Filipe Coelho’s side delivered a thrilling performance filled with impressive action and endless threatening goal opportunities, pinning back Middlesbrough at their home ground, Heritage Park.

Morgan broke the deadlock early on with a fine finish, connecting well with a Tyrique George cross. Minutes later, the striker secured his second goal, again assisted by George, in an almost identical play.

After asserting our authority on the game, Chelsea conceded a goal when Charlie Lennon scored for Middlesbrough with an impressive strike into the top corner.

However, this didn’t faze us. We returned after the break with pure aggression, and Morgan was there again to coolly tap the ball past the keeper, securing his hat-trick and Chelsea Under-21s' first three points of the season.

Dominating early

We began our first away fixture of the season on the front foot, applying immediate pressure on the Boro defensive backline, and it was Chelsea who forced the first save of the afternoon.

The first sight of goal came for George, who did well to weave through a group of Boro defenders on the wing. As he entered the area, he drilled a low strike on target, but Shea Connor made a solid save.

Morgan came close to finding the back of the net when he received a looping ball from George inside the area. Unmarked, he managed to control the ball perfectly and fired a shot from close-range, but it went just wide of the post.

It was clear the Blues were on top now. Josh Acheampong had a lively start, being involved in another Chelsea goal-scoring opportunity. He shrugged off a defender during a smart run and smashed a squared ball powerfully across the face of the goal, but it didn't find the target.

Well deserved

A goal felt inevitable, and it came just a quarter-of-an-hour into the match, thanks to our striker Morgan. George showcased his technical footwork as he maneuvered down the wing and picked out the 18-year-old in the center of the box. Morgan took a right-footed shot straight into the bottom corner, leaving Connor with no chance to save.

We didn’t have to wait long - only three minutes - for the next goal, as the Morgan and George partnership paid off again. George managed to weave his way out of a scramble in the area and Morgan picked up the loose ball, tapping it in between the Boro defender and keeper to find the back of the net.

Shumaira Mheuka thought he would be next on the scoresheet. George played a brilliant, curling long-ball into the area that flew over the Boro defence and Mheuka leaped highest to connect with a strong header. Unfortunately, the ball drifted just wide, giving Middlesbrough a lucky escape.

The Blues' confidence continued to grow as we dominated the field, showing impressive football. Goal-scoring chances kept coming.

First, George made a bold run upfield and hammered the ball from distance, but his effort slammed against the woodwork, denying another opportunity. Shortly after, Ato Ampah took a fizzing shot toward goal, but Connor reacted well, getting low to make the block.

Boro hit back

However, the home side continued to fight back to try and pull a goal back, and they did just that in the closing stages of the first half.

Boro capitalised on a Chelsea defensive mix-up, with Max Merrick coming off his line. Lennon was able to pick up a loose ball inside the area and rifled it into the top corner of the open goal, leaving the score 2-1 at the break.

Our hat-trick hero

Coelho’s side started the second-half in the same fashion as we had begun the first - dangerously. Mheuka pinned back the Boro defence and unleashed a threatening shot on target, but Connor did well to palm away the effort.

After a spell of pure Chelsea brilliance, the afternoon only got better for our No9 Morgan, as he secured his hat-trick in this PL2 fixture. Ishe Samuels-Smith outran his opponent, driving down the wing before cutting the ball back to Morgan, who ran onto it and slotted it straight into the back of the net.

Substitute Reiss Denny wasted no time after coming onto the field, immediately dribbling into open space just outside the area and smashing a low shot at goal, but Connor made a comfortable save.

We maintained our lead and kept possession, imposing an uncomfortable threat on the Boro squad, which enabled us to secure our first victory of the 2024/25 season.

The teams

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Max Merrick; Josh Acheampong, Harrison Murray-Campbell (c), Kaiden Wilson, Ishe Samuels-Smith (Richard Olise 72); Harrison McMahon, Kiano Dyer; Ato Ampah (Zain Silcott-Duberry 72), Shumaira Mheuka (Reiss Denny 79), Tyrique George; Jimmy-Jay Morgan (Donnell McNeilly 70)
Unused sub: Travis Akomeah
Scorer: Morgan 15, 17, 55
Booked: Dyer 37, McMahon 44, Mheuka 63

Middlesbrough: Shea Connor, Nathan Simpson, Oliver Samuels, Afonso Lindo, Harley Hunt, Finaly Cartwright, Charlie Lennon, Law McCabe, Hazeem Bakre, Jack Stott (c) (Ajay Matthews 70), Rio Patterson-Powell (Frankie Coulson 70)
Unused subs: Alfie Myers-Smith, Judah Tawiah, Nathan Fisher
Scorer: Lennon 45+1
Booked: Samuels 10, Cartwright 54, Lindo 90+4