U18聯賽盃 - Stoke City 2 - 1 Chelsea - 切爾西足球俱樂部 Chelsea Football Club

U18聯賽盃四強戰


https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2020/02/15/under-18-report--stoke-chelsea

Under-18s report: Stoke 2 Chelsea 1 (AET)

15 Feb 2020


We bowed out of the Under-18 Premier League Cup at the semi-final stage
after defeat at Stoke this morning.


https://i.imgur.com/4UIyo1Z.jpg


The team battled up until the final whistle to try and earn something from
the game in Staffordshire. George Nunn opened the scores for the Blues in
the seventh minute at the end of a well-worked counter-attack but we were
pegged back 10 minutes before the break. In difficult conditions, we held
the hosts up until the 105th minute when Stoke's constant attacking threat
eventually separated the teams and was the difference that mattered. Ed
Brand and his team can be proud of their efforts this morning.


It was a young Under-18s eleven and we started off with two changes to the
team that beat Newcastle. Josh Brooking was on the right of the defensive
trio in place of Lewis Bate, meaning Bashir Humphreys slotted into central
midfield. While Harvey Vale was in at left wing-back from the first
whistle in place of Samuel Iling-Junior.


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


Conditions couldn't have been worse at kick-off, with the heavens opening
as the referee blew his whistle but it didn't dampen the spirits as both
teams made a lively start. We were first to be rewarded for our play and
took the lead after seven minutes thanks to Nunn.


Charlie Webster started the move in midfield and found Myles Peart-Harris
upfield. Stoke keeper Nathan Broome closed down the angle but our attacker
was quickest to the ball and squared for Nunn to tap into an empty net for
the opener. It was a great start from the Blues.


There was little to report on after Nunn's goal and after 20 minutes
Chelsea looked to be in control. A half-chance through Dion Rankine was
smothered by Broome at his near post and it seemed to give the home side a
boost.


Stoke had two very good chances as the half-hour mark neared. The first
was poked wide by captain Adam Porter under great pressure from wing-back
Harvey Vale.


The next came as the hosts had momentum on their side, it was their second
chance in as many minutes and it presented an even better opportunity than
the first. Forward Mo Sankoh was picked out through a gap in our defence
and had just Jake Askew to beat but the keeper did well to make himself
big and get a right hand to the shot.


https://i.imgur.com/Kjes4xe.jpg
The squad celebrate Nunn's opener


Stoke were hungry for a goal and threatened through Porter again but,
quite like his earlier shot, Askew was alert and equal to the attempt,
making a high-flying save to tip the ball over the target.


The home team's persistence paid off however and Sankoh was sure to make
the most of his next sight at goal. The ball fell to the lively forward
just outside of the box, he rounded Askew and tucked away from a tight
angle. We were level at the break with it all to play for in the second
half.


Stoke had a golden chance to take the lead straight after the restart.
Sankoh had the ball in the box and squared for his strike partner Andre
Godfrinne, whose first-time attempt cleared the target, much to Chelsea's
luck. That was a huge let-off.


Conditions were deteriorating as we reached 60 minutes and both teams were
struggling to piece together quality attacks. It was evident as the Blues
lost possession in their own half, allowing forward Godfrinne to let fly -
thankfully the ball cannoned back off the woodwork and away from danger.


https://i.imgur.com/1L9Sea0.jpg
Webster battles for possession in midfield


Like his strike partner, Godfrinne was a constant threat and forced the
busy Askew into two saves from close range. Boss Brand recognised the need
for a change and introduced Luke Badley-Morgan and Jude Soonsup-Bell in
place of Charlie Wiggett and goalscorer Nunn respectively.


We were having to do a lot of defending but our backline were certainly
standing up to the challenge against a very physical Stoke team and there
was a third Chelsea change after 76 minutes. Ben Elliott replaced
Peart-Harris in a like-for-like swap as we looked to inject some energy
back into the team.


Stoke midfielder Lewis Macari flashed a shot wide of the target with just
two minutes of normal time left, the chance coming after we only partially
cleared a deep Stoke free-kick - that was before Marcel Lewis had the
chance to snatch a place in the final with the best opportunity of the
half. The tricky midfield man found space on the edge of the box but
couldn't steer his attempt on target as he tried to bend the ball around
Broome.


That proved to be the last bit of action in normal time, therefore an
extra 30 minutes of play was signalled to decide a winner.


https://i.imgur.com/FBD9jtG.jpg
Schoolboy Soonsup-Bell was introduced in the second-half


A minute before the end of the first period of extra time, Stoke found a
breakthrough. Sankoh, who had been a handful all afternoon, powered into
the box and thumped home from close range. It was a huge blow for the
Blues, who had worked well up until that point.


The Stoke forward thought he had completed his hat-trick as we began the
final period of the second half. He again found the net from a tight angle
but the official on the near side had his flag raised for offside, cutting
short the home celebrations.


Deep into extra time, Lewis' floated free-kick was spilled by Bromme and
dropped at the feet of Webster who struck at goal from distance. His
attempt, through a sea of bodies in the box, deflected wide of the target
and out of play. The midfielder was agonisingly close to his first goal
for the youth team.


It proved to be the final scoring attempt of the game as full-time was
singalled. The Blues can be proud of their attempts in the Premier League
Cup this season, bowing out at the semi-final stage.


Chelsea (3-4-2-1):
Jake Askew

Josh Brooking Sam McClelland (c) Charlie Wiggett
(Luke Badley-Morgan 65)

Dion Rankine Bashir Humphreys Charlie Webster Harvey Vale

Marcel Lewis Myles Peart-Harris
George Nunn (Ben Elliott 76)
(Jude Soonsup-Bell 65)


Unused subs - Pierre Ekwah Elimby, Ethan Wady
Booked - Nunn 45, Soonsup-Bell 73
Scorer - Nunn 7


Stoke:

Nathan Broome, Kieran Coates, Edward Jones, Dan Malone, Mo Akandji,

Lewis Macari, Reece Jones (Ethon Varian-Discoll 99), Adam Porter (c),

Mo Sanko, Andre Godfrinne, Pat Jarrett (Tom Sparrow 104)


Unused subs - Connor Tylor, Paul Cooper, Jay Verma
Booked - Akandji (45)
Scorer - Sankoh 35, 105

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