Chelsea Under-21s continued our winning streak in an exciting end-to-end game against Bournemouth at Wimborne Town, securing a thrilling victory that leaves us with two wins from two games in the Premier League Cup, and three in a row in all competitions.
We came out on top in a five-goal contest on Monday night in our first Premier League Cup away fixture, securing a comfortable 4-1 victory at Bournemouth.
We opened the scoring through Harvey Vale's headed effort from Richard Olise's high cross, Vale's attempt slipping through the Cherries keeper's legs, giving us a one-goal advantage going into the interval.
After the break, Brodi Hughes doubled our deserved lead after dominating throughout the fixture. Tyrique George delivered a fierce cross that Jimmy-Jay Morgan got on the end of. Although the Bournemouth keeper denied the initial effort, Hughes capitalised on the rebound without hesitation.
Chelsea did well to secure a third when we were awarded a penalty after Harold William struggled to cope with Deivid Washington's pace, bringing him down as he charged towards goal. The 19-year-old stepped up to the spot and confidently converted.
Our South Coast opponents managed to pull one back with a thumping header from Jonny Stuttle. However, that didn't faze the Blues as Deivid sealed the victory, finishing off a lovely team move by slotting the ball into the bottom corner.
Positive start Chelsea started brightly, applying immediate pressure and asserting dominance early in our second Premier League Cup fixture of the season. We controlled possession in the opening minutes and had the first glimpse of goal through Shumaira Mheuka. Collecting a pass from Ishe Samuels-Smith, Mheuka worked his way into the area and drilled a low strike just wide of the far post.
It didn't take long for the home side to respond, though. Archie Harris fired a long-range effort toward goal, but Blues defender Kaiden Wilson was quick to intercept and clear the danger.
Using our pace to full advantage, we launched a swift counter-attack that nearly resulted in the opener. Hughes beat his marker with speed on the wing before sending a fizzing cross into the box, but it was just too quick for Morgan to finish.
Deserved lead The warning signs were there and soon enough we found the breakthrough. Olise made a brilliant run down the right side before delivering a looping cross into the box. Our captain for the evening Vale rose highest and headed the ball down through Callan McKenna's legs, giving Chelsea a well-deserved 1-0 lead.
Soon after, we saw the skill of Alex Matos, as he created an opportunity to double our lead. Matos weaved his way into space and squared the ball to Vale, but his powerful shot was blocked by a Bournemouth defender. Meanwhile, the Cherries were fighting for an equaliser, but couldn't break through our defence. Once again Wilson stood tall, diverting Karlos Gregory's shot from outside the area and keeping the Blues safe.
After a quiet spell, we linked up beautifully again in search of a second goal. This time it came from the left, where Samuels-Smith made a smart run, leaving the ball for Vale to set up Morgan, but his low shot drifted inches wide.
As the first half came to its end, we continued to threaten the opposition's backline, Hughes going close with a powerful shot that lifted over the bar. Moments later, Vale's attempt to curl the ball into the top corner went just inches wide, leaving us only 1-0 ahead at the break despite our chances.
Only a matter of time Chelsea resumed play with the same aggression we left off with in the first half, determined to extend our lead. Vale delivered a brilliant curled ball into the penalty box, where substitute Deivid connected with a header, but his flicked effort went just wide. Olise was next to try his luck, firing a shot that seemed destined for goal, only for McKenna to make a sharp save.
Another of Filipe Coelho's half-time substitutes, George, soon made his impact, delivering a dangerous ball into the box that Morgan slid onto. The Cherries keeper somehow made the save, but Hughes was there to pounce, rifling the rebound into the top of the net from close range, adding his name to the score sheet.
At the other end, Max Merrick was called into action when the Cherries capitalised on a quick break, with their striker Stuttle testing Merrick with a low shot. Our keeper reacted well, protecting his line. But we quickly regained control and our momentum was building again. George almost got our third of the evening, as he cut inside the area with some tricky footwork and unleashed a venomous shot that narrowly sailed over the bar.
Zain Silcott-Duberry came on with force, combining well with Donnell McNeilly to bring another save from McKenna. Silcott-Duberry played a through ball to McNeilly, who fired a low shot from close range, but the Cherries keeper did well to block the effort.
End-to-end action Chelsea's confidence was high and we were awarded a penalty when William brought down Deivid as he headed toward goal. The referee pointed to the spot without hesitation. Our Brazilian stepped up and converted his strike cleanly past the keeper, giving him no chance to save.
As we entered the final stages of the cup fixture, Bournemouth managed to pull one back. Koby Mottoh's cross found Stuttle, who connected with a powerful header.
But that wasn't enough to stop the Blues. We responded with a swift counter-attack, McNeilly sprinting upfield, leaving defenders behind with George supporting him. Unselfishly, George found Deivid, who slotted the ball into the bottom corner, sealing a 4-1 victory and making it back-to-back wins in this competition.
What's next Chelsea Under-21s switch our focus back to Premier League 2 action when we welcome Leicester City to Kingsmeadow on Friday evening, with kick-off at 7pm. Tickets are still available for that league clash, with adult tickets priced at PS7 and junior and senior tickets at PS5.
The teams Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Max Merrick; Brodi Hughes, Kaiden Wilson, Harrison Murray-Campbell; Richard Olise (Zain Silcott-Duberry 75), Alex Matos, Samuel Rak-Sakyi (Kiano Dyer h-t), Ishe Samuels-Smith (Tyrique George h-t); Jimmy-Jay Morgan (Donnell McNeilly 68), Harvey Vale (c); Shumaira Mheuka (Deivid Washington h-t)Scorers: Vale 14, Hughes 53, Washington 80, 90+3Booked: Vale 85
Bournemouth (4-5-1): Callan McKenna, Karlos Gregory (Kian Tydeman 68), Archie Harris, Toure Williams (Charlie Stevens 82), Harold William, Max Kinsey (c), Koby Mottoh (Josh Salmon 88), Lewis Brown, Jonny Stuttle, Ben Winterburn (Jonny Day 82), Remy Rees-DottinUnused sub: Mack AllanScorer: Stuttle 88Booked: Williams 45, William 78