BEFORE the kick-off, they presented Frank Lampard with a silver boot to mark his 400th appearance for Chelsea, and his 123rd goal for the club, scored in the third minute of stoppage time, was one to savour, for all sorts of reasons. Before his last-gasp winner, driven in high and handsome from 18 yards, it was not only the Stoke fans who were taunting Luiz Felipe Scolari with choruses of “You’re getting sacked in the morning”.

After 70 minutes Peter Kenyon, the chief executive at Stamford Bridge and Roman Abramovich’s chosen instrument, had made his exit from the directors’ box with Chelsea trailing 1-0 to the team with the worst away record in the Premier League. Kenyon’s embarrassment was shared by the vast majority present, and the collective mood did not augur well for Scolari’s future one week after a 3-0 drubbing by Manchester United. Last night is was revealed that the club’s billionaire owner would be open to offers.

The manager’s contentious decision to omit Didier Drogba not just from the starting line-up but from the squad seemed likely to undermine his position still further when, with Stoke leading, he had only two novice strikers, Franco di Santo and Miroslav Stoch, to send on in an attempt to salvage an acceptable result.

Scolari’s other substitute, Juliano Belletti, restored equality with a close-range header in the 88th minute, and in stoppage time Lampard, who was captain for the day, gained all three points with a thunderous left-footed finish.

The England midfielder was given the armband in circumstances that suggested it was not to be Chelsea’s day. Shortly before the kick-off came news that Joe Cole had ruptured knee ligaments in the FA Cup victory at Southend in midweek and would play no further part this season. Then, in the warm-up, John Terry pulled up with a back injury and had to give way to Alex. The impression that Chelsea’s luck was out was fuelled when they dominated possession and fired off a fusillade of shots, only to be denied by resolute defence and an outstanding performance from keeper Thomas Sorensen.

Sorensen was threatened six times in a one-sided first half, but when Salomon Kalou tried to take the ball round him, a heavy first touch allowed the keeper to save, and the Ivorian was culpable again when he volleyed over from five yards. Nicolas Anelka, with head and boot, produced better attempts to no avail, and when Lampard, who had been at the root of every worthwhile attack, decided to go it alone, Sorensen twice foiled him.

Stoke were spikily competitive and not afraid to leave a foot in, but the only impression they left on the first half was on their opponents’ shins. Michael Ballack should have scored early in the second but headed wide of a gaping net from eight yards, and after 59 minutes the unthinkable happened. Much had been made of the threat posed by Rory Delap’s long throw-in, and Chelsea had spent their Friday training session practising plans to combat the Irish international’s version of the gridiron quarterback’s delivery.

It was not without irony, then, that Delap should score a goal of which any striker would be proud, running on to James Beattie’s clever delivery, muscling Ashley Cole off the ball and holding off Alex before shooting under Petr Cech’s advance. It was a classy goal — one that served to deflate Chelsea and inspire Stoke to defend even more enthusiastically. Lampard, never-say-die-spirit exemplified, rallied his team through personal example and was tantalisingly close to equalising, as was Cole.

In the absence of Drogba, however, Scolari’s team lacked a Plan B, and the crowd fell into a resigned silence, then started murmuring their discontent as shot after hit-and-hope shot came to nought. Some fans were already making for the exits when Kalou’s cross from the left was transferred via Di Santo’s head to Belletti, who nodded past Sorensen at whites-of-the-eyes range.

Stoke still thought they had a valuable point in their battle against relegation but a pinball sequence in the penalty area saw Lampard break their hearts right at the death. Every Chelsea player, with the exception of goalkeeper Cech, ran to the touchline to celebrate the goal by hugging Scolari, suggesting “Big Phil” is still as popular as ever in what is increasingly portrayed as a divided dressing room. Tony Pulis, the Stoke manager, said: “That killed us, we’re desperately disappointed, but the top four teams have a habit of scoring late winners. We knew we were going to have to defend. Our goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen was brilliant. He made some superb saves. When we scored we thought that it might just be our day.”

Scolari, who expects to have Terry fit for the FA Cup tie at home to Ipswich on Saturday, lauded Lampard as “a fantastic player and a fantastic man”. He said: “For the rest of his life, he and his family will remember this goal in the last minute on his 400th appearance.” Speaking generally, he added: “My team showed spirit, and they showed heart. They conceded a goal and then they fought first to draw and then to win. The group showed more togetherness today. I think this is the first time \ that we’ve scored a goal in the last minute.” Of the players’ show of support for him after Lampard’s winner, Scolari said: “They did it because all of us — the players and the staff — are united. I am only the one out in front.” Scolari insisted that there was no rift with Drogba. “He is training every day, and could play next week,” he said.

Scolari doubted that he would be doing any business during the transfer window, and said that in contrast to his recent predecessors, it was his intention to bring through the club’s youth team products, players such as Di Santo and Stoch. “Already I have played more young players than any manager here in the past five years,” he said.

In response to reports that every member of his squad was for sale, he said it was true at Chelsea, as at any other club, that every player had his price, but he was not looking to sell anybody. “Some clubs may want John Terry, but ask him if he wants to go, and he’ll tell you no, because he loves Chelsea,” he said. “I say to all my players, ‘If you love Chelsea, stay here. If you don’t, go. Finish.’ Now is the time to decide.”

Star man: Frank Lampard (Chelsea)

Yellow cards: Stoke: Amdy Faye 14, Whelan 89 Referee: P Walton

Attendance: 41,788

CHELSEA: Cech 6, Bosingwa 6 (Belletti 78min), Carvalho 6, Alex 6, A Cole 6, Lampard 8, Mikel 6 (Stoch 82min), Ballack 6, Malouda 5 (Di Santo 60min), Anelka 6, Kalou 5

STOKE: Sorensen 7, Wilkinson 5, Shawcross 6, Abdoulaye Faye 6, Higginbotham 6 (Griffin 34min, 6), Delap 6, Whelan 6, Amdy Faye 6 (Pugh 28min, 5), Etherington 5 (Kitson 83min), Beattie 6, Cresswell 6