NERVY Chelsea ended their desperate search for a win with a solitary goal from Florent Malouda just past the hour.

But how the Blues struggled to put their recent agonies behind them.

In the first half, they gave another a gruesome impersonation off their former selves and at times looked as though wading through treacle would be easier.

But the signs of life returned – however imperfect their play remained – and the relief was huge when Malouda (pictured) tapped in a simple pass across the face of the goal from Didier Drogba.

Just as significant in that 61 st minute goal was the part played by Michael Essien – another of the stars who have been way off the pace of late.

He broke two tackles in midfield with a one of those bullocking runs of his that seemed to have gone missing from his repertoire. Then came a perfect lay off to Drogba and redemption.

The signs had not looked auspicious early on when Drogba sent a free-kick from the edge of the box hurtling into the stratosphere and into touch on the far side of the pitch.

It summed up his and Chelsea's dramatic collapse of form in recent weeks.

Passes kept going astray – underhit, overhit and miscued - symbolic of a team drained of confidence by a winless run of six games.

Bolton were put under very little stress in the first half and had home fans fearing another embarrassment as target men Kevin Davies and Johan Elmander caused palpitations in and around the Chelsea penalty area.

The tireless Matthew Taylor also should have had the visitors in front when Jose Bosingwa's weak header inside the box fell invitingly onto the Bolton midfielder's left foot. There was relief at the Harding end to see the effort fizz wide.

Hope that the second half might be less grim were boosted when Frank Lampard's angled low pass picked out Drogba galloping into an unchallenged position inside the area.

Although the Ivorian dragged a shot onto the inside of the far post, it turned out to be an omen of a happier outcome for the home side, who at least finished on top – looking a little more like the Blues of two months ago.