Defoe went agonisingly close on three occasions late on, but Chelsea had chances of their own with James saving well from Belletti and Alex and an attempted chip from Shaun Wright-Phillips drifted wide of the far post.
Opener Alex Kervezee batted positively for his 36 but was then caught behind off Wright and keeper Smith claimed his seconmd victim when Dewald Nel found the edge of of Ryan ten Doeschate's bat.