U18 Report: Saints 0-6 Chelsea
Southampton Under-18s fell to a 6-0 defeat to league leaders Chelsea in the Under-18 Premier League on Tuesday.
A fast start from the visitors at Staplewood saw them 4-0 up at half-time as Chizaram Ezenwata, Dante Waite, Sol Gordon and Mathis Eboué scored.
Saints could have responded with chances for Broghan Sewell and Oliver Newman in the second half, but Chelsea added two more to their tally as Mathis Eboué scored again and Lewi Richards netted a sixth.
Chelsea took an early lead in the sixth minute when Gordon squared across the box for Ezenwata to sweep home.
It was almost two when Eboué sped through on the left and shot across goal, but he was denied by the far post.
The visitors’ lead was doubled on 15 minutes though when a dangerous corner delivery from Lewi Richards was headed home by Waite.
A dominant early spell for Chelsea then saw them surge into an unassailable when a lofted ball over the Saints defence gave Gordon the space to smash home across goal.
There was a response from Saints though, and their first chance of the game saw Max Little latch onto a dangerous cross at the back post but he couldn’t get his effort on target.
Unfortunately for Andrew Surman's side, it was Chelsea found the next goal when Eboué drove across goal and into the far corner of the net to make it 4-0, and that is how it stayed until half-time.
Saints would have been wanting a fast start to the second half but Chelsea picked up where their left off when Eboué poked home his side's fifth on 54 minutes.
Sewell tried his luck with a strike across goal that went wide of the far post as Saints continued to search for a consolation.
Saints then forced a good save from Chelsea goalkeeper Hudson Sands when Newman took aim from the edge of the area and saw his right-footed effort well palmed away by.
Chelsea rounded off their win with a sixth goal late on when an excellent move saw Reggie Walsh and Lewi Richards combine for the latter to smash home.
Saints are in action again on Saturday 18th April when they travel away to face Reading in the Under-18 Premier League, with kick off at Bearwood Park set for 11am.
Saints: Moody, Sainsbury (Wells 81'), Vallance, Day, Sewell (Anderson 70'), Lovatt, Parry (Newman 45'), Kift (McMullan 45'), Daniels, Hawe (Kuzanga 78'), Little.
Subs not used: N/A
Yellow cards: Daniels.
Chelsea: Sands, Richards, Waite, Subuloye, Diakite, Emenalo (Badu 33'), Gordon, Nicoll-Jazuli (Rabbaj 62') Ezenwata (Mensah-Greenwood 62'), Walsh, Eboué (Barbour 59').
Subs not used: Bell.
Goals: Ezenwata (6'), Waite (15'), Gordon (24'), Eboué (31', 54'), Richards (83').
Yellow cards: Gordon.
