Lampard unlocks Saints’ defence to earn draw for Chelsea

Southampton 1 Chelsea 1

Lampard, the £11million former West Ham midfielder, completed a vibrant Chelsea comeback from two goals down with a late winner at Charlton on the opening day.

Second-half substitute Eidur Gudjohnsen bungled two perfect opportunities to win the game after replacing Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

Right at the death, Chelsea were shouting long and loud for a penalty after Chris Marsden appeared to bundle the ball away with a hand, but referee Chris Foy was unmoved.

To ironic cheers from the Saints fans, Blues boss Claudio Ranieri replaced the ineffective Hasselbaink with Gudjohnsen for the start of the second half.

Hasselbaink had been Mr Anonymous for the first half apart from when he was jeered for a theatrical fall, then had a chance taken from his toe by Wayne Bridge's magnificent interception.

In a tepid opening 45 minutes, Chelsea, despite the inspiration of Gianfranco Zola and Boudewijn Zenden, lost their way after a bright start and keeper Carlo Cudicini needed to make fine saves from James Beattie's sprawling header and Bridge's 25-yard blast.

But with Gudjohnsen on, Chelsea began an overdue move of supreme class in the second half.

Celestine Babayaro, Enrique de Lucas and Zola linked up to split the Saints defence, leaving Gudjohnsen to run clear onto Zola's final ball, only to curl his shot just beyond the far post as Paul Jones raced out to cut down the angle.

In the 52nd minute, former Fulham teenager Fernandes broke the deadlock with the Saints' first goal of the season a thumping drive as he ran onto Chris Marsden's cross from the left.

It seemed fair enough after James Beattie, with a sprawling header, and the excellent Wayne Bridge, with a long-range rocket, forced Carlo Cudicini into the only real saves to then.

Fernandes's strike looked enough to win it, even though he missed out on a second when steering Anders Svensson's pass straight into Cudicini's arms.

This was soon after Pahars blasted an instinctive volley over the bar from Beattie's flick-on.

Wales star Jones was helpless to prevent the Lampard leveller.

SOUTHAMPTON: Jones, Telfer, Michael Svensson, Williams, Bridge, Fernandes, Marsden, Anders Svensson, Delap, Beattie, Pahars (Tessem 70), Tessem (Ormerod 86).

CHELSEA: Cudicini, Melchiot, Desailly, Gallas, Babayaro, De Lucas, Lampard, Gronkjaer, Zenden (Stanic 85), Hasselbaink (Gudjohnsen 45), Zola.

Referee: C Foy (Merseyside).