Under-23s fall late on at Chelsea on final day

Our Under-23s' 2021/22 Premier League 2 campaign ended in defeat on Sunday afternoon as Chelsea produced a late comeback to earn a 2-1 win at their Cobham training centre.

After a cagey first half saw the game remain goalless at the break, we took the game to the Blues after the restart and deservedly took the lead as Kion Etete - who has returned to our Development Squad following the completion of his loan with League One side Cheltenham Town - converted from a corner on 57 minutes. 

We continued to enjoy much of the ball as the game moved into its closing stages, but we will perhaps be frustrated that we couldn't do more with it. For that, we were made to pay as a late sucker punch from the hosts, a leveller from Dion Rankine on 82 minutes before a winner from Joe Haigh six minutes later, saw us leave Surrey empty handed.

It was a game that had a lot riding on it for Chelsea with a victory a necessity for them in order to avoid relegation to Division 2 of the Premier League 2 - and the importance of securing all three points could be seen in their line-up with both Malang Sarr and Trevoh Chalobah – defenders who feature regularly for their first team – drafted in to play. Duly, it was the strength of both sides' defences that came to the fore in the opening 45 minutes as both backlines did well to restrict any clear-cut opportunities from being created.

The first real opening of note came on 20 minutes as good pressure from Yago Santiago to take the ball off the toes of Chalobah saw Etete able to play Mundle through on goal. Sarr, however, produced a superb recovery tackle to deny the winger a shot on goal. Good covering from Frenchman then forced Devine to shoot from an acute angle three minutes later, but his effort was easily gathered by goalkeeper Lucas Bergstrom. Down the other end, both Marqes Muir and Malachi Fagan-Walcott also produced crucial blocks and interceptions to also deny Chelsea any sniff of an opportunity.

After the break though, that is where the game really came alive as we started the second half with a real zeal about our play and a determination to put our stamp on the game. Within five minutes of the restart, that nearly came to fruition as Alfie Devine’s cross almost reached the sliding Etete, only for Chalobah to get the first contact and divert the ball behind for a corner.

However, it wasn’t long before the pair were linking up again and, this time, they got their reward. Winning a corner on the left on 57 minuted, Devine delivered a long ball towards the back post where Etete had managed to peel away from his marker and, as the ball bounced up off the turf to him, the forward cushioned the ball back towards goal to score his first in our colours this campaign. We should have then doubled our lead moments later but Mundle’s strike from the edge of the area deflected into the goalkeeper’s hands.

After that, a raft of changes followed for Chelsea as they rolled the dice, but they were changes that worked as substitutes Rankine and Haigh both went on to score the crucial goals for the Blues. The first came on 82 minutes and it was their third substitute Lewis Hall who created it, cutting in from the left before squaring for Rankine, who then bundled the ball over the line from close range. Their winner then came in similar circumstances. This time it was forward Mason Burstow provided the spark, cutting in from the right before seeing his shot saved. Yet, Thimothee Lo-Tutala could only parry the ball into the path of Haigh, who converted from within the six yard box.

Lo-Tutala was then called upon again moments later as he had to produce a couple of vital saves to deny the Blues further increasing their lead. Meanwhile, at the other end, we also had opportunities and could have levelled the scores late on – Fagan-Walcott heading a Bowden free-kick just wide of the left upright in the first minute of added time before Bowden then curled over with just seconds remaining.

It wasn’t to be though as Chelsea held on to finish a point above the drop zone in 12th while we finished the season in seventh.

Match data

Goals: Chelsea – Rankine 82, Haigh 88; Spurs - Etete 57.

Yellow cards: Chelsea - Webster 37, Chalobah 90+2; Spurs – Muir 17, Bowden 44, Cesay 77.

Referee: Elliott Swallow.

Venue: Cobham training centre, Chelsea.

Weather: Sunny, 19 degrees.