RICKY Martin's Norwich City Under18s powered to a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Colney on Saturday in the Academy Premier League.
Goals from Josh Murphy and Jamar Loza were enough to secure the impressive victory, that will go some way to banishing memories of the FA Youth Cup shootout defeat to the Blues earlier this month.
The Canaries started the game strongly, with Reece Hall-Johnson and the returning Josh Murphy both causing problems down the flanks, and testing Mitchel Beeney early on.
However it was the visitors who came closest to taking the lead when shortly after the half hour mark, Amin Affane struck a sensational free kick from 35 yards out that cannoned off the upright.
Then in the 37th minute City grabbed the goal that their play had deserved, as Josh Murphy tucked home the rebound after his initial effort was saved by Chelsea 'keeper Beeney.
The Blues did their best to attempt a revival, but Islam Feruz's header from Adam Nditi's pinpoint cross went over, before the same player saw a powerful effort well saved by schoolboy goalkeeper Conor Cable, who was filling in for the injured Remi Matthews.
Any thoughts of a Chelsea equaliser didn't last long though, as top scorer Jamar Loza wasted no time in doubling City's advantage on the stroke of half-time. Left-back Harry Toffolo found the striker with a fine cross, and Loza did brilliantly to put the ball in the net from the narrowest of angles.
Half-time: Norwich City U18s 2, Chelsea U18s 0
Chelsea made wholesale changes to the team and the formation after the break in an effort to respond to City's blistering pace in attack.
Nortei Nortey and Ismail Seremba both joined the field of play, and did create more chances for the hosts, however Norwich City's defence was standing up to the challenge.
Seremba did then carve out a chance midway through the second-half, attempting an audacious lob that eluded Cable and dropped into the Norwich goal, only for the assistant referee to rule it out for offside.
With the clock ticking down the game was slipping from Chelsea, and despite lively substitute Seremba scored after an 85th minute corner, City held on for a well-deserved victory over the Blues.
Full-time: Norwich City U18s 2, Chelsea U18s 1
City (4-3-3): Cable, Norman, McKenzie (c), Barker, Toffolo, Dobbs, Clunan, McGeehan, Hall-Johnson, Josh murphy, Loza
Chelsea (4-3-3): Beeney; Gordon, Davey (c), Nkumu, Nditi; Swift, Ake, Baker; Howard, Feruz, Affane
Photographs courtesy of Richard Phillips
