U18 - Chelsea 2 - 3 Brighton - 切爾西足球俱樂部 Chelsea Football Club

U18南區聯賽第14輪


https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2021/03/03/
under-18s-report--chelsea-v-brighton

Under-18s report: Chelsea 2 Brighton 3

03 Mar 2021


Goals from Charlie Wiggett and Brodi Hughes twice put our youngsters in
front but they were ultimately left without reward as Brighton snatched
all three points in the Under-18 Premier League.


https://i.imgur.com/CAX2WnX.jpg


Ed Brand's side were left with an overwhelming feeling of frustration as
they netted two, hit the woodwork and forced the visiting goalkeeper into
a number of saves but still came away from the game with nothing.


Marcus Ifill cancelled out headed goals from our centre-backs in each half
before Zak Emmerson got the winner late on for the visitors. It means the
young Blues remain nine points off the top of the southern division with
two games now in hand.


== The selection ==


There were youth team debuts for both goalkeeper Prince Adegoke and
schoolboy Richard Olise, the former having missed much of his maiden
season as a scholar following knee surgery in the autumn.


https://i.imgur.com/Vxi1oKn.jpg


In total, Brand made eight changes from the weekend win at Norwich City,
with just Charlie Webster, Jude Soonsup-Bell and Hughes retaining their
places in the team.


== Heading into an early lead ==


This fixture last season was the final outing for our youngsters before a
seven-month shutdown of the Under-18 Premier League, not that any of those
involved were aware of that at the time. The 2020/21 restart was,
incidentally, also against the Seagulls back in September, a 1-1 draw on
the South Coast.


The young Blues were not able to open the scoring quite as early as in
that season opener, when Soonsup-Bell netted inside a minute, but it
didn't take much longer than that for the breakthrough goal to arrive at
an overcast Cobham.


It came in simple fashion as captain Ben Elliott swung in a corner from
the right and Wiggett rose highest in the box, meeting the delivery with a
powerful header into the bottom corner to beat the despairing dive of Toby
Bull between the Brighton posts. A first goal for the defender since
November 2019 handed the hosts an ideal platform on which to build.


https://i.imgur.com/jSGS6Hq.jpg
Wiggett celebrates his opener


== Seagulls settle and strike back ==


Yet Brighton survived that setback and were soon firing warning shots of
their own down the other end. A short corner routine saw one chance blazed
narrowly over, albeit the flag was up for offside. Dion Rankine,
meanwhile, was forced into a brave block to thwart Andy Moran, and Hughes
made a couple of crucial interventions on the edge of our 18-yard box.


Chelsea chances were restricted to a centre from Olise headed clear by
Casper Nilsson and a mazy run down the left by Soonsup-Bell, at the end of
which the young striker had to settle for a corner.


https://i.imgur.com/NakgK9E.jpg
Soonsup-Bell takes the ball past a couple of Brighton defenders


The visitors then punished our passiveness with an equaliser midway
through the half, Ifill running on to Moran's pass before firing an
accomplished finish low past Adegoke. It could have been worse for Brand's
boys moments later when Moran skipped away from two defenders before
clipping the top of the crossbar.


== Woodwork denies Webster ==


The mild spring conditions were slowly replaced by a rainy chill as the
players emerged for the second half, Brighton probably happier with a
share of the points given their position three places and four points
higher than the Blues at the start of play.


An eventful restart saw the hosts in the ascendancy and Webster was almost
the architect of restoring our lead as he took aim from 25 yards with a
bending effort. Bull looked beaten but the ball struck the crossbar and
bounced clear.


== Blues pressure pays dividends ==


Down the other end, Adegoke made a smart stop to push away Matt Everitt's
strike through a crowd of bodies, before Bull proved equal to Rankine's
powerful swerving shot as the goalkeepers were made to work to keep parity
in the contest. However, the deadlock didn't last much longer as another
of our defenders proved decisive in front of goal.


It was again a set-piece that proved Brighton's undoing as Webster floated
in a free-kick from the right flank and Soonsup-Bell's effort was
impressively kept out on the goal-line by Nilsson. Yet Hughes reacted
quickest in the six-yard box, heading the loose ball into the unguarded
net for his first youth team goal in just his second start to restore our
lead.


https://i.imgur.com/IP2Kf5A.jpg
Hughes heads but it wasn't enough for the Blues


Brighton were on the ropes at this point, unable to keep possession and
faced with relentless waves of attacks. Derrick Abu fired wide and
substitute Josh Brooking saw a looping header drop just over before Bull
produced an important save to keep out a 30-yarder from Edwin Andersson.


== Brighton survive and surprise ==


Yet just like in the first half, the visitors survived, resettled and
found a response. Ifill was the goalscorer once again, capitalising on
some miscommunication at the back to lift the ball over Adegoke and
equalise for a second time.


Both sides had opportunities to snatch a winner, Soonsup-Bell firing
straight at the keeper from the left before the Seagulls found their
sucker punch five minutes from time when Emmerson curled an unstoppable
strike into the far top corner.


== What's next? ==


A London derby against Tottenham that can be watched live across Chelsea
platforms this weekend. Kick-off is at 11am this Saturday 6 March, with
the action streamed for free on this website, the 5th Stand app and our
official YouTube channel.


Chelsea (3-4-3):
Prince Adegoke

Charlie Wiggett Brodi Hughes Bashir Humphreys

Richard Olise Ben Elliott (c) Charlie Webster Derrick Abu
(Josh Brooking 54) (Leo Castledine 81)

Dion Rankine Jude Soonsup-Bell Edwin Andersson
(Silko Thomas 72)

Unused subs - Ted Curd, Alex Kpakpe
Scorers - Wiggett 2; Hughes 59
Booked - Abu 28


Brighton & Hove Albion (4-4-2):
Toby Bull

Casper Nilsson Ben Jackson Odel Offiah Zak Sturge

Matt Everitt (c) Toby Collyer Samy Chouchane Andy Moran
(Jaami Qureshi 69) (Jack Hinshelwood 69)

Zak Emmerson Marcus Ifill


Unused subs - Todd Miller, Tommy Reid, Josh Duffus
Scorers - Ifill 23, 77; Emmerson 85
Booked - Jackson 26



Referee - Valentine Anekwe

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When it comes to a crisis, still keep on running.

You believe in power. It's mental power.


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