It was a frustrating Tuesday morning for our Under-18s as, despite dominating the first half against Crystal Palace, we fell short after the restart, ending our five-game unbeaten run.
Chelsea entered this Under-18 Premier League fixture with confidence after our FA Youth Cup win against Leicester City and it showed in the early stages.
We quickly pinned Crystal Palace back in their own half, enjoying plenty of possession and eventually breaking the deadlock through a thunderous header from Olutayo Subuloye, who connected well with Frankie Runham’s corner.
Runham then added his name to the scoresheet himself before the interval by finishing with a low shot into the corner, giving us a comfortable lead at the break.
The tone shifted dramatically after the restart, with the hosts surging forward. Goals from Sebastian Williams and two from Jesse Derry turned the game on its head. The Eagles completed the victory when Joel Drakes-Thomas found the net, leaving Chelsea empty handed from our final Under-18 Premier League fixture of 2024.
Strong start
This Tuesday morning fixture began with intensity as both sides played aggressively from the start. Chelsea started brightly, building attacks from the back, with Kobe Barbour causing problems for Palace with his speed and tricky footwork.
Our first real chance came from Joseph Wheeler-Henry, who pushed upfield with pace, leaving his marker behind. His cutback set up schoolboy striker Chizaram Ezenwata but his first-time shot lifted just over the bar due to the power of the strike. Chelsea continued to apply pressure, signaling our intent to dominate.
Although Palace began to see more of the ball, our defence led by Subuloye and Landon Emenalo held firm and gave Blues goalkeeper Freddy Bernal little to worry about. Runham then forced a save from Eagles keeper Marcus Hill with a venomous close-range strike, a clear warning that a goal was imminent.
About time
Wheeler-Henry continued to press, weaving his way to the near post, but his tight-angle shot lacked the power to beat Hill. Palace tried to respond with a counter-attack, Derry’s long-range effort bouncing inches wide.
Chelsea finally got the breakthrough we deserved. A well-executed corner from Runham found Subuloye at the back post. He jumped higher than everyone else and powered his header past the Palace goalkeeper. It was a clinical finish that left the Palace keeper no chance.
We doubled our advantage in stoppage time of the first half. Walter Nutter played a clever through ball to Runham, who dribbled into the box and fired a composed shot into the bottom corner, giving us a 2-0 lead at the break.
Falling behind
The second half saw a much more aggressive Crystal Palace. Derry was the first to test Bernal, hitting a powerful shot that rattled the woodwork. With momentum on their side, the hosts pulled one back when Williams won possession, charged into the penalty area and struck a low shot into the bottom corner.
Chelsea responded through Wheeler-Henry, who teed up Runham just outside the box for a long-range shot, only to see the effort narrowly miss the target. Despite our close attempt, Palace then equalised when Ben Casey’s cutback found Derry and his precise finish beat Bernal.
Palace then took the lead, with Casey involved once again. His initial shot was saved, but Derry reacted quickly to score from the rebound. Shortly after, the Eagles extended their cushion when Casey's shot took a deflection, landing perfectly for Drakes-Thomas to confidently smash it into the net.
The Blues came close to reducing the gap when substitute Yahya Idrissi delivered a high cross to Ezenwata, but our striker’s header went over the bar. We continued to push forward, regaining some control, yet the difference proved too much to overcome and the final whistle confirmed our defeat, leaving us to end the year on a frustrating note.
The teams
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Freddy Bernal; Joseph Wheeler-Henry (Harry McGlinchey 71),Olutayo Subuloye, Landon Emenalo, Genesis Antwi; Ollie Harrison (c), Walter Nutter (Marcell Washington 81); Frankie Runham, Reggie Walsh (Ibrahim Rabbaj 86), Kobe Barbour (Yahya Idrissi h-t); Chizaram EzenwataUnused sub: Isaac CollinsonScorers: Subuloye 35, Runham 45+1Booked: Emenalo 26, Harrison 57, Walsh 80
Crystal Palace (3-4-1-2): Marcus Hill, Chuks Okoli, Dean Benamar, Kai Reece Adams-Collman (Stuart Oduro 90+1), Sean Somade, Jakob Fasida, Joel Drakes-Thomas, Zack Henry (Jasper Judd h-t), Benjamin Casey (Jerome Osei Kyremeh 90+6), Sebastian Williams (c), Jesse DerryUnused subs: Harry Whitworth, Freddie CowinScorers: Williams 55, Derry 64, 70, Drakes-Thomas 72Booked: Somade 53, Fasida 81