Walsh's goal came deep into stoppage time to spark wild celebrations and see the Blues claim a vital three points as we head into the business-end of the season.

Chelsea made a strong start to our Under-18 Premier League clash, breaking the deadlock early through Frankie Runham who finished smartly into the bottom corner after a brilliant team move.

The young Blues continued to apply pressure, with Sol Gordon doubling the lead with a clinical low strike following another well-executed build-up.

Despite dominating the early stages at Cobham, Southampton pulled one back just before the break through Harry Gathercole’s close-range effort to halve the deficit to 2-1 at half-time. The Saints came out strong in the second half, briefly taking the lead as the dangerous Gathercole netted two quick goals to complete his hat-trick.

Chelsea responded with determination, with Joseph Wheeler-Henry scoring his first goal of the season - a powerful finish at the near post to level the score at 3-3.

The Blues kept pushing for the winner, and in the final moments, Runham delivered a perfect cross into the box, where schoolboy Reggie Walsh slotted home to secure all three points in a dramatic encounter.

Super start

The game kicked off at a high tempo, with both teams fully aware of the fixture’s significance in the tight title race - everything was at stake. We created the first real chance when Harry McGlinchey played a brilliant ball upfield for Gordon to chase. He looked set to break through, but was brought down just outside the penalty area as we continued to press and threaten the Saints defence.

Runham stepped up to take the free-kick, sending in a powerful curling strike that beat the wall but crashed against the post, denying us an early lead. However, our frustration was short-lived as we found the opener soon after with a well-executed team move.

Pressuring high up the pitch, Landon Emenalo pounced on a back pass from the Southampton keeper to win the ball in a good position. With great composure, he fed Chizaram Ezenwata, who calmly squared it to the arriving Runham. Given time and space, he drilled a low shot into the bottom corner, leaving goalkeeper Oscar Abbotson with no chance.

We quickly built on that momentum, extending our lead just four minutes later with another moment of quality. Defender Olutayo Subuloye sparked the move with a perfectly weighted pass down the wing to the lively Runham, who surged forward with pace. He delivered a precise low ball across goal, where Gordon was perfectly positioned to slot it into the bottom corner with a composed finish.

Chelsea were playing with confidence, controlling possession as we continued to press forward. A third goal nearly came from a slick passage of play involving Ollie Harrison, our captain for the afternoon, who linked up well with Genesis Antwi. The right-back spotted Runham’s run and played him through on goal, but his powerful low strike was denied by a quick reaction save from Abbotson, who got down sharply to his left.

Despite our dominance, Southampton managed to pull one back before the half-hour mark due to a defensive lapse. A miscommunication at the back led to a pass being played back towards our goalkeeper under pressure from Gathercole. The ball was intercepted, and the attacker pounced, firing home from close range during a scramble in the box.

Pushing on

That goal gave the visitors a boost, with Southampton looking more threatening in the minutes that followed. Freddy Bernal was called into action, making a strong save after Thierry Rohart-Brown delivered a corner into the box. Tommy Dobson Ventura rose highest to meet it with a powerful header, but our keeper reacted quickly, catching it cleanly to keep our lead intact.

As the first half neared an end, we had one final chance to restore the two-goal cushion. Antwi surged forward into the area and struck a low shot on target that looked destined for the net. However, Abbotson produced a fantastic save with his feet to deny us, keeping the score at 2–1 as the teams headed into the break.

The second half began slower for Chelsea, with the Saints increasing the pressure. They found their equaliser when Hansel Adjei-Afriyie made a brilliant run upfield, weaving past defenders before sliding the ball into the penalty area. Aston Daley picked out Gathercole, who made no mistake, firing the ball into the back of the net to level the score.

Unfortunately, our opponents weren't done yet. Gathercole completed his hat-trick, capitalising on a loose pass at the back. He quickly pounced on the ball, rounded our goalkeeper and slotted it home, putting the visitors in front for the first time in the game.

Chelsea refused to back down, responding with a series of chances as we applied pressure on the Saints’ defence. The closest came when Runham sprinted down the wing and squared the ball to substitute Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, who thrashed it towards goal. But Southampton's keeper made a vital save to deny the effort.

The Blues kept fighting, and our persistence paid off. A well-worked move involving one of Hassan Sulaiman’s substitutes unlocked the backline. Walter Nutter seized the ball and spotted Wheeler-Henry, who used his space to beat his marker and unleashed a venomous strike that slipped through the goalkeeper's gloves, levelling the score at 3-3. We weren’t giving up, and everything was still to play for.

We pushed forward, eager for a late winner. Nutter, lively since his introduction, linked up well with schoolboy winger Kavuma-McQueen, whose beautiful strike had the home supporters holding their breath. It skimmed just over the crossbar.

With only minutes remaining in regular time, Chelsea had another close chance to grab all three points. Runham sprinted down the pitch, cutting the ball back for Kavuma-McQueen, who twisted inside the penalty box and smashed a low shot - only for it to miss by inches.

Absolute scenes

As stoppage time ticked away, the tension was building for both sides. Kavuma-McQueen had a golden opportunity to steal the winner, with a delicate chipped effort that rounded the Southampton keeper. However, Abdul Okunola somehow sprinted back and made a crucial goal-line clearance, denying us the lead.

Five minutes into stoppage time, we found our moment. After a brilliant team build-up, Runham delivered a perfect cross into the penalty area, where Walsh was ideally positioned to tap it home. A collective sigh of relief echoed around Cobham as the final whistle blew, sparking wild celebrations. Chelsea claimed all three points and moved to the top of the league table, a point clear of Crystal Palace in second.

What's next

Chelsea Under-18s will be in action next on Tuesday afternoon, making the trip to face West London rivals Fulham at Motspur Park, with kick-off at 5pm. The match will be available to watch live on the Chelsea Official App and website.

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Freddy Bernal; Genesis Antwi (Walter Nutter 60), Olutayo Subuloye, Jacob Hall, Harry McGlinchey; Landon Emenalo (Ryan Kavuma-McQueen 60), Frankie Runham, Ollie Harrison (c); Reggie Walsh, Chizaram Ezenwata (Joseph Wheeler-Henry 60), Sol Gordon
Unused subs: Toby Bell, Yahya Idrissi
Scorers: Runham 8, Gordon 12, Wheeler-Henry 70, Walsh 90+5
Booked: Subuloye 45, Walsh 51

Southampton (4-2-3-1): Oscar Abbotson, Hansel Adjei-Afriyie, Tommy Dobson Ventura (c) (Tino Goremusandu 73), Abdul Okunola, Broghan Sewell, Barnaby Williams, Sufianu Dibaga, Aston Daley (James Martin 75), Nick Oyekunle, Thierry Rohart-Brown (Korban McMullan 60), Harry Gathercole
Unused subs: Cale Richardson, Oli Newman
Scorer: Gathercole 29, 56, 58
Booked: Williams 69, Gathercole 84