Tom Wingate’s second half spot-kick secured a narrow win over Chelsea in the SW6 for Fulham’s under 18s at Motspur Park this evening.
The in-form Fulham forward kept his cool to convert a contentious penalty with eighteen minutes left after Chelsea goalkeeper Freddie Bernal was penalised for clattering Aidan Evans as he came to collect a ball into the box by referee Shawn Barclay. Despite the Blues’ vocal protests, the decision stood and Wingate kept his cool to score his fifth goal in six matches. Fulham’s defence withstood a late barrage of Chelsea pressure and the visitors were reduced to ten men deep in stoppage time as Lewi Richards was shown a straight red for a high lunge at Seth Chingwaro.
Fulham’s slender success saw Chelsea, who had stitched together a four-match winning streak, slip off the top of the under-18 Premier League south table. On a wet early evening in Surrey, Ali Melloul’s side made the early running with Evans seeing a shot bravely blocked by Olutayo Subuloye before the attacking midfielder rattled the crossbar with a header from the follow-up. Chelsea went up the other end and came close themselves with Jon Esenga getting his body in the way of a drive from right back Joe Wheeler-Henry.
Winger Frankie Runham drove just over the crossbar after getting on the end of a perceptive pass from Ollie Harrison and Chelsea began to enjoy the greater share of possession. Melloul’s side countered effectively with Macauley Zepa forcing Bernal into a fine save in the final action of an even and tense first period.
French winger Zepa bent a brilliant effort wide of Bernal’s goal after a fantastic individual run before calamity nearly struck at the other end when Chizaram Ezenwata closed down Bradley Slade and the ball looped over a stranded Dino Kaiser before dropping agonisingly wide. Logan Cooke then made a crucial goal-line clearance to prevent Ezenwata from heading the Blues into the lead, with the centre back appearing in the right place at the right time after the centre forward connected with Sol Gordon’s cross.
The decisive moment came eight minutes from the end when Bernal bundled into Evans as he came out to clear the danger and referee Barclay gave a penalty. Wingate beat Bernal from the spot despite the Chelsea goalkeeper guessing correctly to put the Whites ahead.
Chelsea came back strongly and midfielder Walter Nutter whipped a free-kick fractionally over the bar before Gordon powered a header straight at Kaiser from Hezekiah Grimwade’s cross, but the away side’s hopes of securing a late leveller were undermined by a rash challenge from Richards that saw the substitute see red nine minutes after coming off the bench.
FULHAM UNDER 18s (4-2-3-1): Kaiser; Benchainta, Slade, Esenga, Cooke; Quashie (Lubega 45; Dair 86), Chingwaro; Zepa, Evans, White (Khan 69); Wingate. Subs (not used): De-Gale, Schutter.
BOOKED: Evans.
GOAL: Wingate (pen 72).
CHELSEA UNDER 18s (4-2-3-1): Bernal; Wheeler-Henry, McGlinchey, Subuloye, J. Hall; Harrison, Nutter (Waite 86); Runham, S. Gordon (L. Richards 86), Idrissi (Grimwade 45); Ezenwata (Pennie 69). Subs (not used): Sands.
BOOKED: McGlinchey.
SENT OFF: L. Richards (90+5).
REFEREE: Shawn Barclay.
