Mason Burstow had opened the scoring for our Under-21s in the first period but sustained pressure from the hosts saw them equalise just before the hour mark.

Castledine and Mothersille made their presence felt off the bench as they scored near identical goals to give us victory.

We should have taken the lead early on as Burstow found himself through on goal after a good pass from Harvey Vale, but the striker failed to control the ball which gave the keeper the opportunity to smother.

Burstow had another opportunity to open the scoring, but he failed to keep his left-footed shot inside the box under the bar as it flew over.

Two Alfie Gilchrist blocks in the first period were standout moments defensively as well as a big save from Gaga Slonina from a Dan Gore shot.

Burstow finally got his goal as his poacher instincts were on display when he flicked the ball into the bottom corner of the net while the United defence were too slow to react.

The second half saw our boys start slow and just before the hour mark we were punished as Joe Hugill reacted quickest in the box to prod home.

Chances for our young Blues followed as Ben Elliott and Juan Castillo went close. Despite the pressure from the hosts we were also threatening on the counter-attack.

Our second eventually came and it was through Castledine who found himself in the right place to tap into the net as Vitek could only parry Vale’s initial shot.

We added gloss to the scoreline as Mothersille tapped home a third as we head back to London with all three points from the clash at the Leigh Sports Village.

Fast start

Chelsea had the game’s first chance, and it was a big one as Vale found space in midfield and slipped a well-measured pass to Burstow but with only the keeper to beat, the striker’s first touch let him down giving Vitek in goal the chance to smother.

Slonina was called into the action as the pacy Mejia found his way into the box and as he tried to take the ball round the young Blues keeper, Slonina stopped him in his path with a good right hand.

Defensive resilience

A vital interception in the box from Alfie Gilchrist prevented a golden opportunity for the hosts.

It was our turn to attack and again the chance fell to Burstow who did everything right as he controlled well in the box from a Castillo cross, but his eventual shot was skied over after he created the room with nifty footwork.

Gilchrist was again in the right place at the right time as he made a great block from a Mejia shot which looked set for the back of the net.

Slonina was called into action again as he made a fantastic stop from a Dan Gore shot. The American stood up strong saving with his chest.

Taking our chance

We found the opener and it was Burstow who finally made the United defence pay as he was lurking in the box and pounced on a loose ball, flicking a shot into the bottom corner of the net. That was his seventh goal of the season.

The young Red Devils did respond positively to going a goal down and after a good run from Kobbie Mainoo, he found Zidane Iqbal who had a shot that hit the side-netting.

Keeping our opponents out

The second half saw the hosts start quickly but Gilchrist was in inspired form as he made a fantastic block to prevent our opponents from potentially scoring

The home side did start the better of the two sides, but we almost doubled our lead as a Sonny Aljofree interception prevented Vale from tapping home a Burstow cross.

The resulting corner found an unmarked Zak Sturge, but his header was straight at Vitek who comfortably saved.

The goal for the hosts had been coming and it eventually did through Hugill who pounced on a loose ball in the box as we failed to clear after Iqbal’s blocked shot.

A mistake from Vitek was pounced upon by Omari Hutchinson who tried to slip in Vale, but that attempt was blocked. The loose ball fell to Ben Elliott who went close from a shot just outside the box.

Castillo was next to have a chance a minute later as a cross into the box from Burstow was deflected into Castillo’s path, but he failed to curl his shot on target.

Mainoo almost put his side ahead with a glancing header from a corner, but Slonina was there to make a good save as he pushed it away.

A fast counter-attack almost brought us the go-ahead goal as Burstow played a good pass into Vale but he failed to keep his shot down.

Williams was slipped in down the left by Vale, and he had an effort, but Vitek was in the right place to parry the ball away.

Substitute impact

With the game in the balance, we scored the goal that we had been threatening and it was the substitute Castledine who came on and grabbed it, as he dispatched the rebound following a shot from Vale which was parried into his path.

Castledine almost got a second as a fast break saw Mothersille drive into the box and find the goalscorer but his touch on the ball only just trickled wide.

We grabbed a third to seal the win and it was Mothersille who finished from two yards out after a Vitek save from Burstow’s initial shot fell into his path.

That was how the game would end as our development squad continue to put pressure at the top of the table to keep PL2 title hopes alive.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Gabriel Slonina; Josh Brooking (Brodi Hughes 84), Alfie Gilchrist (c), Zak Sturge, Dylan Williams; Charlie Webster (Dion Rankine 46), Ben Elliott; Omari Hutchinson (Leo Castledine 76), Harvey Vale (Malik Mothersille 84), Juan Castillo; Mason Burstow.

Unused subs: Ted Curd.

Booked: Ben Elliott 90+1.

Scorers: Mason Burstow 32; Leo Castledine 82; Malik Mothersille 90+4.

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Radek Vitek; Marc Jurado, Brandon Williams (c), Bjorn Hardley, Sonny Aljofree, Tom Huddlestone (Ethan Williams 89), Mateo Mejia, Zidane Iqbal, Joe Hugill, Kobbie Mainoo, Dan Gore.

Unused subs: Dermot Mee, Willy Kambwala, Adam Berry, Sam Murray.

Booked: Bjorn Hardley 90+6.

Scorer: Joe Hugill 59.