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FA YOUTH CUP: CHELSEA 1 ASTON VILLA 1

/noticias.info/ A good quality game of youth football left the two-legged semi final well-balanced after Adam Phillip (pictured) equalised late in the game for Chelsea.

A crowd of several thousand, including Roman Abramovich, watched on, the lower tier of the East Stand filled and overflowing into the ends of the stadium.

They were entertained by a game that ebbed and flowed, Chelsea coming on strong in the later stages, hitting woodwork as well as scoring, after Villa had appeared to have taken control.

In the opening minutes, Chelsea's schoolboy centre-back Jeffrey Bruma set a committed tone for the evening with a perfectly-timed but crunching tackle on Villa's Sam Simmonds. The right-back never recovered and would soon leave the action.

Chelsea, on the break, had an early go at the centre of the Villa team, our powerful schoolboy Frank Nouble beating two on the run but losing out to a tackle on the edge of the area.

On 13 minutes, Morten Nielsen had a far post header from Bruma's cross but it lacked the power to find a way over Parish in goal.

Miroslav Stoch, so prominent with his running at his opponents on the left, shot from the edge of the area on 20 minutes but a deflection reduced the power.

At the other end, Rhys Taylor was called into action twice in the 24th minute, doing well on each occasion, first coming to punch a dangerous Villa free-kick and then safely handling a follow-up shot from 20 yards.

On 27 minutes, after Stoch had been crowded out, a superb disguised touch by Gaël Kakuta almost played in centre-forward Nielsen. Chelsea were steadily upping the pressure.

Two consecutive corners were defended by the visitors and then Parish punched away a Ben Gordon diagonal ball.

It was not all one-way traffic. There was a danger moment survived with 37 minutes gone when a cross floated over Patrick an Aanholt and James Collins shot acrobatically, the ball thankfully clearing the crossbar.

A minute before the break, Villa's Marc Albrighton escaped Gordon on the right but his cross evaded the front runners.

Chelsea went in at half-time knowing the Villa goalkeeper had not been fully tested, but there was enough good play to suggest he eventually would.

Coach Paul Clement made a change at half-time, Nouble off, Jacob Mellis coming on and Kakuta moving wide to the left with Stoch switching to the right.

However it was Villa who set the tempo for the second period, Martin O'Neill a presence on their bench.

Taylor made a great save with his legs after only 90 seconds, Collins denied, but parity between the sides was only maintained for another two minutes.

The play was played towards the Chelsea area and with neither Van Aanhlot nor Gordon challenging Nathan Delfonesco, the pacy front runner finished with a cool head.

On 50 minutes, a ricochet fell Chelsea's way - Stoch reacting first and chipping over the keeper, but also just over the bar.

Then Kakuta, who showed magnetic ball control on numerous occasions, played in Mellis for the best Chelsea chance so far, his well struck volley saved excellently by Parish.

Villa defender Matthew Roome reached a corner but headed straight at Taylor.

The young Blues felt hard done by when a trip by Roome on Mellis prevented a clear run on goal by the substitute, but the referee played on. That was after 75 minutes.

A minute later Chelsea countered, Stoch delivering from the left but Kakuta, at the far post, headed the wrong side of the post.

The first booking of the game went Villa's way on 83 minutes, Hofbauer preventing a quick free-kick. Nana Ofori-Twumasi would follow into the notebook for Chelsea for a late tackle.

A minute later, Chelsea hit the post, Phillip turning a low Stoch cross onto the upright before Woods was tackled at the moment he was lining up a follow-up shot.

Had the Blues' moment passed? The answer was no and much credit must go to Stoch who had switched back to the left where he had penned Villa back earlier in the game.

With 86 minutes on the clock, he sent over a cross for the third time in quick succession and this time, Adam slid to turn the ball in at the far post. As in the first game of this cup run at Stevenage, the substitute had found the net.

Stoch cut inside and attempted an ambitious winner from 25 yards, but the keeper caught it.

There was still time for Villa to claim a penalty after a goalmouth scramble that left Taylor needing treatment for a blow to the head.

Deep into stoppage time, Mellis could have given Chelsea a lead to take to Villa Park on Wednesday 19th March after powering past Villa skipper Clark - but with just Parish to beat, he shot too close to the keeper.

Away goals do not count double in the FA Youth Cup.

Paul Clement believes the contest is nicely poised.

'For long periods I would have taken the draw,' the coach said, 'because I never felt very comfortable tonight. They pressed us really well and I didn't think we passed the ball very well.

'However we still went on and created chances, a good few late on, and on that count, we are disappointed not to win the game.

'We know we can play better so go to Villa Park confident.'

Chelsea (4-3-3): Rhys Taylor; Nana Ofori-Twumasi (c), Jeffrey Bruma, Patrick van Aanholt; Michael Woods, Gaël Kakuta, Sergio Tejera; Frank Nouble (Jacob Mellis h-t), Morten Nielsen (Adam Phillip 60), Miroslav Stoch.

Aston Villa (4-4-2): Elliot Parish; Sam Simmonds (Steven Clancy 11), Matthew Roome, Ciaran Clark (c), Nathan Baker, (Daniel Bradley h-t), Marc Albrighton, Dominic Hofbauer, Barry Bannan, Harry Forrester (William Grocott 90+3); James Collins, Nathan Delfonesco. notas_de_prensa_archivo