For much of the first half at the American Express Elite Performance Centre, the game remained evenly balanced. Both teams created several chances but couldn’t find the back of the net.

The breakthrough came when Chelsea schoolboy Joel Philbert capitalised on a precise cross from Harry McGlinchey. Sprinting onto the ball, Philbert calmly slotted it past Alfie Mansell in goal, giving the Blues a 1-0 lead at the interval.

The second half was feisty and action-packed. Brighton found the equaliser first with Aidan West tapping in a cross from close range.

Chelsea responded quickly. Ryan Kavuma-McQueen added his name to the scoresheet with a polished low strike into the bottom corner. Just four minutes later, Chizaram Ezenwata made it 3-1 after Kavuma-McQueen stole the ball and found him, allowing Ezenwata to finish calmly into the bottom corner.

Ezenwata completed his brace with a brilliant, effortless chip from 35 yards out, flying over the keeper who was off his line.

Just when we thought that would be the end, Brighton mounted one final attack. Silsby fired a shot, but it wasn’t enough to beat Chelsea, leaving the score 4-3 in favour of the Blues.

Finding our rhythm

This Saturday morning fixture got off to an electric start as Chelsea showed early intent. A promising run from McGlinchey set the tone, as he spotted our schoolboy striker, Ezenwata, in a great position. However, Brighton’s defence stayed compact, dispossessing us inside their box and denying any clear-cut opportunities.

Brighton responded quickly, launching a dangerous counter-attack. Neherniah Oriola surged down the wing, whipping in a precise cross that found Shane Nti. His low strike looked threatening but drifted narrowly wide, giving Chelsea a fortunate lifeline.

Moments later our towering defender, Oultayo Subuloye, made a crucial intervention, blocking Oriola’s attempted delivery into the penalty area.

After a tense spell of back-and-forth play, both sides searched desperately for the breakthrough. Chelsea keeper Hudson Sands was called into action when Brighton’s striker, West, found himself in a one-on-one situation. The shot-stopper reacted swiftly, diving low to deny West’s effort and keeping the score level.

Our attacking momentum soon began to build, creating a flurry of chances. Schoolboy winger Kavuma-McQueen dazzled with his tricky footwork, weaving past several Brighton defenders before unleashing a venomous strike from inside the box. The shot rolled agonisingly wide, denying us the opener.

Another chance followed as McGlinchey threaded a precise long ball to Yahya Idrissi, who curled a powerful shot just past the far post.

Sands remained strong, producing another outstanding save as Oriola powered down the flank and unleashed a fierce effort from a tight angle. Our keeper leapt impressively, tipping the ball over the bar to remove danger once more.

Shortly after, Ronnie Gorman tried his luck from a fair distance with a hammered volley, but his strike flew just wide of the mark.

Finally, our time

The breakthrough came at last in a moment of Chelsea brilliance. A strong connection between Charlie Holland and McGlinchey led to a low cross into the box. Schoolboy Philbert raced onto it and smashed a right-footed shot into the back of the net, giving Chelsea a 1-0 lead.

The Blues maintained our dominance, creating more chances as we entered the closing stages of the first period. With our advantage secured at the break, the team looked determined to carry the momentum forward.

Chelsea emerged from the restart with pure aggression, pinning back the hosts almost immediately. Under-18s head coach Hassan Sulaiman made his first substitution, bringing on Walter Nutter. He quickly made an impact, testing Mansell in goal with a clever chipped effort from a tight angle. However, the Brighton keeper reacted well, pushing the shot away.

Brighton weren't backing down, though. They regrouped and fought back, eventually finding the equaliser. The move began with Matthew Hayden, who expertly set up the attack. His precise ball into the area found Seagulls striker West, who was perfectly positioned to calmly finish into the centre of the net, making it 1-1.

Schoolboy magic

Chelsea didn't let the equaliser phase them. Philbert played a key role on the far side, winning the ball from Theo Outen and controlling it well. He passed it to Nutter on the edge of the box, who then set up the unmarked Kavuma-McQueen with a quick touch. Our winger calmly entered the area and fired a powerful shot into the net, leaving the keeper helpless.

The away supporters didn't have to wait long for another reason to celebrate. Brighton continued to battle and try to resist Chelsea's pressure, but Kavuma-McQueen was strong enough to hold off defenders and retain possession. He then spotted Ezenwata, who finished brilliantly with a composed strike into the bottom corner, making it 3-1.

The action doesn't stop

The hosts, however, kept stepping into our shadows, always ready to pounce - and that’s exactly what they did. A looped ball into the penalty box from substitute Younes Ibrahim found West, who leapt highest to head home past Sands, securing his brace for the afternoon.

But Ezenwata wasn't finished either. He pressed high and finished superbly, intercepting a back pass from Jacob Vickers. With calm confidence, he chipped the ball over the keeper from long range, catching him off his line. It was a perfect, composed finish.

Kavuma-McQueen almost replicated his earlier goal with another looping effort, but this time Mansell tipped the ball over the crossbar, denying him a second goal in this fixture.

As the game entered its closing stages, the action didn’t stop. Brighton pushed forward and closed the gap when Oriola sent in a cross that found Silsby. He managed to get on the end of it and score after a deflection off Joseph Wheeler-Henry, pulling one back for the Seagulls.

It was a tense moment during the eight minutes of stoppage time, with both sides having chances to score. However, Chelsea remained dominant and held onto our lead, ensuring all three points were brought back to Cobham.

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Hudson Sands; Joseph Wheeler-Henry, Olutayo Subuloye, Calvin Diakite, Harry McGlinchey (Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli 78); Ollie Harrison (c) (Walter Nutter h-t), Yahya Idrissi, Charlie Holland (Reggie Watson 78); Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, Chizaram Ezenwata, Joel Philbert (Marcell Washington 71)
Unused sub: Freddy Bernal
Scorers: Philbert 37, Kavuma-McQueen 65, Ezenwata 69, 79
Booked: McGlinchey 44, Nicoll-Jazuli 90, Sands 90+4, Kavuma-McQueen 90+7

Brighton (4-2-3-1): Alfie Mansell, Matthew Hayden, Theo Outen, Corbin Mthunzi, Jacob Vickers, Darius Lane (Jesse Middleton 76), Neherniah Oriola (Henry Kasvosve 86), Shane Nti, Aidan West, Ronnie Gorman (Younes Ibrahim 66), Tyler Silsby
Unused subs: Tate Ferdinand, Sebastian Ademola
Scorer: West 51, 73, Silsby 82
Booked: Silsby 68