Home»All Photographs»Dartford FC Youth 2013-14»Chelsea v Dartford U18 3rd Round Proper FA Cup

Chelsea win 4:0. Match at Aldershot, 12 December 2013.

Chelsea began their FA Youth Cup campaign in style after a Dominic Solanke hat-trick propelled them to a 4-0 win over Dartford.
Three goals in ten first-half minutes effectively settled the tie for last year's finalists after the visitors - who were the lowest ranked side competing in the Third Round Proper - had started the game brightly.
Dartford registered the game's first attempt at goal, but Clifford Edaferhoro's effort failed to trouble Mitchell Beeney in the Chelsea goal before Freeman Rogers' shot was deflected wide for a corner

But midway through the first half, England U17s forward Solanke put Chelsea in front and in doing so, opened the floodgates. The striker expertly controlled Reece Mitchell's left-wing cross and fired home from close range. Mitchell set up the striker for a second shortly after with another cross from the left-hand side that Solanke again emphatically slotted past Oli Gibson. And shortly after Femi Akinwande had gone close to pulling a goal back for Dartford, the home side made it three. Fankaty Dabo, bursting forward from the right-back position, played a one-two with Jeremie Boga and struck a fierce drive beyond Gibson.
Dartford began the second half in a similar way they started the first , showing attacking intent as Ainsley Everett's shot flew just wide.

But Solanke finished the scoring when he latched on to a perfectly weighted pass from substitute Charlie Colkett to complete his hat-trick and book Chelsea's place in the Fourth Round where they'll meet Sheffield Wednesday.