Chelsea’s Under-18s battled back from two red cards in the opening fifteen minutes of their match away to Watford on Saturday morning to claim a share of the spoils, with two schoolboys on the scoresheet.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek had given Adie Viveash’s boys the lead after a chaotic start to affairs which saw Lewis Baker sent off for violent conduct with a Watford player also receiving his marching orders.
Minutes later Nathaniel Chalobah, playing in a midfield role, was also dismissed in less than convincing circumstances. Facing the best part of 75 minutes playing a man down, Chelsea battled hard but conceded an equaliser close to half time and fell behind early in the second half.
However, they showed fantastic fight and resolve to earn a point when substitute Alex Kiwomya notched his fourth goal of the season to make the final score 2-2.
The two goalscorers are both still a year shy of scholarship deals but have combined for seven goals in the first five matches of the season and have been in particularly impressive form.
The Blues now have four points from their five opening ‘distance’ fixtures and can look forward to getting stuck into Group A competition next Saturday against Ipswich Town.
Team: Beeney, Gordon, Houghton, Ince, Nditi, Swift, Chalobah (c), Loftus-Cheek, Baker, Kane, Seremba
Goals: Loftus-Cheek ’10, Kiwomya ’88
Sent Off: Baker, Chalobah