Two last gasp Chelsea goals earned three points against Stoke at Stamford Bridge, with Frank Lampard firing the winner in injury time.

Lampard, captain for the day, was making his 400th Chelsea appearance, and had been a frustrated figure all afternoon as the visitors defended doggedly and goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen put on a masterclass.

Against the run of play, Rory Delap gave Stoke the lead with half an hour to play, but the introduction of three substitutes led to two Chelsea goals. First, Juliano Belletti headed home after Franco Di Santo had picked him out, and then Miroslav Stoch's cross ended up at the feet of Lampard to seal the win.

We hadn't tasted victory in the league since Boxing Day, while Stoke had to go back to November to recall their last win.

The big pre-match team news was the injury to Joe Cole, a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament that will keep him out for the season. Shortly after that announcement, John Terry injured himself in the warm up, and had to be replaced in the line-up by Alex, who had been left out in favour of Ricardo Carvalho.

Florent Malouda returned to the Chelsea line-up to replace Cole for his first action of 2009, but once again there was no room for Didier Drogba in the matchday squad.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis made just one change. New £3.5 million signing James Beattie came into attack with Dave Kitson making way. Unlike our away game in the Potteries, long throw specialist Delap was fit to play.

It took just 90 seconds for the Irishman to make an impact, launching the ball deep into the box. Alex won the header but it looped up to the far post, just going wide. From the corner, Abdoulaye Faye leapt above Petr Cech, but he too missed the target.

Only another three minutes passed before Nicolas Anelka registered Chelsea's first effort, but the Frenchman was wayward with his effort, shooting well wide of Sorensen's goal.

A more obvious opportunity was presented a moment later when Salomon Kalou broke into the Stoke area and rounded the goalkeeper, but found himself crowded out.

Cutting inside from his wide-right berth, Kalou was causing Stoke problems, and forced a foul on the edge of the box. Four Chelsea men, Alex, Malouda, Ballack and Lampard gathered round, and it was the German who struck. His curling effort was a little predictable and Sorensen made the save with ease.

It was another quarter-hour before Sorensen was next threatened, an inswinging Lampard corner looked like it could be destined for the net before Kalou stuck out a leg, looking to sweep the ball home, but instead diverting it up and over the crossbar.

Nobody could deny Chelsea's dominance but with Stoke's willingness to defend - even their two recognised forwards were doing most of their work in their own final third - it looked like it may be another frustrating afternoon at the Bridge.

Kalou's 27th minute appeal for a penalty was turned down by ref Peter Walton, who could moments earlier have given Amdy Faye a second yellow card after he brought down Mikel. An earlier foul on Michael Ballack had seen him cautioned, and Pulis opted to bring the former Newcastle man off, possibly to maintain his team's 11-man status.

Just after the half-hour Kalou spotted a gap in the Stoke rearguard and slipped in Anelka, who fired low on the turn. The shot was sweet but Sorensen had pre-empted and parried the ball to safety. Chelsea were getting closer to breaking the deadlock.

Five minutes before the break Anelka sent a header goalwards at the far post but again Sorensen was well placed to save. The best move of the first half saw Ashley Cole advance and shoot hard but still there was no beating the great Dane, who tipped over before palming away Lampard's drive.

The second half started much in the way of the first, Lampard twisting and turning inside the Stoke area, manoeuvring to shoot, but finding himself crowded out by sheer numbers of red and white striped shirts.

Ballack, scorer of his first goal of the season in midweek, had a free header eight yards out after Malouda found him with a superb cross. The German nodded wide, but should have scored.

A brief interlude between Chelsea attacks saw Beattie break the Blues' offside trap, everybody stopped expect a flag, including the forward, who eventually volleyed over. Chelsea and Ballack were soon on the attack again though, but as before Sorensen was equal to everything thrown at him.

Then, unbelievably, Stoke took the lead. A long ball was played up to Beattie who controlled well, and played a smart pass between Carvalho and Cole for the on-running Delap, who kept his cool and clipped the ball delicately over Petr Cech.

Luiz Felipe Scolari acted immediately, replacing Malouda with Di Santo. There was still 30 minutes remaining for Chelsea to salvage the afternoon.

It took just five minutes for another opportunity to be created. Link-up play between Lampard and Anelka allowed the midfielder space to shoot. You would bet on him hitting the target, even on his left foot, but when things are not going your way, the unexpected can often occur, and so it was that the shot was inaccurate.

The next hope came from a more unlikely source, Cole again striding into the Stoke area, but from a difficult angle, his drive was just, and only just, wide. It was Chelsea's 26th shot, and 70 minutes were not yet up.

Scolari brought on Belletti and Stoch to try and break Stoke down, but still they could not be unlocked. Lampard fired wide again before finally, with three minutes remaining, the equaliser came.

Salomon Kalou found space on the left flank and crossed to the far post, where youngster Di Santo jumped high and headed back across goal, with the Brazilian waiting to nod home.

Another Kalou run in the final minute of added time, full of pace and energy, attracted another foul on the edge. Ballack looked at it like he did in the first half, but this time it would be Belletti. This time he disappointed, curling straight into the wall, but there would be four minutes injury time still to come.

Stoch cut back inside the area before his shot was blocked, and then Lampard curled a free-kick into the area but Carvalho couldn't connect.

There was one more chance, and when Stoch crossed, Stoke half cleared to the edge of the area. The ball fell to Lampard, who else, and the results were inevitable and devastating.

The captain for a day unleashed an unstoppable left-footed rocket beyond Sorensen and into the net to take all three points. Stamford Bridge erupted and the players and management celebrated as one in front of the tunnel.

It was a remarkable afternoon for the Blues, and one that will live long in the memory, perhaps as the day our title hopes were reignited and the team spirit and desire Scolari had so wanted shone through. Magical stuff.

By Andy Jones

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa (Belletti 77), Alex, Carvalho, A Cole; Ballack, Mikel (Stoch 82), Lampard (c); Kalou, Anelka, Malouda (Di Santo 60).

Goals Belletti 87, Lampard 90+3

Stoke City (4-4-2): Sorensen; Wilkinson, Shawcross, Ab Faye (c), Higginbotham (Griffin 33); Delap, Whelan, Am Faye (Pugh 28), Etherington (Kitson 83); Beattie, Cresswell.

Goals Delap 59

Booked Amdy Faye 14, Kitson 88, Whelan 89.