Checkatrade Trophy Match Report - Yeovil 1 (5) Chelsea 1 (3)

Yeovil 1 (5) Chelsea 1 (3)

Our development squad came from behind to earn a draw at Huish Park in the Checkatrade Trophy this evening (Wednesday).
The Blues competed manfully against their League Two opponents, belying the difference in age and experience as they sought to build on a point gained at Plymouth Argyle back in August. They fell behind midway through the first half as Rhys Browne turned in a corner but fought back to level through Luke McCormick’s instinctive finish on the rebound following Martell Taylor-Crossdale’s saved shot.
The second period was a similarly competitive encounter as chances were fashioned down both ends, the best for the visitors coming when Taylor-Crossdale forced a low save from the home keeper. Jamie Cumming, guarding goal for Joe Edwards’s side, made a few impressive stops to preserve the point but could do nothing in the shootout as Yeovil scored five from five and collected a bonus point in Southern Group D.
Edwards made four changes from Sunday’s 0-0 PL2 draw against West Ham as two used substitutes three days previously, Kylian Hazard and McCormick, came into the team along with Richard Nartey and Taylor-Crossdale.
With Ethan Ampadu starting and Dujon Sterling on the bench 120 miles away at Stamford Bridge, there was a reshuffle of the defensive ranks as Edwards lined up with Nartey, Trevoh Chalobah and Joseph Colley in central defence, flanked by wing-backs Reece James and Josh Grant.
Captain Ruben Sammut began alongside Jacob Maddox and McCormick across the middle of the field with Hazard in behind central striker Taylor-Crossdale. Five youngsters eligible for this age group – Callum Hudson-Odoi, George McEachran, Marc Guehi, Jon Panzo and Conor Gallagher – remain away with England at the Under-17 World Cup in India. The young Lions beat Brazil 3-1 earlier in the day to set up a meeting with Spain in the final this weekend.

The Blues had surrendered a two-goal lead late on against Plymouth in their opening Checkatrade Trophy group game before losing the bonus point penalty shootout and arrived in Somerset still seeking their first three points in this competition since its revamp to include development teams last season.
They settled quickly and comfortably on the ball, while the first testing deliveries long into their 18-yard box were dealt with well by the central defensive trio. It took almost 15 minutes for the hosts to fashion the game’s first effort of note, Tom James trying his luck with a volley from distance that dropped harmlessly over the crossbar.
Otis Khan, joint-top scorer for the Glovers this term, then flashed a well-struck free-kick narrowly wide before Bevis Mugabi’s header landed just off-target as Darren Way’s side gathered momentum.
The League Two side broke the deadlock midway through the first period as another set-piece did the damage to our youngsters. Khan swung in a corner from the right and Sam Surridge headed towards goal before Browne got a crucial touch to divert the ball into the bottom corner, beyond the grasp of Cumming.

Luke McCormick levels the scores with a neat finish from a tight angle on the rebound.

Yeovil remained in control and Artur Krysiak, their goalkeeper, remained untroubled for a spell following the opener as the Blues looked to quickly compose themselves after the early disappointment. Better than that, they restored parity 11 minutes before the break with their first effort at goal of the evening.
The ball was worked purposefully to James on the right flank and his low cross met by Taylor-Crossdale from close range. Although the striker’s shot was kept out with an impressive stop from Krysiak, the Pole could only watch from the floor as McCormick reacted quickest to poke the ball into an unguarded net from a narrowing angle.
Buoyed by the leveller, Chelsea enjoyed their brightest period of the game and might have grabbed the lead before half-time. The home side surrendered possession dangerously in their own defensive third and Maddox advanced, reaching the edge of the box before curling a strike low towards the bottom right corner. Krysiak, well-positioned on his line, tipped the effort behind and the referee signalled for the break before the corner could be delivered.
Edwards’s side had demonstrated hard work and application throughout the first 45 minutes, though their experience from Home Park in their last Checkatrade Trophy outing provided a stark reminder that there was still plenty of effort still to be exerted.
Chalobah made a crucial interception in the box shortly after the restart, while Reece James had the first shot of the second period with a rising drive that had too much height to trouble Krysiak. Down the other end, Browne latched on to an inswinging delivery from Tom James and spun to fire at goal, his attempt also flying narrowly over.
Taylor-Crossdale found himself with a presentable opportunity after an hour, accelerating down the left and cutting inside to shoot at goal but Krysiak was able to keep hold of the striker’s deflected low effort and keep the score at 1-1.

The contest continued to allow for chances for both sides and Chalobah won a big header under his own crossbar after Colley had headed the ball from Cumming’s hands. Edwards introduced Harvey St Clair to add a direct and speedy threat to his attack just after the hour mark, the forward warming his shooting boots with a shot wide from 25 yards shortly after his introduction,
The visitors were indebted to an impressive save from their teenage goalkeeper as the game headed towards its conclusion, Cumming flying to his left to deny Jake Gray and push the ball behind. Mugabi, regularly an aerial threat from set-pieces, met Khan’s delivery from the resulting corner and saw his header clip the top of the bar.
Physically tiring against senior opposition, Yeovil grew into the ascendancy and continued to carve out chances to steal the group points. Cumming was stood in their way again when Khan tried at goal from the edge of the box, the keeper diving low to his right to gather, before saving from the same man in added time after a mazy run from the winger.
Just as in Plymouth, a penalty shootout concluded proceedings with a bonus group point available for the winners. McCormick missed the first spot-kick and Yeovil were flawless from 12 yards, leaving the young Blues two points behind second-place Plymouth ahead of the final game away at Exeter City.

Chelsea (3-5-1-1) Jamie Cumming; Joseph Colley, Richard Nartey (Cole Dasilva 77), Trevoh Chalobah; Reece James (Miro Muheim 90+3), Ruben Sammut (c), Jacob Maddox, Luke McCormick, Josh Grant; Kylian Hazard (Harvey St Clair 62), Martell Taylor-Crossdale
Unused subs Nicolas Tie, Juan Castillo, Charlie Brown, Tariq Uwakwe
Scorer McCormick 34
Booked McCormick 80

Yeovil Town (4-3-3) Artur Krysiak; Bevis Mugabi, Sid Nelson, Nathan Smith (c) (Keston Davies 67), Tom James; Matthew Worthington, Alefe Santos, Jake Gray (Francois Zoko 83); Rhys Browne (Olufela Olomola 64), Sam Surridge, Otis Khan
Unused subs Jonathan Maddison, Connor Smith, James Bailey, Omar Sowunmi
Scorer Browne 22
Booked Santos 42; Browne 52

Referee Kevin Johnson
Crowd 1,896

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Checkatrade Trophy Match Report - Plymouth Argyle 2 (5) Chelsea 2 (4)

Plymouth Argyle 2 (5) Chelsea 2 (4)

Our development squad picked up a point in the Checkatrade Trophy at Home Park this evening (Tuesday) but were denied all three by a late fightback from League One Plymouth.
Joe Edwards’s side competed manfully throughout against their senior opposition and took their chances in the second half to open up a two-goal advantage. Callum Hudson-Odoi, the youngest player on the field at 16 years-old, bagged a brace after the interval, his maiden goals at the development squad age group.
However, the home side scored twice in the final few minutes through striker Alex Fletcher and then won the bonus penalty shootout to gain an additional group point.
Edwards made three changes from the 0-0 draw that opened our PL2 campaign away at Manchester City last week as Cole Dasilva, Luke McCormick and Martell Taylor-Crossdale came into our all-teenage side.
Taylor-Crossdale led the line up front supported by Dujon Sterling, Isaac Christie-Davies and Hudson-Odoi, while McCormick anchored in midfield alongside skipper Ruben Sammut. Dasilva lined up at left-back, the same position his on-loan older brother Jay had played against the Pilgrims three days previously for Charlton, while Reece James, Joseph Colley and Ethan Ampadu comprised the remainder of the back four in front of keeper Jamie Cumming.

Plymouth, runners-up in League Two last season, started with an average age just over 25 years-old but the visitors settled quickly and confidently on the ball in the early stages. Sammut denied Ruben Lameiras with a good block on the edge of the box while Ampadu headed clear Lionel Ainsworth’s set-piece delivery from the right as Edwards’s side defended well from the start.
They threatened themselves as Christie-Davies swung in a cross towards Sterling at the far post but left-back Aaron Taylor-Sinclair did well to head clear under pressure. Operating in an altered 4-2-3-1 system, Edwards’s side pressed intently from the front and were able to cut the Plymouth supply line high up the field.
The predominant threat from the hosts was the aerial delivery into the 18-yard box and Ainsworth might have done better with a header at the back post that dropped wide before Colley headed clear a centre stood up into the middle by Gregg Wylde.
Down the other end, our endeavours were providing some encouraging signs. Hudson-Odoi’s deflected free-kick ricocheted behind but Swedish defender Colley could not test Robbert te Loeke in the Plymouth goal with his strike from McCormick’s low corner.

James twice threatened with inviting crosses from the right, the latter a low delivery that was cleared behind by the well-positioned Yann Songo’o before the Pilgrims had the best opportunities of the half to open the scoring. Their advance down the right paid dividends and Cumming made a smart stop to thwart Fletcher before Lameiras hit the post with the rebound.
Loose play at the back almost handed the Blues an early opportunity after the restart but the ball just spun away from the hopeful McCormick before Plymouth enjoyed a strong spell. Lameiras’s pass for Ainsworth was taken with an excellent first touch by the forward but his low shot was drilled straight at Cumming before Songo’o headed narrowly over.
However, the defender was guilty of sloppy play in defence in the build-up to the game’s opening goal after 62 minutes. He stumbled in possession and allowed Hudson-Odoi, recently deployed as the central striker following Taylor-Crossdale’s withdrawal, the opportunity to advance towards goal. The 16-year-old’s eyes widened as he bore down on goal and he kept his composure to finish beyond the goalkeeper for his first goal at this age group.

The visitors were buoyed by the advantage and Hudson-Odoi skipped away from a challenge before teeing up Christie-Davies, whose effort was blocked. The youngest player on the field then had another great chance, again aided by slack Plymouth play in possession, and rounded the keeper before placing his left-footed shot over the crossbar with the goal gaping.
Yet the England Under-17 international did not ponder on that missed chance for long. Substitute Jacob Maddox was shoved to the ground and Hudson-Odoi stepped up to curl a precise free-kick into the bottom corner in front of the celebrating Chelsea supporters.
It looked for a long period like the advantage would earn us our first three points in the competition but Plymouth striker Fletcher had other ideas. He halved the lead two minutes before the end of regulation time with a close-range finish, latching on to the loose ball after Cumming had palmed away a shot across goal by Lameiras.
With the pressure cranked up a notch and the decibel levels rising, Fletcher struck again in stoppage time with a well-hit volley on the spin that flew past Cumming and ensured the contest would end in a penalty shootout for an additional group point. McCormick, Muheim, Christie-Davies and Colley all converted but Maddox’s effort struck the base of the post and bounced away as the hosts claimed a 5-4 shootout win and two group points.

Chelsea: Jamie Cumming; Reece James, Joseph Colley, Ethan Ampadu, Cole Dasilva (Juan Castillo 74); Ruben Sammut (c), Luke McCormick; Dujon Sterling, Isaac Christie-Davies, Callum Hudson-Odoi (Miro Muheim 90); Martell Taylor-Crossdale (Jacob Maddox 59)
Unused subs Marcin Bulka, Ali Suljic, Jacob Maddox, Richard Nartey
Scorer Hudson-Odoi 62, 75
Booked Sterling, Ampadu

Plymouth Argyle: Robbert te Loeke; Gary Miller, Yann Songo’o, Jakub Sokolik, Aaron Taylor-Sinclair; Antoni Sarcevic (c) (David Fox h/t), Ruben Lameiras (Nathan Blissett 90), Jamie Ness (Graham Carey 61); Lionel Ainsworth, Alex Fletcher, Gregg Wylde
Unused subs Luke McCormick, Gary Sawyer, Graham Carey, Sonny Bradley, Joel Grant
Scorer Fletcher 88, 90+1
Booked Songo’o

Referee Brett Huxtable
Crowd 3962

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