Posh ease into the quarter finals following 3-1 success at Stamford Bridge.
Peterborough United eased into the quarter-finals of the Checkatrade Trophy with a comfortable 3-1 victory against Chelsea under 21s at Stamford Bridge with three goals in ten minutes in the second period sealing the excellent away win.
Siriki Dembele, Ivan Toney and Marcus Maddison were on target for Steve Evans’ men with Lee Tomlin getting 45 minutes in the tank following his move from Cardiff City earlier this week.
Marcus Maddison sent an effort from 25-yards over the crossbar after linking well with Lee Tomlin on eight minutes. Ryan Tafazolli planted a header from a driven Louis Reed corner kick wide of the target moments later.
Billy Gilmour fired over from long range for the hosts on the quarter hour mark after a neat passage of play by the youngsters. Tomlin curled a free-kick into the wall on 22 minutes after he himself had been felled by Colley.
Tomlin fired over from the edge of the box on 25 minutes after linking well again with Maddison in the central part of the pitch. Dembele showed some good touches to create another half chance for Tomlin from distance, but his rasping drive cleared the crossbar.
Gilmour was cautioned for a foul on the marauding Maddison on 42 minutes by referee Mr Busby. Goalkeeper Cumming was well placed to claim a swerving Maddison free-kick from the resulting set-piece. On the stroke of half-time, the home side got their noses in front as an in-swinging corner kick was headed home by NARTEY.
Posh made a change at the break with George Cooper replacing Tomlin who will benefit from 45 minutes in the tank. Cooper squandered a fine chance to level after good wing play from Ward on 48 minutes, but the midfielder fired wide with his right-foot from a good position.
Maddison curled wide with his left-foot on 56 minutes after a raking pass from Reed as Posh pushed for a leveller. Dembele was denied a certain equaliser by a fine defensive header from Colley with Naismith volleying the resulting corner kick over the bar.
Posh found an equaliser on 65 minutes and it was a wonderful individual effort from Siriki DEMBELE who cut inside onto his favoured right-foot and fired a fine effort into the bottom corner past the despairing dive of Cumming.
Cooper was denied by a fine stop from Cumming after an intelligent knock down from Toney on 69 minutes. Posh got their noses in front on 72 minutes as superb wing play from Maddison down the right saw him deliver a fine cross for TONEY who with his out-stretched boot guided the ball into the corner.
It was 3-1 a few minutes later, as Cooke fed MADDISON in the left hand channel and he cut inside on to his left-foot and bent a superb effort into the corner. Reed was cautioned moments later for a foul in the centre circle.
Gallagher struck the bar with an impish chip on 79 minutes before Ugbo was denied by Chapman diving to his right as the tie moved into the last 10 minutes. Maddison was denied a fine solo goal by a routine stop from Cumming with the winger going for a cheeky chip.
Chelsea U21 | Cumming, Ugbo (sub Brown 84min), Grant, Colley, Nartey, Gallagher, Guehi, Castillo, McEachran (sub Redan 76min), Taylor-Crossdale (sub Anjorin 60min), Gilmour. Unused subs: Lavinier, Ziger, Maatsen, Mola.
Posh: Chapman, Naismith, Tafazolli, Dembele, Reed, Cooke, Ward, Toney, Maddison (sub Godden 88min), Lafferty, Tomlin (sub Cooper 46min). Unused subs: O’Malley, Bennett, Lyon, Stevens.
Half-time: Chelsea U21s 1-0 Peterborough United
Full-time: Chelsea U21s 1-3 Peterborough United