The Blues duo struck in the space of five minutes at the death to end the Addicks recent dominance of the fixture that until the 84th minute had seemed to be going the way of Alan Curbishley's men once more for the fifth time in as many Premiership encounters.

The match's framework revolved around Paul Konchesky. The England Under-21 international drove in a seventh-minute opener but was then dismissed for violent conduct.

Despite the red card Alan Curbishley's side doubled their lead when Claus Jensen's second assist of the afternoon allowed Richard Rufus to head home unmarked.

Crucially Gianfranco Zola hauled the visitors back into the contest with a well-taken goal two minutes before the break and Chelsea had a platform to pull off a classic late counter.

Boss Claudio Ranieri says Chelsea cannot win the title and for the first 40 minutes his team proved every sinew to prove him right.

Just seven minutes of Enrique De Lucas' Premiership debut had passed before the Blues - without John Terry (knee) and Graeme Le Saux (calf) - fell behind after fell apart at the back.

Celestine Babayaro and Albert Ferrer failed to clear the lines, allowing Claus Jensen to play in Konchesky who shot across Carlo Cudicini inside the far post for was the first of the season to be scored in open play.

The full-back's afternoon was turned on its head on 26 minutes though when he saw red for an alleged elbow on de Lucas.

One man to the good, Chelsea pressed on and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink wasted his side's best chance of the half when he nodded Boudewijn Zenden's left-wing cross off-target.

Richard Rufus made no such error though when Jensen floated over a 33rd-minute free-kick and the centre-back headed in unopposed off Cudicini's left-hand post.

Zenden replied by hitting the bar from eight yards out after a Hasselbaink back-heel, then two minutes before the break fed Zola, who tucked the ball across Dean Kiely with a side-foot.

Republic of Ireland keeper Kiely was tested on a more regular basis on the resumption and it took a fine piece of agility to repel Zenden's long-range attempt and Hasselbaink's follow-up to Emmanuel Petit's scuffed shot.

Charlton, denied the services of Scott Parker, club captain Mark Kinsella, Mark Fish and Shaun Bartlett due to a plague of knee injuries, struggled to hold onto their advantage.

Ranieri opted to alter his strike force with substitutes Eidur Gudjohnsen and Carlton Cole combining after Zola and Hasselbaink were replaced with 17 minutes remaining.

And it proved an inspired choice as Cole, who had already gone close, strolled through three challenges before guiding a daisy-cutter of a shot beyond Kiely in the 84th minute.

Having got themselves back level, however, the visitors were indebted to Cudicini who clawed away substitute Matt Svensson's powerful late header.

But it was with more than a solitary point that Chelsea made the short trip back across London as they grabbed an 89th-minute winner.

Cole attempted to play in Lampard on the edge of the box but the ball was inadvertently diverted beyond the home defence off the chest of Radostin Kishishev and Lampard lashed home.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Box-to-box throughout the contest. Without his drive - right to the final whistle - the Addicks would have taken at least a point.

Charlton: Kiely, Young, Rufus, Rowett, Powell, Stuart, Jensen, Bart-Williams (Kishishev 58), Konchesky, Euell (Svensson 86),
Johansson (Lisbie 80). Subs Not Used: Rachubka, Fortune.

Chelsea: Cudicini, Ferrer, Gallas, Desailly, Babayaro, De Lucas, Lampard, Petit (Gudjohnsen 63), Zenden, Zola (Cole 74), Hasselbaink (Gronkjaer 74).
Subs Not Used: de Goey, Melchiot.
Booked: Babayaro, Desailly, Zenden.
 
Att: 25,640
Ref: G Barber (Hertfordshire)