
Chelsea
U18s have reached the FA Youth Cup final for the fourth consecutive season
after a remarkable comeback in the second leg of their semi-final against
Tottenham.
After trailing 2-0 from the first leg at White Hart Lane on March 5, the
Blues fell further behind early on at Stamford Bridge but hit back to win
the tie 5-4 on aggregate with a 5-2 victory.
Striker Shayon Harrison made it 1-0 to Spurs on 30 minutes with a left-foot
volley steered beyond Chelsea goalkeeper Bradley Collins, but the hosts
equalised when Dominic Solanke fired home Isaiah Brown’s cross and then went
ahead through a Brown header just before the break.
The tie was levelled early in the second half when Solanke powerfully headed
home to bag his second and the momentum stayed with Chelsea – who have
reached the final in five of the last six years.
Four minutes after Solanke made it 3-1 on the night, captain Charlie Colkett
grabbed the first of two goals when he caught out Spurs 'keeper Harry Voss
with a low, left-footed free-kick from 25-yards out.
Colkett’s second, putting Chelsea 5-3 up in the tie, came from the penalty
spot on 72 minutes after Blues defender Ola Aina had been cropped in the
box.
Harrison made it 5-4 to set up an anxious final eight minutes, also finding
the net from the spot after Fikayo Tomori was punished for handball, but
Chelsea held on to complete a superb turnaround.
The Blues' U18s coach Joe Edwards said: "To reach another final is a real
testament to the winning mentality we have here.
"To sustain this level of success year after year shows the good work that’s
being done in the academy all the way through the system."
Spurs U18s coach Kieran McKenna said: "For the tie to slip away as it did is
disappointing and it's a missed opportunity.
“Chelsea had a really good spell before and after half-time, they have some
really strong forward players who caused us problems, especially in the
air."
In the final, Chelsea will face either Manchester City or Leicester, who
contest their second leg on April 8 with the Sky Blues leading the Foxes
3-0.