The Blues started the game well and had some good opportunities, but Norwich City carried a threat on the counter-attack throughout. They used that to take the lead late in the first half, when Alex Roberts got in behind to round goalkeeper Luke Campbell and beat the defender covering on the line.

We came out strong after the break to fight back, though. Donnell McNeilly was denied by a good save from the keeper when given a chance to equalise from the penalty spot, but less than a minute later he did find the back of the net, firing in emphatically from Genesis Antwi's cutback.

For a period of heavy Chelsea pressure after our equaliser we looked by far the more likely winners, McNeilly and Ato Ampah both going close before Frankie Runham's corner was turned onto the crossbar. However, it was Norwich and Roberts who again scored on the counter, meaning there would be no title for the Blues today, although we remain in pole position with two games remaining.

Promising start

Chelsea set out on the front foot with a quick passing move down the right involving several players, which ended with the overlapping Antwi cutting back for Shumaira Mheuka in the box, but the striker’s shot rolled just wide of the post. Antwi then forced the first save from the keeper with a long-range effort. It was a simple stop, but we had made our intentions clear.

Norwich had a threat of their own on the counter, as shown when Errol Mundle-Smith got free down the right and cut into the box. Campbell did brilliantly to not only save but hold.

We then went up the other end as McNeilly tested the Norwich keeper from Ampah’s pass, as it began to look like we wouldn’t need to wait too long for the first goal at Cobham. However, before long things began to quieten down.

We continued to enjoy the majority of possession, but it soon developed into a pretty even first half, with few chances capable of testing either goalkeeper, a Mheuka snapshot the closest anyone came to a goal in the first half-an-hour. There were a couple of warnings for the Blues, though, as the Canaries began to find some joy with the ball over the top for striker Mundle-Smith.

Behind at the break

We tried to exert some pressure late in the first half, but a series of corners was about as much as we were able to trouble the visiting defence in that period, and five minutes before the break Norwich snatched the lead.

It was that ball over our defence which caught us out, although on this occasion it was Roberts getting in behind from a long pass. Campbell was out of his box and couldn’t stop Roberts going past him, before finishing past the covering Travis Akomeah on the line.

Just like in the first, we began the second half pushing forward and looking for a goal, but the last pass was continuing to elude us. There was an element of frustration creeping into Chelsea's game, with a couple of loose touches and overhit passes in the final third.

Pressure pays off

As the second half went on we were playing more and more in the Norwich half and one spell of pressure nearly gave us the equaliser on the hour mark, when Ampah strode into the box from the right and went down under a push. The referee pointed to the spot and top scorer McNeilly stepped up confidently, but the keeper got down well with a strong hand to keep his effort out.

Thankfully, just a minute later, McNeilly was able to celebrate scoring our equaliser. Again, it was good play down the Chelsea right which created the opening, as Ampah exchanged passes with the overlapping Antwi. The full-back then cut a pass back invitingly, and McNeilly smashed a first-time finish high into the back of the net.

Looking for more

That right flank was becoming a constant source of opportunities for the Blues now, as the momentum swung decidedly in our favour, McNeilly looking hungry as he fired over from the edge of the box after being found by Ampah yet again.

But with 15 minutes remaining it was becoming harder to maintain that pressure and Norwich started to come back into the game. We were fortunate that Roberts fired straight at Campbell from a very promising position when we were caught short at the back on a quick counter.

We still looked the more likely to find a winning goal as we approached the closing stages, with Somto Boniface testing the keeper from a tight angle. Just inside the last 10 minutes we went closest yet to taking a second-half lead, when Runham's corner from the left almost went straight in, but the goalkeeper was able to tip it against the crossbar and behind.

Late blow

Instead, it was Norwich who went ahead again with five minutes remaining. The Blues were unhappy as they believed the visitors won possession with a foul on McNeilly, but play continued and they launched a counter. A through ball escaped the retreating Akomeah and Roberts was able to score past Campbell one-on-one.

A win from there was now looking difficult, but there was five minutes remaining for the Blues to try and salvage what would still be an important point. We kept pushing, with a series of corners again carrying a threat, but we were unable to make them count as the match ended in defeat.

What it means

Chelsea remain five points clear at the top of the Under-18 Premier League southern table with a comfortably better goal difference than second-placed West Ham United, meaning two points from our remaining two matches will guarantee the title regardless of results elsewhere.

What is next

We travel away to Southampton on Tuesday before our league campaign concludes at Arsenal next Saturday, with both matches kicking off at 11am UK time.

The teams

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Luke Campbell; Genesis Antwi, Travis Akomeah (c), Saheed Olagunju, Somto Boniface; Reiss Denny, Landon Emenalo (Olutayo Subuloye 86); Ato Ampah (Rio Ngumoha 82), Donnell McNeilly, Frankie Runham (Shaun Wade 86); Shumaira Mheuka (Leo Cardoso 70)
Unused subs: Kai Crampton
Scorer: McNeilly 61
Booked: Wade 90+5

Norwich (4-2-3-1): Trialist A; Trialist B, Trialist C, Waylon Renecke, Tyler Williams; Uriah Djedje, Toby Chilvers; Jaiden Owen (Lloyd Ofori-Manteaw 87), Alex Roberts, Damari Daley (Alfie Doy 87); Errol Mundle-Smith
Unused subs: Henry Bullen, Gabriel Keita, Kingstan Simbai
Scorer: Roberts 41, 85
Booked: Djedje 58, Roberts 90+5