The Blues started positively but were caught out early. Just 13 minutes in, Rabbi Ntege nodded Reading into the lead, giving the visitors an unexpected advantage.

Chelsea searched for a way back, but as the first half drew to a close, Ntege doubled Reading’s lead, leaving the Blues frustrated and 2-0 down at the interval.

Determined to turn the game around, we came out strongly in the second half. Striker Jashayde Greenwood broke the deadlock with a powerful strike, sparking hope. Momentum remained with the Blues, and just a minute later, Chizaram Ezenwata scored his 13th league goal of the season to level the match.

As normal time ticked away, Kobe Barbour produced an unstoppable strike to put the Blues ahead, completing a remarkable comeback and securing all three points. The resilient display keeps Chelsea in the title race, maintaining pressure on league leaders Tottenham Hotspur.

Early setback

Chelsea started brightly on a sunny morning at Cobham, eager to build on our strong league form following the midweek draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

Despite some promising early play, the Blues fell behind in the opening stages. Ryan Beacroft delivered a dangerous cross into the box, and Reading winger Ntege rose highest to head beyond Toby Bell, giving the visitors an early lead and leaving Chelsea with work to do.

The Blues responded quickly. Mathis Eboue brought renewed energy in the penalty area and looked to have won a spot-kick when he was pushed by a Reading defender, but the referee waved away the appeals.

Chelsea’s penalty moment did eventually arrive. Sol Gordon was brought down inside the area by Ryan Zie, presenting the Blues with a golden chance to level. Gordon stepped up, but his low strike was well saved by Borgnis, who guessed the right way to keep Reading ahead.

We continued to press for an equaliser. Eboue went close after meeting a long, looping pass from Lewi Richards, driving into the box and unleashing a stinging effort that Borgnis did well to keep out. Barbour followed with a powerful strike, but once again the Reading keeper was equal to it as the Blues’ pressure mounted.

As the first half wore on, frustration grew. Despite creating several chances in the final third, we could not find the clinical touch needed to reduce the deficit. The closest opportunity came when Gordon forced another save from Borgnis, only for Greenwood’s close-range rebound to be brilliantly denied by the Reading keeper.

Further frustration

Despite creating chances, the visitors struck again on Chelsea’s home turf. Larry Omoregie played a clever pass to winger and earlier goalscorer Ntege, who used the flank effectively before cutting inside and firing past Toby Bell to put the Blues 2-0 down.

It was a frustrating first half for Chelsea, who needed to regroup at the break and refocus for the second period.

Looking for a turnaround

Under-18s head coach Dan Hogan made his first change of the afternoon, bringing on top scorer Ezenwata for Riely Ebho. The substitute made an immediate impact, threading a precise through ball to Greenwood, who smashed a close-range effort - only for the Royals’ keeper to deny Chelsea once again.

As the game passed the 60-minute mark, the contest settled into a cagey spell. The Blues continued to press for a breakthrough but struggled to find the clinical finish needed to pierce the Royals’ defence.

Greenwood went close once more, using his tricky footwork to weave into the box before unleashing a fierce strike that rebounded off the near post.

Pressure sparks comeback

Eboue, lively throughout the match, charged forward and delivered a precise cross into the box, where Ezenwata was perfectly positioned - but his low strike was brilliantly saved by Borgnis, leaving the striker unlucky not to score.

Chelsea’s persistence soon paid off. Greenwood opened the scoring after another dangerous move down the flank from Eboue. The winger spotted Calvin Diakite, whose clever cross into the box allowed Greenwood to calmly slot the ball into the bottom corner, leaving the Royals’ keeper with no chance.

With momentum firmly on our side and just five minutes remaining, we struck again. The leveller came almost immediately through Ezenwata, who capitalised on a long header from skipper Dante Waite. Finding himself in a one-on-one situation, the striker drilled a low shot past the Royals’ keeper to make it 2-2, setting up a thrilling finale to the match.

Absolute scenes!

Chelsea snatched a dramatic winner in the final moments of normal time, breaking through the Reading defence to claim all three points.

The decisive goal came from a Richards corner. Although a Reading defender tried to clear, winger Barbour was perfectly positioned just inside the box, unmarked. He rocketed an unstoppable strike into the net to make it 3-2, sparking wild celebrations among the Chelsea players.

The Blues held firm in the closing minutes, and when the referee blew for full time, relief and celebration swept through the team. We were back to winning ways and remained firmly in the mix at the top of the Under-18 Premier League table.

What it means

Following this result, we remain in second place in the Under-18 Premier League South with 43 points, just four behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur, marking our 13th league victory of the season.

What's next

Chelsea’s Under-18s return to Premier League action on Saturday 4 April, hosting Crystal Palace at Cobham with an 11am kick-off. Supporters can watch the match live via the Chelsea Official App and website.

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Toby Bell; Riley Ebho (Chizaram Ezenwata h-t), Lewi Richards, Dante Waite (c), Calvin Diakite; Olutayo Subuloye, Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, Mathis Eboue; Kobe Barbour, Jashayde Greenwood, Sol Gordon (Jacob Hall 90+2)
Unused subs: Freddy Bernal, Isago Silva, Chris Atherton
Scorers: Greenwood 84, Ezenwata 85, Barbour 90

Reading (4-2-3-1): Toby Borgnis, Ryan Zie (Toby Lewis 70), Callum Cliff, Ryan Beacroft, Jacob Neptune (Tyler Coffey 54), Harley Irish (c), Raguel Ntege, Scofield Lonmeni, Larry Omoregie (Anthony Dove 77), Tyler Adjei, Rabbi Ntege (Omaree John-Finn 77)
Unused sub: Josh Yensu
Scorer: Rabbi Ntege 13, 41
Booked: Adjei 26, Rabbi Ntege 38