PL Cup report and reaction: Chelsea 4 Colchester 1

The Chelsea Under-21s team, who were predominantly young players, continued their unbeaten run in the Premier League by securing an easy win against Colchester United. Head coach Mark Robinson was pleased with their attacking style of play and thought they had a lot of freedom.

The Chelsea team consisting of players under 21 years old started the match with a lot of energy in our second to last game of the group stage in the Premier League Cup. However, our spot in the next round had already been secured.

In a quick four-minute play, we managed to secure the lead against Colchester United while playing at Kingsmeadow. Reiss Denny managed to get hold of a kick from the opponent's goalkeeper and passed the ball to Frankie Runham, who showed an excellent turn and finish in scoring for us.

The Blues maintained a strong offensive presence and kept the ball moving quickly. They were able to secure an early victory by scoring two more goals in rapid succession, leading to a 3-0 score within the first 20 minutes of the game.

At the start, Chinonso Chibueze managed to pass over Runham's cross in the box, leading to Michael Golding's successful goal. Later on, Zain Silcott-Duberry showcased our team's dominance by scoring on his second try near the post. This was made possible by the excellent teamwork of Golding and Somto Boniface on the left wing.

No other team gave us a tough fight after we took over the tie. At one point, we managed to increase our advantage with a goal from Colchester's Al-Amin Kazeem, who accidentally scored an own goal after Silcott-Duberry's pass. This put us further in the lead. Bradley Ihionvien's successful goal just before the end of the game only served as a consolation for the opposing team.

The coach in charge of the Under-21s team, Mark Robinson, was very happy with how his team played. He thought they did an amazing job, especially considering the situation they were in. The team had already made it to the next round, and this game was scheduled between two other important matches. The Under-18s were playing in the FA Youth Cup against Everton, and the men's team had their second game in the Carabao Cup semi-final. As a result, the team that played against Colchester was very young.

According to Robinson, on average, our team's age was around 18. Some of us on the bench were as young as 15 or 16, while the oldest player was the goalkeeper, Teddy Sharman-Lowe, who was only 20.

Colchester put up an extraordinary show by bringing in a team of experienced players at this level. They had eight players who had participated in their first-team squad over the last few weeks, displaying a considerable amount of Football League knowledge and skills on the field.

We were unaware of the starting lineup until the day of the match, which meant we had to be careful with the instructions we gave to the players. It was crucial that we kept it simple and did not burden them with too much information.

The team was gathering for their inaugural game and the majority of the members were youthful, with only a few individuals under the age of 21. We provided them with a bit of organization, but since we had already secured our place, our primary goal was to allow them the autonomy to showcase their abilities on the pitch.

That's exactly what happened, since the opening thirty minutes were just as impressive as any performance we've had this season. We maintained a strong offensive presence, showcasing superb football skills. Our agility and swift maneuvers were thrilling to witness, providing great satisfaction.

According to Robinson, our great beginning in the game established how the rest of the match would go. Our foes were unable to counteract the aggressive soccer that we exhibited at Kingsmeadow.

On that particular night, everyone on our team performed exceptionally well and fulfilled their individual roles to contribute to our success. However, we are not becoming too confident, as we never do, but it's important to acknowledge when credit is due. Our team delivered an outstanding performance in many aspects, and we should rightfully celebrate their achievements.

Scoring three goals in just 20 minutes put Colchester in a tough spot and made it challenging for them to make a comeback. After that, we were fully dominating the game. We maintained our formation in the second half, continued to play smart and fast, and gave Colchester a hard time on the field.

The evening was generally satisfactory, although we did allow a goal towards the end, which can occur due to exhaustion. However, we never truly felt threatened throughout the match, which is especially satisfying considering the youthfulness of our team.

It's fantastic for the young boys to participate in any Under-21 competition, but competing against individuals in their early twenties, who have been a part of professional football is truly remarkable.

In the game, certain aspects required the players to perform differently from what they were used to in their younger years. However, they exhibited remarkable discipline and organization. This allowed them the liberty to showcase their creativity while attacking, and they certainly did capitalize on this opportunity.

Chelsea Beats Colchester United 4-1

The Chelsea football team, using a 3-4-2-1 formation, had Ted Sharman-Lowe as their goalkeeper. Richard Olise was on the team until he was substituted by Genesis Antwi in the 77th minute. Billy Gee took on the role of captain, while Zak Sturge played until Saheed Olagunju replaced him in the 77th minute. Zain Silcott-Duberry, Samuel Rak-Sakyi, Reiss Denny, and Somto Boniface each played a position on the team. Michael Golding and Frankie Runham played as forwards until Rio Ngumoha took over Runham's position in the 66th minute. Chinonso Chibueze was also on the team but did not get to play. The team scored four goals, with Runham scoring the first in the fourth minute, Golding scoring the second in the 14th minute, Silcott-Duberry scoring the third in the 17th minute, and Kazeem scoring an own goal in the 83rd minute. Gee was given a yellow card in the 67th minute, while Ngumoha received one in extra time.

In Colchester's recent game, they lined up in a 3-4-3 formation with Sam Hornby in goal. Gene Kennedy came on for Jade Jay Mingi at half-time. William Greenidge played in the defense alongside Marley Marshall-Miranda while Nico Lawrence was replaced by Frankie Edwards after 62 minutes. Frankie Terry made way for Jet Dyer after 73 minutes, and a trialist was also present in the midfield. Chay Cooper was another midfielder in the team alongside Bradley Ihionvien. Owura Edwards was replaced by Archie Oliver after 77 minutes and Al-Amin Kazeem was the last member of the starting line-up. Ted Collins was the unused substitute. Colchester's sole goal scorer was Bradley Ihionvien, who netted the ball in the 89th minute.