We were made to work hard defensively from start to finish, as the Clarets began the brighter of the two sides at Victory Park in Chorley.

The hosts went into the half-time interval ahead after Tommy McDermott picked out Julien Vetro, who fired home beyond Chelsea goalkeeper Luke Campbell. And despite a promising start to the second period from the Blues, Burnley doubled their advantage through Tom Tweedy’s close-range finish.

We pushed forward in an attempt to mount a late comeback, but it wasn’t to be as we fell to a disappointing defeat.

Finding our feet

From the opening whistle, it was clear this quarter-final would be a lively contest. Both sides came out with a high intensity, fully aware of what was at stake.

The young Blues showed early intent, with Landon Emenalo sending dangerous passes forward toward schoolboy striker Chizaram Ezenwata. But Burnley remained compact and disciplined; it became clear this would be a tough, physical battle.

We gradually grew into the game and began applying pressure. A promising free-kick gave us our first real opportunity, as Kiano Dyer floated a teasing ball into the area to find Ronnie Stutter arriving at the back post. He produced a volley, which was well-timed but skimmed just wide of goal.

Burnley responded immediately with chances of their own. McDermott found space in the box and lifted a cross to Tweedy, who, on the stretch, guided a shot wide. Soon after, Charlie Veevers delivered a cross into the danger area where Kamarni Ryan struck low, but his effort crept narrowly past the post.

Frustration begins

Burnley’s pressure eventually told. A loose touch in our half gifted McDermott the ball, and he quickly picked out Vetro, who made a surging run into the box and powered an effort between Campbell and the near post to give the hosts the lead.

Vetro nearly struck again soon after, as he found space once more, but this time his effort sailed over the bar. We tried to respond before the break, but Burnley maintained their discipline and, just before half-time, Ryan tested Campbell with a fierce drive.

The second half began with more aggression from both teams, and Donnell McNeilly was lively for the Blues as he made direct runs to put pressure on Burnley’s backline.

However, it was the Clarets who found the net again. A shot from Ryan struck the post and rebounded into the box. Vetro reacted first and squared the ball to Tweedy, who tapped in from close range to double their lead.

Under-21s head coach Filipe Coelho responded with his first change, as winger Ryan Kavuma-McQueen was introduced. His pace added a new spark as we tried to build some momentum.

At the other end, Campbell was called into action again. After a quick Burnley break, Vetro cut the ball back for the onrushing Ryan, who struck what looked like a certain goal, but the Blues stopper produced a brilliant diving save to keep us alive in the game.

Moments later, he denied Murray Campbell’s long-range effort with another acrobatic stop, tipping the ball over the bar.

Despite our late push and efforts to find a way back into the game, the full-time whistle confirmed our exit from the Premier League Cup at the quarter-final stage.

What's next

Chelsea Under-21s return to Premier League 2 action on Monday 14 April, with an away trip to London rivals Crystal Palace for a 7pm kick-off. This will be our final league fixture before the play-offs.

The teams

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Luke Campbell; Brodi Hughes, Kaden Wilson, Landon Emenalo, Ishe Samuels-Smith (Ryan Kavuma-McQueen 66); Harrison McMahon (c), Genesis Antwi (Frankie Runham 80); Kiano Dyer, Donnell McNeilly, Ronnie Stutter (Reggie Walsh 85); Chizaram Ezenwata
Unused subs: Jack Austin, Hudson Sands
Booked: Stutter 27, McNeilly 35, Samuels-Smith 43, McMahon 74

Burnley (4-3-3): Jon Ander Vilar Robinson, Hamzat Balogun, Oli Pimlott (Alex Healy Byrne 82), Joe Ashton, Murray Campbell (Noah Adekoya 90+2), Joe Bauress (c), Julien Vetro, Charlie Veevers (Brandon Ly 84), Kamarni Ryan (Benji Wetshi 81), Tommy McDermott, Tom Tweedy (Basilio Rieno Socoliche 81)
Scorers: Vetro 23, Tweedy 61
Booked: Veevers 43, Vetro 43