Chelsea FC Youth 4 Ipswich Town Youth 0

[EskWeston 696]

Chelsea's Under 18 side won their penultimate game of season by thumping visitors Ipswich 4-0 despite the rain pouring down. FA Youth Cup-winning captain Conor Clifford started in midfield alongside fellow Cup finalists Sam Walker in goal, Aziz Deen-Conteh at left-back and Jacopo Sala up front.

Adam Phillip (pictured) also returned to the starting line-up after missing most of the season through injury.

A 4-3-3 set-up was youth team manager Dermot Drummy's choice as the side lined up against Ipswich.

It was a slow start at Cobham, with the game unfolding in midfield as both sides failed to threaten either goal.

It took 20 minutes for Walker to be tested between the posts when the keeper was forced into an acrobatic one-handed save to deflect a shot from reaching the net.

Then the opening goal arrived when Daniel Philliskirk broke down the centre of the pitch, placing a clever through ball for Phillip to latch onto. The striker then rounded the keeper before drilling into the net.

It was the perfect return to competitive football but not long after Phillip was forced out of the game with injury as he limped off to be replaced by Philipp Prosenik.

Chelsea doubled the lead minutes before half time when Milan Lalkovic won a penalty with some boisterous play down the left, which saw him dance his way into the box before being cut to the ground.

The referee pointed to the spot and the young Slovakian drove a low shot down the centre which the keeper saved but failed to hold onto, allowing 15-year-old Nathaniel Chalobah to net the loose ball.

Drummy then made two changes at half time and rested Sala and Clifford, who were replaced by Anton Rodgers and Todd Kane.

And soon it was 3-0 after Philliskirk, who had received the armband from Clifford, scored a well-worked goal before minutes later Kane made it four.

The schoolboy netted Chelsea's final goal with a left-footed strike after a Lalkovic shot rebounded off the woodwork into the youngster's path.

The game was as good as over early into the second half, and with such a huge deficit to come back from, Ipswich failed to produce any real chances on goal.

Instead the Blues sat back and completed another comfortable victory as they head into their final game of the season against Tottenham this Monday.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Sam Walker; Ben Sampayo, Nathaniel Chalobah, Ben Gordon, Aziz Deen-Conteh; Conor Clifford © (Anton Rodgers H-T) George Saville, Daniel Philliskirk; Jacopo Sala (Todd Knae H-T) Adam Phillip (Phillip Prosenik 41), Milan Lalkovic.

Source: Chelsea FC

[magic weeds 446]

Guys are so lost in the celebrations that they have forgotten about the young lads :whistling:

Congradulations to them for their 4 goals. Lots of goals have been flowing at the bridge lately

:champions::champions::champions::champions::champions::champions:

[NattyBlue 44]

FA Cup winners and they finish with a strong performance and some schoolboys playing now too right?