Academy Manager Terry Westley

Blues U18's gave a measure of how far they have progressed recently, after earning a deserved 2-2 away draw at Chelsea at the weekend.

And on the balance of play, Terry Westley's young side could easily have taken all three points from the game.

Dean Lea opened the scoring for Blues on 13 minutes, but Chelsea hit back just after the half hour mark through Italian Fabio Borini.

Then against the run of play the home side doubled their advantage on 43 minutes through Frenchman Gaël Kakuta, but Blues hit back on the hour mark to make it 2-2 through Robert Gradwell.

"We're four games unbeaten now," said a delighted Academy Manager Terry Westley.

"This was always going to be the hardest ones, with Chelsea's policy of recruiting the best youth players around Europe.

"I was looking forward to the game to see if we had really improved and I knew this would be a real test.

"We started very well and Robert Gradwell who was playing up front on his own for us really bossed their two centre halves and got hold of the ball and allowed us to get the ball back and start playing.

"We deservedly went in front through Dean Lea early on after he's broken through into the box and put a low shot across their goalkeeper to score and we were well in control at that point.

"But Chelsea equalised after we'd had a corner and the ball has been hooked clear and their lad has got onto it and equalised from nothing.

Krystian Pearce was in outstanding form for Blues against Chelsea at the weekend.

"It was really annoying for how well we'd done.

"The second goal for them came from a throw in that had got pushed down the line.

"They've put in a cross and our goalkeeper has fisted it clear, but their boy has hit a screaming 20 yard volley into the top corner.

"It was a fantastic goal worthy of any game from the French under 18 captain, so we came in at 2-1 down.

"Now it was going to be a test of how good we were.

"But we kept going and deserved to get back into the game.

"Dean Lea has put a cross in and Robert Gradwell has got to it first and it's hit the underside of the bar and gone in to make it 2-2.

"It was really open after that and they were going for it and we were going for it."

The only downside for Westley on what was an otherwise excellent performance was seeing his side concede two goals.

"We're scoring but also managing two a game against us,"  added Westley

"That's a little bit of our game we can improve on.

"But in terms of their effort, desire and ability they've come up with a big tick beside those aspects of their game.

"It's difficult to single anybody out because they all played so well, but if you had to it would be Chief (Krystian Pearce).

"I thought he was outstanding big, aggressive and strong and was better than anybody Chelsea had."

Full time: Chelsea U18's 2 Blues U18's 2

Blues U18'S: Dean Lyness, David Joyce, Shaun Timmins, Jordan Mutch, Krystian Pearce, Daniel Preston, Dean Lea, Mitchell McPike, Robert Gradwell, Jamie Sheldon (Toby Osman), Ashley Sammons (James O'Brien).
Subs not used: Artur Krysiak, Jake Jervis, Kayan Kalipha.

Goals: Dean Lea (13), Robert Gradwell (60)