, Gardner hit them with a sucker punch after Fletcher robbed Pedro of possession inside his own half.

Using Kurt Zouma to cloud his shot, the substitute let rip early from 25 yards out, surprising Courtois and beating him low down to level things up.

The goal breathed life back into the Baggies, and not long after Salomon Rondon rolled John Terry before crashing a first-time effort inches wide of the post.

Despite the defensive-looking line-up, Albion were uncharacteristically throwing men forward and Chelsea looked their most threatening on the counter-attack, so it was an unpopular decision when referee Anthony Taylor blew for half-time straight after a Baggies corner with the Blues racing away with the ball.

Costa picked up a booking for a reckless lunge on Gardner after the restart, and then James McClean nearly gave Albion the lead, working Courtois with a header from Rondon's bouncing with cross.

But as the rain intensified so did the match, both sides flying into tackles and remonstrating the ref afterwards.

Albion wanted a second yellow for Costa after he barged into Myhill and when Yacob clipped the striker's heels on the edge of the box, Chelsea in turn surrounded Taylor and asked whether he should be sent off..

Taylor only gave a free-kick and Pulis wisely replaced the Argentinian with Saido Berahino straight afterwards.

Willian has been the one Chelsea player who's performed well all season and in the 74th minute he made another telling impact, getting to the byline and sending a dangerous ball into the near post.

Although substitute Kenedy claimed the goal, it bounced inside Myhill's near post off Gareth McAuley's outstretched knee.

That goal looked to have won Chelsea back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time this season but typical to this end-to-end game, Albion came back at the home side.

Peppering the home side's box, they struck with four minutes to go through an unlikely source, James McClean's right foot.

When Berahino attempted to beat his man, the ball bobbled to the Irish international winger on the edge of the box and his low shot into the corner beat Courtois.

Albion were still knocking on the door in the final minutes, while Chelsea looked dangerous on the counter attack, but despite their best efforts, neither team carved out another gilt-edged opportunity.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois, Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry (c), Azpilicueta, Mikel, Fabregas (Matic 77), Willian, Oscar, Pedro (Kenedy 45), Costa. Unused subs: Begovic, Cahill, Matic, Ramires, Loftus-Cheek, Remy.

Albion (4-5-1): Myhill; Dawson, Olsson, McAuley, Evans, Brunt, Yacob (Berahino 59), Morrison (Gardner 7), McClean, Fletcher (c), Rondon (Sessegnon 67). Unused subs: Foster; Chester, Anichebe, McManaman.

Referee: Anthony Taylor

Attendance: 40,945