By SHAUN CUSTIS
RAFA BENITEZ must have thought he had got a monkey off his back with the news that Pep Guardiola was off to Bayern Munich.
But with a major rival out of the way, interim Chelsea boss Benitez failed again to make his case for the permanent job.
The Blues wasted a two-goal lead as improving Southampton staged a magnificent second-half comeback.
Demba Ba’s third goal in four games since his arrival from Newcastle appeared to have set Chelsea on course for victory.
And when Eden Hazard got the second on the stroke of half-time they were on easy street.
But once sub Rickie Lambert pulled one back with a 58th-minute header the visitors could smell blood.
And from Luke Shaw’s cross, after a lung-busting run down the left, Jason Puncheon flicked the ball up before crashing a volley past Petr Cech with 15 minutes left.
It was a tremendous effort by Nigel Adkins’ men, who are now three points clear of the relegation zone having looked certs for the drop three months ago.
But this was another woeful 90 minutes for disgruntled home fans.
Chelsea had lost their previous two at the Bridge without even scoring — a shock 1-0 defeat to relegation favourites QPR and a 2-0 loss against Swansea in the first leg of their Capital One Cup semi-final.
And this result made it one win in six domestic games on home turf.
Benitez claims the poisonous atmosphere caused by his presence in the dugout is not affecting the players.
He says it is down to the opponents’ tactics. However, the fact they strolled to a 4-0 win at Stoke last time out indicated they find life easier and more relaxed on their travels.
Chelsea started well enough, taking the lead through Ba on 25 minutes.
Blues fans have had plenty to complain about this season but none have been bleating about the signing of Ba. He is a goalscorer supreme.
The Senegal star got two on his debut against Southampton in the 5-1 FA Cup thrashing at St Mary’s just 11 days earlier and punished them again here with an opportunist strike.
Frank Lampard shuttled the ball back to Cesar Azpilicueta and, when the full-back crossed, Oscar got his head to it in front of Jos Hooiveld.
Ba reacted quickest and hooked in a right-foot shot which took a deflection and beat the diving Artur Boruc.
Ba was again preferred to Fernando Torres who sat on the bench for the second game in a row.
Torres once admitted he got little pleasure from Chelsea’s Champions League success after he was only named as a sub in the final.
So you can imagine he was less than thrilled at seeing his team-mate hit the net once more.
Southampton did not sit back and Steven Davis could have equalised only to drag his shot across goal after Jay Rodriguez had brought the ball down beautifully and set him up.
Lampard then had two chances to increase the advantage.
But his first shot was blocked and he scuffed another wide from Juan Mata’s pass.
Then Hazard almost bundled one in with his knee before the second goal came with the ref looking at his watch for half-time.
Ramires rattled the woodwork and Hazard was there to smack home the rebound.
Yet for all their control, Chelsea surprisingly conceded early in the second half.
Full-back Nathaniel Clyne’s cross was right on the money and Lambert did not disappoint with a firm header beyond Cech.
Adkins has a habit of leaving top scorer Lambert out from time to time but it doesn’t half fire him up. Torres could learn a lesson there.
Ba stretched to turn one over from Mata’s cross and a Lampard free-kick curled narrowly wide as Chelsea tried to respond.
But then Shaw went off on his storming run and Puncheon produced his world-class finish.
Torres replaced Lampard for the last 11 minutes which did not please the crowd — or Lamps.
And the Spanish striker did little to justify Benitez’s decision.
So Southampton celebrated a well-deserved point as the boos rang out after another night to forget for Chelsea.
