History will be kind to me because I intend to write it

CLEMENT KNOWS CHELSEA MUST TAKE CHANCES TO OVERCOME CITY

Chelsea youth Academy coach, Paul Clement, was satisfied with his team 1-1 draw in the first leg of the FA Youth Cup Final against Manchester City last night. But he knows his young Blues will have to take their opportunities when they play the second leg away at Eastlands, if they are to win a trophy that has eluded them for 47 years.

City's England U-19 starlet Daniel Sturridge opened the scoring at Stamford Bridge five minutes after the interval with a cool finish from the left of the area.

But France U-17 international Gael Kakuta nodded in Miroslav Stoch's corner with 26 minutes remaining to level the tie and set up an exciting finish for the 12,000 spectators.

Under the gaze of club captain John Terry, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and a host of other senior stars, the Blues looked odds on to win. Forwards Morton Nielsen and Sergio Tejera, in particular, squandered chances for Chelsea, however, and City held on for an advantageous draw.

Clement, whose side play the return leg on April 16, said: "It was a great game and good to see both teams attacking. It could have gone either way.

“But the lads were disappointed in the dressing room – we had an excellent second half and they know they had the chances to win. We have got to work as hard as possible to win the second leg and we have got to take our chances.”

Labels: Chelsea, FA Youth Cup, football, Manchester City, Paul Clement

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 12:18 am | Permalink | Comments

STURRIDGE STARS AS CITY GAIN ADVANTAGE IN FA YOUTH CUP FINAL

Manchester City's Daniel Sturridge underlined his precociousness by scoring the opening goal of the FA Youth Cup Final first leg at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening. The game ended in a 1-1 draw after French U-17 international Gael Kakuta levelled with a half hour remaining from a corner, but Sturridge’s team enter the second leg at Eastlands with a slight advantage.

In a tournament which can list George Best, Paul Gascoigne, David Beckham, Joe Cole and Michael Owen among its victors, there were plenty of stars-of-the-future on show.

A crowd of 11,980 watched as striker Sturridge, who has scored twice in three appearances for Sven-Goran Eriksson’s first team, netted his seventh goal of the competition five minutes after the interval to open the scoring.

Slovakian midfielder Vladimir Weiss drove forward from deep, chicaned a number of challenges before sliding a ball through to Sturridge in the left hand side of the Blues' area. The 18-year-old hit the ball first time with his left foot across 'keeper Rhys Taylor and into the right hand corner of the goal.

City, who reached the final two years ago only to be beaten by Liverpool, last won this tournament in 1986. Their opponents had not reached the final in 47 years but under the gaze of first teamers Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips, the young Blues mustered a number of second half chances and eventually levelled.

Kakuta showed he was more than just a trickster, and he rose superbly from Miroslav Stoch's corner to nod in. His goal leaves the tie nicely balanced going into the second leg at Eastlands on April 16.

Chelsea:

Taylor; Ofori-Twumasi, Bruma, Van Aanholt, Gordon; Stoch, Mellis, Woods, Kakuta; Tejera, Nielsen

Substitutes: Phillip, Heimann, Taiwo and Nouble

Manchester City:

Hartley; Trippier, Boyota, Mee, McGivern; Weiss, Tutte, Kay, McDermott; Ball, Sturridge

Substitutes: Nimley, Mentel, Ibrahim, Tsiakus, Poole

Labels: Chelsea, Daniel Sturridge, FA Youth Cup, football, Manchester City

Posted by Oliver Pickup at 11:16 pm | Permalink | Comments