IF REFEREE Peter Walton ever sets foot in Wolverhampton again it will be too soon for Mick McCarthy and the best part of 25,000 raging Wanderers fans.

The 52-year-old achieved the impossible by replacing Stuart Attwell as Villain Number One by refusing to dish out a red card to Frank Lampard in the same way that Attwell had done with Nenad Milijas for a lesser offence at Arsenal a week ago.

Walton gave Lampard the benefit of the doubt for a studs-up challenge on Adam Hammill midway through the first half.

A yellow was how he saw the tackle but it was rash at best and downright dangerous at worst.

It sent supporters inside Molineux into a frenzy, not least as it was the England midfielder who thumped home from close range in the final minute to register a vital win for Andre Villas-Boas’ side.

Wolves had looked to have stolen a precious point in their battle against the drop when Stephen Ward fired home from 12 yards.

But Lampard linked with the outstanding Fernando Torres on the edge of the penalty box. The Spaniard sent Ashley Cole scampering to the byline and his cross was meat and drink for Lampard who could not miss.

But the drama was far from over.

Three-and-a-half minutes into the three minutes of stoppage time and Petr Cech was forced into a remarkable fingertip save to deny Kevin Doyle an equaliser with the Irishman’s header looking for the world as if it would send the stadium into raptures.

Wolves had levelled just six minutes from time when Wayne Hennessey floated a free-kick to the edge of the Chelsea box from the half-way line. It was poorly headed out by John Terry, who had been imperious throughout.

But substitute Matt Jarvis picked up the loose ball 40 yards out and clipped a fine pass to the far post, which fellow-sub Steven Fletcher attacked and squared into the danger zone where Ward gleefully smashed home.

Chelsea had opened the scoring nine minutes after the break when the superb Juan Mata delivered a corner from the left that was just too high for Terry but fell for Ramires. He appeared to get in a tangle with Ward but managed to dig the ball from under his feet and fire into the net from eight yards.

Wolves had gone into the game having made five changes from the side that drew with Bolton, with midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong making his debut after arriving on loan from Arsenal.

Although he did little wrong in a subdued baptism, the changes did the trick with Hammill and Doyle both shining. Villas-Boas recalled both Torres and Lampard but for much of the match his viewing will not have been particularly pleasant with Wolves recovering from a shaky start to give as good as they got.

The Lampard incident certainly acted as the catalyst.