The England midfielder produced a consummate performance to book his side's place in the fourth round, but the late deluge of goals at Stamford Bridge should not detract from a plucky performance from the League Two side.

The Silkmen even had the temerity to level the scores at 1-1 through John Murphy before Lampard's brilliance and, more pertinently, the 47th-minute dismissal of goalkeeper Tommy Lee for a professional foul overwhelmed them.

Macclesfield were thus denied the one million pounds cash reward they had been promised by an online betting firm for beating Chelsea, but they returned to Cheshire with their honour intact.

For Jose Mourinho, there was only relief. Under normal circumstances, the visit of England's second-worst league club would prompt the Portuguese to give his Premiership regulars the afternoon off, but Chelsea's recent league jitters forced him to include Ashley Cole, Ricardo Carvalho and, most significantly, Andriy Shevchenko.

For all Chelsea's early control, the visitors' goal was hardly under siege. It took 12 minutes for Chelsea to muster a shot -- Shevchenko's scuffed effort drawing a comfortable save from Lee -- and Mourinho cut an agitated figure on the sidelines.

His bad humour was soothed, however, by a familiar face. Lampard appeared to be on a personal mission to ensure Chelsea were not embarrassed and, in the 16th minute, he swept his side ahead after Salomon Kalou's cross had deflected off Shaun Wright-Phillips.

The goal calmed Chelsea's nerves and Macclesfield began to wobble. The champions thought they had forged further ahead when Carvalho thumped in from close range after Shevchenko's freekick had only been parried by Lee, but the visitors were saved by an offside flag.

But Chelsea's new-found confidence bred complacency. In the 39th minute, Carvalho should have cleared Matt McNeil's nod-down but the ball skidded under his foot on the greasy surface. Murphy seized the loose ball, tore towards goal and thumped a low shot between Hilario's legs.

Murphy's strike sparked bedlam among Town's travelling fans and their team seemed equally shell-shocked. That probably explained why, moments later, they allowed Lampard to gallop forward and crack a skidding shot into the bottom corner.

That restored order, and just after half-time Macclesfield's fading hopes were blown apart. Wright-Phillips set clear Shevchenko with a cute pass but the Ukrainian's run was checked by the sprawling Lee, who was shown the inevitable red card by referee Lee Mason.

Paul Ince, the Macclesfield manager, had dangerously opted against naming a reserve goalkeeper among his substitutes, so it was left to Dave Morley, the captain, to don the green jersey. He was powerless to prevent Lampard completing his hattrick from the penalty spot and Chelsea duly turned the screw.

Wright-Phillips clipped in Lampard's precise cross in the 66th minute, John Obi Mikel crunched in his first Chelsea goal with a glorious half-volley from the edge of the penalty area and finally Carvalho drilled in a deflected shot to leave Macclesfield beaten but not bowed.