Premier League 2 Match Report - Chelsea 0 West Ham 0

Chelsea 0 West Ham 0

Our development squad collected their first Premier League 2 point in three games and recorded their first clean sheet since August as they played out a goalless draw with their London rivals at Aldershot this Sunday lunchtime.
A scrappy game bore no goals for either Chelsea or West Ham, with the hosts going closest with Harvey St Clair’s powerful strike from outside the box in the second half pushed over the bar by the visiting keeper. Jamie Cumming, in goal for the Blues, also made a string of important saves, most impressively when diving low to his left to keep out Sead Haksabanovic’s scissor kick.
Miro Muheim’s return to the side was the only change from our last outing against Swansea nine days previously, with the Swiss wideman deployed at left wing-back as the Blues reverted to three in defence. Dujon Sterling lined up on the opposite flank, while Reece James, Joseph Colley and Josh Grant protected Cumming in goal.
Trialist striker Victor Adeboyejo continued to lead the line up front supported by Jacob Maddox and St Clair as Trevoh Chalobah and skipper Ruben Sammut anchored in central midfield.

The two sides exchanged speculative efforts inside the opening five minutes as Antonio Martinez fired wildly over the bar with his first sight at goal before Adeboyejo dragged an effort wide of the far post from 20 yards following a neat give-and-go with St Clair.
St Clair proved a positive influence for the hosts in the final third throughout the opening period, his jinking run and shot blocked well on the edge of the box, before Adeboyejo poked Sterling’s right-wing cross just beyond the near post.
Down the other end, Colley got his body in the way of Dan Kemp’s shot at goal before Cumming made an important grasp to collect a dangerous delivery from Haksabanovic. A frequent theme of the first period was the regularity at which Edwards’s side sent inviting set-pieces into the Hammers 18-yard box, with James (pictured below) and Muheim the chief providers. However, frustration grew at the lack of a clinical finish from close range.

Former Chelsea scholar Kemp continued to cause problems and might have earned a penalty for his side after going down over the outstretched leg of Chalobah, though the referee did not deem the contact sufficient enough to merit a foul. The forward then forced the first save of the afternoon from Cumming with a left-footed drive that required palming over the crossbar, before Maddox cleared off the line from the resulting corner.
The young Blues went close to breaking the deadlock before the break as another Muheim corner was flicked on by St Clair but Haksabanovic was on hand to make the clearance. The Montenegrin teenager then twice worked Cumming with routine saves as the sides went in level at the interval.

There were Chelsea hearts in mouths early after the restart as Martinez expertly teed himself up and volleyed towards the top corner with Cumming beaten, though the ball did not dip quickly enough and looped inches over. Cumming did have to work a few moments later though as he dived low to his left to make a super save and push away Haksabanovic’s improvised scissor kick effort.
A first save of the afternoon for Nathan Trott in the Hammers goal came after an hour, St Clair cutting inside from the left and striking a powerful effort that was watched closely and palmed over. Kemp continued to pepper Cumming’s goal with shots from distance but failed to seriously trouble his former teammate, although a quick exchange with Nathan Holland in the box did force Colley into some last-ditch defending on the byline
Chalobah also defended admirably after his switch to central defence midway through the first half, heading clear one particularly inviting cross from Vashon Neufville before doing enough to avert the danger from Joe Powell’s first-time low cross, allowing Cumming the opportunity to grasp and smother the loose ball.

Trevoh Chalobah on the ball for the Blues. Picture courtesy of Mark Sandom.

It was the visitors in the ascendancy in the final 15 minutes but the game lacked quality in the final third down both ends and both sides ended with a share of the league points. Our development squad are next in action against the senior side of Yeovil Town in the Checkatrade Trophy this Wednesday 25 October.

Chelsea (3-4-2-1) Jamie Cumming; Reece James, Joseph Colley, Josh Grant; Dujon Sterling (Luke McCormick h/t), Trevoh Chalobah, Ruben Sammut (c), Miro Muheim (Cole Dasilva 54); Jacob Maddox, Harvey St Clair; Victor Adeboyejo (Kylian Hazard 67)
Unused subs Marcin Bulka, Richard Nartey
Booked Maddox 21; Chalobah 27

West Ham Nathan Trott, Ben Johnson (Alex Pike 67), Vashon Neufville, Conor Coventry, Josh Pask, Declan Rice (c), Sead Haksabanovic, Domingos Quina (Joe Powell h/t), Antonio Martinez, Daniel Kemp (Jahmal Hector-Ingram 86), Nathan Holland
Unused subs Rihards Matrevics, Anthony Scully

Referee Carl Brooks

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