Team news

Brand used this final game of the season for our Under-18s to make wholesale changes as there were a few players drafted into the line-up that had been with the Under-16s for most of the season.

Josh Acheampong, Michael Golding and Tyrique George all came into the side. Harrison Murray-Campbell who has been a regular recently made a return to the starting line-up after just missing out on squad selection for the U18 Premier League Cup final, which Chelsea won on Wednesday by beating Fulham.

Despite having nothing in particular to play for, the aim would be to end the season on a high with a win and beating the newly crowned U-18 Premier League champions at their home ground will have done that.

It was a very quiet start to the game as both sides were content with keeping possession when they had it without venturing forward to threaten the opposing team’s penalty box.

Jimmy Morgan did actually have the ball in the net but that was quickly ruled out for offside.

We had the game’s first clear-cut chance and it fell to Edwin Andersson and with just the keeper to beat, he shot straight at Eddie Beach.

We were made to rue that missed opportunity as a couple of minutes later, the Saints went 1-0 up through Diamond Edwards as he jinked his way towards the edge of the box, before unleashing a powerful shot which went in off the post beating Prince Adegoke in goal.

Our young Blues almost levelled instantly as Beach made two great stops. First, Leo Castledine’s right-footed goal-bound shot was parried away well and then a minute later Tudor Mendel-Idowu had an identical opportunity, but Beach rebuffed him too.

After ending the first half on top, the second was controlled by the home side. They doubled their lead with a Ryan Finnigan shot from 25 yards out which flew into the top corner of the net.

The third came a minute later as Luke Badly-Morgan’s failure to clear allowed Rylee Wright to take an easy chance.

It went from bad to worse for our young Blues as Morgan, who had a goal disallowed in the first period, was not to be denied with this effort, finishing off a good move from the Saints.

Second-half substitute Kamari Doyle added the Saints’ fifth as he powered home a shot past Adegoke.

We pulled a goal back through a substitute of our own Silko Thomas, as the winger finished off a fine move involving Tyrique George and Malik Mothersille.

Mothersille was involved again as he shrugged off some challenges to feed Castledine who smashed the ball beyond Beach.

We were able to add some respect to the scoreline with two late goals but in our final game of the season we came up short.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Prince Adegoke; Josh Acheampong, Michael Golding, Harrison Murray-Campbell, Luke Badley-Morgan; Leo Castledine (c), Sam Rak-Sakyi; Edwin Andersson, Tudor Mendel-Idowu (Malik Mothersille 64), Zain Silcott-Duberry (Silko Thomas 46); Tyrique George.

Unused subs: Ted Curd.Scorers: Silko Thomas 80; Leo Castledine 88.

Southampton (3-4-3): Eddie Beach; Lewis Payne, Jem Hewlett (Ryan Chavez-Munoz 73), Leon Pambou (Joshua Lett 70); Sonnie Davis, Ryan Finnigan, Cameron Bragg, Matt Carson; Rylee Wright, Jimmy Morgan, Diamond Edwards (Kamari Doyle 64).

Unused subs: Mohammed Adli, Luke Pearce.Scorers: Diamond Edwards 19; Ryan Finnigan 59; Rylee Wright 61; Jimmy Morgan 71; Kamari Doyle 74.