Chelsea youngsters suffer EFL Trophy exit
Exeter 3 Chelsea Under-23s 2
Chelsea Under-23s were knocked out of the EFL Trophy with a game still to play despite Ike Ugbo’s double in a spirited late comeback.
The Blues youngsters trailed Exeter after just 67 seconds when Ollie Watkins headed home and strikes by David Wheeler and Liam McAlinden either side of the break put the League Two side firmly in control.
Ugbo’s fierce shot made it 3-1 with just under 20 minutes left and the powerful striker shot home deep into injury time but Exeter held on.
Jay Dasilva almost forced an unlikely draw with a late curler, which would have ensured Chelsea stayed in the new-look competition, and forced a penalty shootout.
But their late rally was in vain as they paid the price for some sloppy defending in a disastrous start.
A fine team move ended with Watkins leaping at the far post to head in the opener and Wheeler made it 2-0 when he cut inside from the left and finished into the far corner.
McAlinden’s tap-in at from Wheeler’s cross seemed to have put the result beyond doubt.
But Chelsea continued to look sharp in attack, despite a first-half injury to the impressive Charlie Wakefield, and Ugbo was rewarded for a tireless display when he crashed in a superb strike from 20 yards.
The hosts began to look edgy in defence as Chelsea gained in confidence and Ugbo saw a shot come back off the post from a tight angle, before making it 3-2 in injury time.
There was still time for Dasilva to force a decent save from Christy Pym but there was to be no equaliser.
Adi Viveash’s side host Oxford in the final group game of the revamped Football League Trophy, which is also known as the Checkatrade Trophy.
Chelsea Under-23s: Collins; Dabo, Colley (Scott 46), Tomori, J. Dasilva; Chalobah, Sammut; Wakefield (Maddox 35), Mount (Taylor-Crossdale 84), Sterling; Ugbo.
Subs not used: Cumming, Ali, St Clair, McEachran.
