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

U18南區聯賽第12輪


https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2019/1/5/
under-18s-report--leicester-v-chelsea

Under-18s report: Leicester 2 Chelsea 3

05 Jan 2019


Chelsea Under-18s edged a five-goal thriller in the Midlands, showing
resistance to hold off Leicester City's second-half fightback and claim
all three points in the Under-18 Premier League southern section.


https://i.imgur.com/9eogiDP.jpg


The young Blues were 3-0 up inside a quarter of an hour as Marcel Lewis
(pictured top) bagged an early brace either side of a looping header from
defender Jack Wakely. However, a number of further opportunities were
spurned before the break and the Foxes returned revitalised, scoring two
goals of their own in four minutes.


Karlo Ziger was as responsible as anybody for the visitors taking three
points back down the M1, our Croatian keeper excelling to keep the lead
intact and extend our unbeaten league run to nine matches. Andy Myers's
side remain third, just three points behind the leaders Tottenham, who we
meet in a fortnight at Cobham.


There were two changes from our last starting 11 in the league, a 2-0 win
over Reading on the first day of December, as Henry Lawrence and Ziger
returned to the team. Lewis partnered George Nunn up front in a 3-5-2
system, with Sam McClelland, Jack Wakely and Clinton Mola lining up across
central defence. Marcel Lavinier and Ian Maatsen continued in wing-back
roles, while Lawrence joined Jon Russell in central midfield and Thierno
Ballo operated as the most advanced midfielder.


https://i.imgur.com/QAY1SYe.jpg


Our youngsters were still smarting from their defeat in the FA Youth Cup
last time out, a 4-3 loss at Manchester United that ended our five-year
defence of the trophy, so a bright and lively opening at Leicester's
Belvoir Drive training ground was hardly unexpected. Yet they matched
intensity and invention with a clinical touch in front of goal and quickly
raced into a commanding lead.


Lewis had only scored once before Christmas but doubled his tally for the
campaign inside 80 seconds, latching on to Ballo's cutback before beating
Oliver Bosworth, the home goalkeeper, with a right-footed effort that spun
up and sailed into the far top corner.


A fluid and focused start was causing problems for the hosts, who started
the weekend two places but nine points behind Myers's men. It was soon 2-0
and a quick corner routine unlocked the door on this occasion. Lewis and
Maatsen orchestrated the swift manoeuvre and Wakely arrived on cue to
power a perfect header into the corner.


Leicester were bemoaning a slow start, typified by their lax defending for
that second goal, but it got worse for Trevor Peake's team as they fell
three goals behind inside 15 minutes. Lewis picked up a long diagonal pass
in behind the backline and showed his strength to shrug off the challenge
of a defender, before firing powerfully from left to right across goal.


After holding us to a 1-1 draw at Cobham in August, the only side to take
points from the Blues at home all season, this contest looked done before
it had barely got going. In truth, the visitors ought to have been out of
sight by the break as Nunn was thwarted on two occasions in the box and
Ballo clipped the post after half an hour.


https://i.imgur.com/c7U0nZD.jpg
Thierno Ballo (pictured earlier in the season at Brighton) signed a first
professional contract at the club this week and clipped the post in the
first half


The Foxes provided a reminder of their attacking competency shortly before
that when Shane Flynn rattled the crossbar, though it was Lawrence who
went closest to adding the game's fourth goal after 43 minutes. The
midfielder got himself into a promising position but delayed his decision
and allowed defenders back to block.


Those missed opportunities were rued within 10 minutes of the restart as
Leicester reduced the deficit to one to claw themselves back into the
contest. Dempsey Arlott-John pulled the first goal back after 50 minutes,
powering a header past Ziger from Luke Thomas's cross to make it 3-1.
Justen Kranthove then added another as a corner caused confusion in the
Chelsea 18-yard box, leaving the Dutch defender to bundle the ball in from
a few yards out.


The remaining half hour saw mostly one-way traffic and the Blues were
indebted to Ziger for preserving the points. Our keeper saved from striker
Will Russ and Dennis Gyamfi, before pulling off an impressive one-handed
stop to push away Flynn's goal-bound cross.


With the final whistle looming, there was one more crucial piece of work
for Ziger and he produced another match-winning save to deny Arlott-John
and keep us firmly in the southern title race. Our youngsters return to
action next weekend at home to Southampton.


Chelsea (3-5-2)
Karlo Ziger

Sam McClelland Jack Wakely (c) Clinton Mola

Marcel Lavinier Jon Russell Henry Lawrence Ian Maatsen
(James Clark 90) (Pierre Ekwah Elimby 60)

Thierno Ballo
(Armando Broja 80)
Marcel Lewis George Nunn


Unused subs - Ethan Wady, Dynel Simeu
Scorers - Lewis 2, 15; Wakely 9
Booked - Mola


Leicester City

Oliver Bosworth, Dennis Gyamfi, Luke Thomas, Sidnei Tavares, Ed Elewa-Ikpakwu,

Justen Kranthove, Dempsey Arlott-John, Oliver Ewing (Johnson Gyamfi 74),

Will Russ, Terell Pennant, Shane Flynn


Unused subs - Tom Sams, Leon James, Harrison Myring
Scorers - Arlott-John 50; Kranthove 54
Booked - Flynn, Arlott-John

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