Chelsea youngsters easily win semi-final first leg

Holders Chelsea look firmly on course yet another FA Youth Cup final after winning 3-0 at Birmingham City in the semi-final first leg.

Goals from Tariq Uwakwe, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Charlie Brown at St Andrews means the young Blues will go into next week’s second leg at Stamford Bridge in a commanding position.

Chelsea, winners of the tournament for the last four years and in the semi-final for the ninth year in a row, went ahead when Uwakwe poked in the loose ball after Daishawn Redan’s shot had been parried by keeper Adam Siviter.

Hudson-Odoi pounced on a defensive mix-up to make it 2-0 before the interval and Brown, on as a substitute, netted the third – his 19th goal of the season – after being set up by Faustino Anjorin.

Before the match there was a minute’s applause in honour of Chelsea and QPR legend Ray Wilkins, who died earlier on Wednesday.