Colchester United U21s were facing Chelsea FC U21 in the Premier League Cup on Friday night. The U’s lost their first game in the competition to Leeds United, succumbing to a 3-2 defeat.
The youngsters were also looking to get back to winning ways, having suffered six consecutive defeats.
Chelsea were also coming into the game having lost their last game against a very strong Tottenham U21 team.
Both teams settled well into the game, with Chelsea creating a couple of half chances that the U’s youngsters dealt with easily.
Other than that, the first ten minutes of the game saw little action. On the eleventh minute mark, the game came to a brief pause after Ronny Nelson was hit with the ball in the face. The game resumed shortly after with Chelsea putting more pressure on the U’s.
And it was the Blues that managed to grab the opener on fourteen minutes after a Nelson pass back to the U’s keeper rolled into the net, catching out Chamberlain.
Colchester responded well to conceding a goal, creating a couple of half chances themselves before the half-hour mark.
The U’s however failed to register any meaningful goal attempts, and with frustration growing, Frankie Terry was the first player to be booked nine minutes before half-time.
The visitors then extended their lead on 41 minutes, despite Harrison Chamberlain’s fantastic double save. The U’s keeper unfortunately was no match for the third tap in.
Despite conceding two goals, the U’s keeper was definitely the stand out performer in the first half. And it was thanks to him that the U’s went behind at the break only trailing by two goals to nil.
The U’s came out for the second half determined to reduce the deficit. In the fifty-first minute, Colchester were awarded a penalty for a trip in the box, but Kaan Bennett failed to convert from the spot after Merrick’s double save.
Just before the penalty, Matt Yates was also issued with a yellow card, possibly for something said to the referee.
Soon after, the Blues added another goal after well-worked build-up play saw Morgan one-on-one with Chamberlain.
On the sixtieth minute mark, Matty Etherington opted for his first change with Kaleel Green replacing Archie Oliver.
The substitution seemed to have work, as the U’s got a goal back through Oscar Thorn five minutes later with the forward placing the ball beautifully into the bottom corner of the net from inside the box.
The match then got slightly ugly on seventy-two minutes after a strong challenge from Miranda left one of Chelsea’s forwards screaming in pain. A brief scuffle broke out with Miranda shown a yellow card.
Oni was also given a yellow for a pull on the shirt just before the incident. Chelsea then could have extended their lead with fifteen minutes left on the clock, only for Chamberlain to produce another spectacular save.
The U’s keeper, however, was well beaten two minutes later with Chelsea producing a fantastic cross that was tapped in at the far post by George.
With the game coming to an end, Matty Etherington opted for two more changes with Bayan Aman and Elkanah Akor replacing Matt Yates and Milton Oni.
And, as the referee was showing a minimum of six minute added time, Colchester got their second through Ronny Nelson's fantastic diving header.
Despite added hope, the U's conceded a fifth goal four minutes later, with Chelsea coming out victorius from the exciting clash.
Colchester Starting XI: Chamberlain, Yates, Terry, Miranda, Beadle, Nelson, Oni, Oliver, Bennett, Thorn, Thomas
Subs: Akor, Aman, Jenks, Green, Collins