U18 Premier League Cup Match Report - Brighton 0 Chelsea 3

Brighton 0 Chelsea 3

Goals from Daishawn Redan, Marc Guehi and Charlie Brown helped our youngsters to victory in the Under-18 Premier League Cup this morning (Saturday).
In its inaugural season, the Under-18 Cup gives youth teams the chance to face opponents from outside their regional programme and our trip to the south coast followed a 1-1 draw away at Blackburn Rovers in September.
After a disjointed first period in which Jody Morris’s side had marginally the better opportunities, two goals in three minutes before the break proved significant. Dutch striker Redan opened the scoring before Guehi, a World Cup winner with England Under-17s and scorer in the 5-2 final victory over Spain, extended the lead in the final minute of normal time.
Redan than supplied for Brown to turn in from close range just before the hour mark as the Blues made it four points from their opening two games in Group B.
Morris was able to call once again on the services of his England contingent following their five-week absence in India at the World Cup. Guehi and Jonathan Panzo returned to the back four alongside ever-present Jack Wakely and Tariq Lamptey, while Karlo Ziger made his debut in goal.

Conor Gallagher lined up deepest in the midfield diamond, with McEachran (pictured above) most advanced, the pair of Tariq Uwakwe and Billy Gilmour in between, while Brown and Redan led the line up front. It was far from a vintage youth team performance, though following a 4-0 defeat at Southampton last time out, Morris will have been satisfied with the application and reaction of his teenage charges.
Brown was handed the early opportunities in the intermittent coastal rain at Brighton’s training ground, the forward heading wide from McEachran’s floated delivery before dragging a shot after Uwakwe had supplied an inviting ball over the top down the left channel.
Untidy in possession at times, there were plenty of turnovers in the midfield battleground but few chances in the opening half hour. Gilmour took the initiative for the visitors, quickly closing down the ball at the feet of goalkeeper George Bentley and fashioning a sight at goal for himself in the ensuing scramble, though an important block from the covering defender thwarted the danger.
Wakely then headed a good chance over the bar from an inswinging right-sided corner before Ziger pulled off an impressive save to deny Alex Cochrane. The midfielder took aim at goal with a curling effort that appeared destined to bend into the top corner but our Croatian keeper sprung to his right and clawed the ball behind.
McEachran, such a vital part of England’s World Cup win, warmed the palms of Bentley with a well-struck drive before Redan broke the deadlock with his fourth goal of the campaign, a powerful close-range finish from the right that squirmed underneath the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

Brighton’s disappointment doubled before they could regroup at the interval. Gilmour swung in a free-kick from the left and Gallagher flicked the ball on before Guehi got the final touch from point-blank range, not too dissimilar to his goal a week earlier in Kolkata.
The hosts enjoyed their best spell of the game after the restart but failed to carve out any particularly clear-cut openings. Ryan Longman led a quick break forward but fired just wide of the bottom far corner, while Ziger did well to palm away Hamish Morrison’s cross from the right byline. Longman flashed a header narrowly off-target from the resulting corner and Brighton’s frustrating morning in front of goal was compounded as our attacking duo combined for the game’s crucial third goal.
Redan threatened throughout with his directness and blistering pace, another run down the left causing serious problems for the retreating Seagulls defence. He took his time as he advanced, spotted Brown left unattended in the 18-yard box and supplied a low cross for his strike partner to poke in from six yards out.

That settled the morning’s action as a serious contest and allowed Morris to withdraw Panzo and McEachran following a busy few weeks, though there were still chances for the Blues to extend their lead. Brown danced into the box but fired a right-footed effort wide before Redan again accelerated beyond two defenders before rolling the ball inches beyond the far upright.
The hosts almost grabbed a stoppage-time consolation when Ziger failed to hold Longman’s delivery but Lamptey was on hand to hook the ball off the line and preserve a first clean sheet in four games for the youngsters. The two sides meet again in the Under-18 Premier League after the international break.

-In other Academy news this week, Luke McCormick has signed a new contract until 2020. The midfielder has been at the club since coming through our development centre programme as an Under-7 and puts pen to paper following an impressive start to the current campaign, which has seen him score five in 10 starts for our development squad.

Chelsea (4-diamond-2) Karlo Ziger; Tariq Lamptey, Jack Wakely, Marc Guehi, Jon Panzo (Juan Castillo 64); Conor Gallagher (c), Billy Gilmour, Tariq Uwakwe, George McEachran (Clinton Mola 70); Charlie Brown (Martell Taylor-Crossdale 70), Daishawn Redan
Unused subs Nicolas Tie, Marcel Lavinier
 
Scorers Redan 43; Guehi 45; Brown 58
Brighton George Bentley, Hamish Morrison, Mamadou Kone (Cameron Tutt 82), Jordan Araujo, Tareq Shihab, Hayden Roberts, Ryan Longman, Alex Cochrane, Stefan Ljubicic, Dan Cashman (Jayden Onen 66), Isaac Hutchinson (Columbus Ibeh 77)

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