U18 - Reading 0 - 2 Chelsea - 切爾西足球俱樂部 Chelsea Football Club

U18南區聯賽第19輪


https://www.chelseafc.com/news/latest-news/2017/02/
under-18s-report--reading-0-chelsea-2.html

Under-18s report: Reading 0 Chelsea 2

Sat 4 Feb 2017


Our youngsters are now one win away from a third successive Under-18
Premier League south section title after a goal in each half handed them
victory at second-placed Reading.


George McEachran struck the decisive first blow, sweeping the ball neatly
into the bottom corner, before Callum Hudson-Odoi sealed the points late
in stoppage time. It takes our unbeaten run to 15 in the league and puts
Jody Morris's side eight points clear with three games of the regional
programme remaining.


The Blues made seven changes from their midweek win in the FA Youth Cup,
with the quartet of Reece James, Marc Guehi, Luke McCormick and
Hudson-Odoi retaining their starting spots as Morris switched to a
midfield diamond and two up top. Martell Taylor-Crossdale partnered
Hudson-Odoi in attack, with McEachran at the top of the diamond.


James and Guehi lined up in a back four alongside skipper Josh Grant and
Cole Dasilva with goalkeeper Jamie Cumming returning between the sticks.
McCormick started at the base of the diamond with Conor Gallagher and Juan
Castillo either side.


After losing on their previous two visits to Berkshire, the young Blues
were wary of the threat posed by the Royals but the conditions at Hogwood
Park, unlike in recent years, were more favourable to the visitors.
February sunshine greeted them on arrival and they started purposefully,
with Castillo firing over the bar and Guehi going close with a header from
McEachran's corner.


It was one-way traffic for the opening 20 minutes but the hosts retained
parity in the contest, partly due to strong defending and partly due to
some wasteful finishing. Taylor-Crossdale missed the target from close
range following an inviting delivery by James before goalkeeper Liam
Driscoll made a smart stop to deny Hudson-Odoi from the right.


Reading settled midway through the half and enjoyed their brightest spell
of the opening period, with Guehi forced to stay concentrated and defend
well from a dangerous inswinging free-kick. Jordan Holsgrove then fired
narrowly wide before McEachran broke the deadlock just after the half-hour
mark.


His energy off the ball had set the tempo for the league leaders but it
was a clever run in behind that fashioned the chance, with James's forward
pass setting him free down the right channel. Advancing towards goal, the
midfielder opened his body up and steered the ball beyond the keeper into
the bottom far corner for his third in the last four league outings.


Reading's threat was rare but Castillo and Guehi were needed to intervene
as the interval approached, while Harry Philby headed wide from a
left-sided corner. The pattern of play followed a similar theme after the
restart as the Blues continued to create chances at will. McEachran fired
a right-footed effort wide before a clever move involving Hudson-Odoi and
James down the right ended with Taylor-Crossdale striking just wide.


Opportunities came and went. Driscoll saved comfortably from McCormick
before Tom Holmes intervened bravely to block Taylor-Crossdale's drive
behind after McEachran had teed up the striker. Cumming's first save of
the morning came just after the hour mark as the stopper got down to his
left to push away Danny Loader's volley. It was a reminder of the
precarious nature of a 1-0 lead.


The Blues keeper then took a blow to the head from Loader after racing off
his line to thwart the Reading forward, a challenge that resulted in a
booking for the England Under-17 international and a lengthy delay for
treatment to our number one. Bandaged up, the stopper continued and was in
the right place to gather Ade Shokunbi's shot with five minutes of normal
time remaining.


If a second goal in the game was to be scored, it looked more likely that
Morris's men would be celebrating. Substitute Harvey St Clair was thwarted
as Driscoll smothered the ball bravely at his feet before Under-16 forward
Hudson-Odoi wrapped up the win in the fifth minute of added time, latching
on to Castillo's pass before beating the keeper at the near post.


With the rest of the top four going down to defeats, the Blues have the
chance to win the southern section next week away at Leicester.


Chelsea (4-diamond-2)
Jamie Cumming

Reece James Josh Grant (c) Marc Guehi Cole Dasilva
(Kyle Jameson 90+6)
Luke McCormick
Conor Gallagher Juan Castillo
(Jon Panzo 86) George McEachran

Callum Hudson-Odoi Martell Taylor-Crossdale
(Harvey St Clair 81)

Unused subs - Jared Thompson
Scorers - McEachran 33; Hudson-Odoi 90+5
Booked - Taylor-Crossdale


Reading

Liam Driscoll, Teddy Howe, Jamal Balogun (Cameron Green 68), Ade Shokunbi,

Tom Holmes, Harry Philby, Joel Rollinson, Jordan Holsgrove (c), Ethan Coleman,

Danny Loader, Nathan Tella (Jazz Wallace 68)


Unused subs - James Hilsdon, Joe Wilson
Booked - Loader

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"We believe the same thing."

"Maybe there is hope."
- 9x20 The Truth

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