LONDON, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chelsea labored to a 1-0 at Reading thanks to an own goal on Saturday in a Premiership gamethat saw the champions' substitute keeper Carlo Cudicini was stretchered off in a neck brace.

Cudicini, who replaced Petr Cech who was also stretchered off after 20 seconds, was left unconscious after a collision with Ibrahima Sonko.

Chelsea bagged the points after Frank Lampard's free kick cannoned in off Reading defender Ivar Ingimarsson in the 45th minute.

In a stormy second half Chelsea's Mikel Jon Obi and Reading substitute Andre Bikey were both sent off.

Chelsea suffered a blow after just 20 seconds when keeper Cech was caught on the head as he bravely plunged at Stephen Hunt's feet to save.

After a lengthy delay the Czech keeper was stretchered off and replaced by Cudicini.

Reading had an escape 17 minutes in when Paulo Ferreira hared down the right and whipped in a cross which Ingimarsson headed against his own bar.

John Terry was harshly called for a foul on Kevin Doyle who folded like a card table under the England skipper's challenge but the Chelsea wall did its job as Nicky Shorey's free-kick deflected away for a corner.

Chelsea had a let-off when Hunt bullied and squirmed his way past defenders and into the danger zone where he squared the ball to Doyle who spun and cracked a shot against the inside of Cudicini's left-hand post.

Reading contributed to their own problems, with Hahnemann's mis-placed throw landing straight at the feet of Arjen Robben whose cross for Drogba allowed the American keeper to redeem himself with a sharp save at the foot of the post.

Reading's luck ran out, though, when they fell behind to an own goal.

Sonko's clumsy challenge on Lampard on the edge of the box earned him a booking and he was doubly punished as Lampard's free-kick pinged off him on the edge of the wall, and in pin-table fashion then ricocheted off Ingimarsson's boot into the net. Enditem