First-team players Kante and Loftus-Cheek featured for the first 45 minutes, getting some important miles under their belt after not travelling to the USA with their senior colleagues due to their Covid vaccination status.

We controlled much of the first half at Meadow Park, moving the ball well but without causing our opponents too much trouble. Despite our very long and good spells of possession, the number of chances created were limited, with only a few shots at goal.

Loftus-Cheek showed his quality on a number of occasions, bursting past challenges and retaining the ball impressively, while working well in the middle alongside Kante and Ben Elliot.

In their first threatening foray forward, the home side were awarded a penalty. Loftus-Cheek was unaware of the on-rushing attacker and stuck out a leg, which sent his opponent to the floor. Tyrone Marsh stepped up and sent Blues keeper Eddie Beach the wrong way to give the home side the lead.

Despite some unsettling minutes following the goal, we levelled just before half-time. Loftus-Cheek flicked a ball into the path of Silko Thomas, who was a first half substitute due to an injury for Dujon Sterling. Thomas’ teasing cross found Dylan Williams at the back-post and the left-back picked out an unmarked Leo Castledine to finish well.

The second half saw wholesale changes from both sides, but the pattern of play remained the same, with our young Blues controlling the game. Trialist Jez Davies grabbed the goal that put us ahead as he struck an effort from 20 yards which took a huge deflection, diverting the ball past goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore.

It was Davies who scored the third and his second of the game, as he was on hand to pounce on a loose ball after Lewis Hall’s free-kick was parried onto the post. There was enough time for a fourth goal too, as a fast counter-attack led by Charlie Webster was finished expertly by Mason Burstow, who struck his shot into the far corner of the net.

The Wood scored their second on the stroke of full-time, when full-back Jacob Mendy drove a fine effort past Sami Tlemcani in the Chelsea goal.

However, it was only a consolation as our development squad made it two wins from as many games as they continue their preparations for the first Premier League 2 game of the season in early August.

Chelsea (3-4-3): Eddie Beach; Henry Lawrence, Matt Miazga, Baba Rahman; Dujon Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, N’Golo Kante, Dylan Williams; Jayden Wareham, Leo Castledine, Ben Elliot

Subs used: Sami Tlemcani, Jez Davies (trialist), Silko Thomas, Brodi Hughes, Alfie Gilchrist, Lewis Hall, Xavier Simons, Charlie Webster, Dion Rankine, Renaldo Torraj (trialist), Mason Burstow

Scorers: Castledine 40, Davies 58, 73, Burstow 81

Boreham Wood (5-3-2): Nathan Ashmore; Dion Kelly-Evans, Femi Illesanmi, Mark Ricketts, David Stephens, Alfie Egan, Tyrone Marsh, Danny Eliot, Connor Stevens, Jacob Mendy, George Williams

Subs used: Will Evans, Lee Ndlovu, Danny Newton, Jamal Fyfield, Jude Murphy, Dennon Lewis, George Joyce

Scorers: Marsh 28, Mendy 90