A double from Milan Lalkovic and a last-gasp Adam Phillip penalty earned Chelsea reserves an excellent win against Newcastle at St. James' Park.
The young Blues, missing several who had travelled to Zilina for the Champions League game on Wednesday, fell behind in the second minute but reacted well after a barrage of pressure to overturn the deficit, the nippy Lalkovic twice keeping his cool to slot home, only for a Newcastle equalizer to come in the second half.
It looked like it would finish level, and in truth it was probably Newcastle who had edged it, only for substitute Phillip, playing his first competitive reserve game in a year after injury, to race through and attract a foul by the sprawling Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul. The forward then despatched the penalty himself to secure three big points.
Newcastle went in front inside 90 seconds through Ryan Donaldson, whose won a challenge with Nathaniel Chalobah just outside the area and sent a dipping half-volley into Jan Sebek's bottom right-hand corner.
It was the worst imaginable start against a Newcastle side with former England defender Sol Campbell at the heart of its defence, the 36-year-old still working his way back to full fitness after a summer transfer from Arsenal.
Patrick McLaughlin tested Sebek with another low effort five minutes later but the goalkeeper saved well.
Chelsea were surrendering possession all too quickly in their own half, and when they did get the ball forward, Newcastle's high-lined defence caught the forward players offside. Part of the problem it seemed was Chelsea's own defence sitting too deep inside its own half, and coach Steve Holland could be heard encouraging his youngsters to step forward.
Nile Ranger had the ball in the net in the 15th minute but was flagged offside, and then the forward headed over from a corner as the home side continued to have the upper hand.
On 26 minutes Jacopo Sala had Chelsea's first effort on target, a curling free-kick that lacked any real venom and was easy for Magpies goalkeeper Krul to claim. It seemed to galvanize the Blues a little though, and a succession of corners followed.
The equalizer came from Milan Lalkovic, latching on to a through ball and calmly slotting low across Krul from the right-hand channel and into the bottom corner.
The sides would only be level for a few minutes before the Slovakian Lalkovic put Chelsea in front with another tidy finish, this time converting Aziz Deen-Conteh's pull-back after the left-back had overlapped and seared into the Newcastle area. Campbell, it seemed, was still a yard off the pace. No surprise given the breakneck speed at which Chelsea had moved the ball from one end to the other.
The turnaround was a major surprise for anyone who had seen the first 25 minutes, and it almost got better just before half-time when a loose ball fell to Sala just before the break, though the Italian could only fire high at the far post.
Less than two minutes into the second half Sala did hit the net, but his goal was chalked off for offside after Tore had picked him out.
At the other end Deen-Conteh showed his defensive capabilities with a superbly-timed tackle inside the area, a challenge that will have impressed the 3,700 inside St James' Park.
Newcastle began to press again though and Chelsea was forced to defend stoically, Joan Edmundsson curling just over after Rohan Ince had half-cleared with a header.
The home side wouldn't have to wait long for an equaliser though, after Ranger managed to keep possession under pressure from Billy Clifford and square for Haris Vuckic, his fellow striker, to slot home.
Sebek had to make another important save to maintain parity with 15 minutes remaining, when sub Phil Airey shot low and hard, and it looked as though this game may have a winner.
In a bid to make sure it was Chelsea, Holland introduced Kaby for Daniel Pappoe, Chalobah dropping into centre-half, and then Adam Phillip made a return from the bench with eight minutes remaining after a lengthy period out through injury - it was his first competitive reserve outing in a year.
Vuckic volleyed inches wide from distance and then Sebek had to make a fine double save, first from the Slovenian and then from Airey who had followed up his initial parry to keep his side in it.
Then, with seconds of injury time remaining, Phillip raced through and was brought down by Krul to ensure a penalty for Chelsea.
The sub took the ball himself and confidently strode up and stroked hit shot hard into the bottom left-hand corner to win what had been an entertaining encounter, making the long trip home all the more pleasant.
The young Blues, missing several who had travelled to Zilina for the Champions League game on Wednesday, fell behind in the second minute but reacted well after a barrage of pressure to overturn the deficit, the nippy Lalkovic twice keeping his cool to slot home, only for a Newcastle equalizer to come in the second half.
It looked like it would finish level, and in truth it was probably Newcastle who had edged it, only for substitute Phillip, playing his first competitive reserve game in a year after injury, to race through and attract a foul by the sprawling Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul. The forward then despatched the penalty himself to secure three big points.
Newcastle went in front inside 90 seconds through Ryan Donaldson, whose won a challenge with Nathaniel Chalobah just outside the area and sent a dipping half-volley into Jan Sebek's bottom right-hand corner.
It was the worst imaginable start against a Newcastle side with former England defender Sol Campbell at the heart of its defence, the 36-year-old still working his way back to full fitness after a summer transfer from Arsenal.
Patrick McLaughlin tested Sebek with another low effort five minutes later but the goalkeeper saved well.
Chelsea were surrendering possession all too quickly in their own half, and when they did get the ball forward, Newcastle's high-lined defence caught the forward players offside. Part of the problem it seemed was Chelsea's own defence sitting too deep inside its own half, and coach Steve Holland could be heard encouraging his youngsters to step forward.
Nile Ranger had the ball in the net in the 15th minute but was flagged offside, and then the forward headed over from a corner as the home side continued to have the upper hand.
On 26 minutes Jacopo Sala had Chelsea's first effort on target, a curling free-kick that lacked any real venom and was easy for Magpies goalkeeper Krul to claim. It seemed to galvanize the Blues a little though, and a succession of corners followed.
The equalizer came from Milan Lalkovic, latching on to a through ball and calmly slotting low across Krul from the right-hand channel and into the bottom corner.
The sides would only be level for a few minutes before the Slovakian Lalkovic put Chelsea in front with another tidy finish, this time converting Aziz Deen-Conteh's pull-back after the left-back had overlapped and seared into the Newcastle area. Campbell, it seemed, was still a yard off the pace. No surprise given the breakneck speed at which Chelsea had moved the ball from one end to the other.
The turnaround was a major surprise for anyone who had seen the first 25 minutes, and it almost got better just before half-time when a loose ball fell to Sala just before the break, though the Italian could only fire high at the far post.
Less than two minutes into the second half Sala did hit the net, but his goal was chalked off for offside after Tore had picked him out.
At the other end Deen-Conteh showed his defensive capabilities with a superbly-timed tackle inside the area, a challenge that will have impressed the 3,700 inside St James' Park.
Newcastle began to press again though and Chelsea was forced to defend stoically, Joan Edmundsson curling just over after Rohan Ince had half-cleared with a header.
The home side wouldn't have to wait long for an equaliser though, after Ranger managed to keep possession under pressure from Billy Clifford and square for Haris Vuckic, his fellow striker, to slot home.
Sebek had to make another important save to maintain parity with 15 minutes remaining, when sub Phil Airey shot low and hard, and it looked as though this game may have a winner.
In a bid to make sure it was Chelsea, Holland introduced Kaby for Daniel Pappoe, Chalobah dropping into centre-half, and then Adam Phillip made a return from the bench with eight minutes remaining after a lengthy period out through injury - it was his first competitive reserve outing in a year.
Vuckic volleyed inches wide from distance and then Sebek had to make a fine double save, first from the Slovenian and then from Airey who had followed up his initial parry to keep his side in it.
Then, with seconds of injury time remaining, Phillip raced through and was brought down by Krul to ensure a penalty for Chelsea.
The sub took the ball himself and confidently strode up and stroked hit shot hard into the bottom left-hand corner to win what had been an entertaining encounter, making the long trip home all the more pleasant.
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