FRANK LAMPARD insists Chelsea escaped from the Riverside Stadium on Saturday with something most teams will fail to take with them this season - three points.

The Chelsea midfielder created the goal for Didier Drogba; cutting his free kick back from the right for the former Marseille striker to score the only game of the game at Middlesbrough - condemning the Teessiders to their first home defeat of the campaign.

That was one of the rare moments of pure genius in a dull encounter but Lampard believes the victory was hard-earned against a Boro side with plenty going for them.

And the England star claims as well as being well disciplined, manager Steve McClaren has two of the most feared front-men in the Premiership - although John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho managed to keep them quiet.

Lampard said: "Boro are a very exciting team and it is testament to us that we nullified them. We didn't give them a chance and that shows what we are about. A lot of teams will come here and be beaten because of what Boro have got - a well organised team and two fantastic strikers in Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka.

"And they have got a fantastic manager.

"We have won a few games 1-0 now, but Boro are a well organised team and hard to break down. We have got to be pleased with going there and taking all three points."

Chelsea and Arsenal are most people's favourites for the title this season but the Blues, under Jose Mourinho, appear to be making more hard work of their fixtures - having only managed seven goals from their opening seven league fixtures.

But Lampard claims Mourinho's men are impressing, even if they are not hitting the heights in front of goal that champions Arsenal are.

"We are playing attractive attacking football and creating chances. We want to win games and entertain with the players we have got," said Lampard. "You have to have a foundation before the goals come. A lot of it is down to a) we have not converted as many chances as we want to and b) teams defend against us.

"We played Boro who are an exciting fluent team and we ended up making them defend for most of the game. That is something we are coming up against and you are not always going to win three or four nil.

"It is not true that we are less entertaining than last season. The only thing that is lacking is goals but it is not for the want of trying because they have not fallen for us at times. We are playing three up front so there is not much more that we can do. The goals will come.

"So long as that winning habit continues it will be great and we will be enjoying our football."

On goal-hero Drogba, Lampard said: "He has pace power and skill. He has the insitinct for a goal and works hard and dedicates himself for the team. He has been a great addition."

Read more about Middlesbrough here.