Brown inspires Chelsea to Youth League glory
Monday, April 13, 2015
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FC Shakhtar Dontesk 2-3 Chelsea FC
Isaiah Brown scored twice as the Blues inflicted Shakhtar's first defeat of the campaign in becoming the second winners of the competition.
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• With the score 1-1 at the break, Chelsea find the net twice early in the second half.
• Skipper Isaiah Brown doubles his tally of UEFA Youth League goals this term to four.
• An own goal from Andreas Christensen cancels out Brown's first of the match.
• Dominic Solanke, who set up the opener, heads the Londoners into a 2-1 lead.
• Viktor Kovalenko's added-time finish is mere consolation for hitherto unbeaten Shakhtar.
Chelsea FC captain Isaiah Brown struck twice as the Blues ended FC Shakhtar Donetsk's undefeated run to lift the UEFA Youth League trophy in Nyon.
Good work by Charly Musonda made room for Dominic Solanke to send in a low cross which a determined Brown met to put Chelsea ahead after seven minutes. Jeremie Boga then had a shot saved and Musonda blazed over as the west Londoners looked to turn the screw.
Shakhtar had come from behind to win their three knockout round matches and some excellent combination play, particularly down the right, was getting them in behind the Chelsea defence. Only the final touch had been lacking until the enterprising Denys Arendaruk raced clear of his marker and delivered a dangerous centre that Andreas Christensen sliced into his own net.
Tournament top scorer Solanke could have changed the complexion of the game on the stroke of half-time, but his 12th goal in this season's competition eluded him by a matter of centimetres as he failed to make contact with a low delivery from Musonda.
A customary goal for the Chelsea No9 was not long in coming, though. With less than two minutes on the clock in the second half, the England youth international linked play outside the area before darting into the box to head Boga's cross wide of Oleh Kudryk.
Chelsea swiftly built on their advantage, midfielder Brown – on the bench for the seniors' Premier League victory at Queens Park Rangers FC yesterday – claiming his second with a well-placed strike into the far corner of Kudryk's net.
Solanke dragged another attempt wide and lifted one over from close range as Chelsea went in search of their 37th UEFA Youth League goal of a prolific campaign. Shakhtar had the last word, their semi-final hero and substitute Viktor Kovalenko finishing smartly after running onto Oleksandr Zubkov's ball over the top – but it was too little, too late.