Chelsea youngsters thrash Birmingham City in FA Youth Cup

Mason Mount scored a hat-trick as Chelsea’s Under-18s beat Birmingham City 5-0 to ease into the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup.

Jody Morris’ Blues dominated throughout but took a little while to find the breakthrough in a first half extended after Birmingham’s Leo Brown was stretchered off with a knee injury.

Callum Hudson-Odoi wasted a couple of good chances either side of the stoppage before a fine individual effort from Mount on 37 minutes picked the lock.

He collected a loose ball just outside the Birmingham box, jinked away from a couple of defenders and then hammered home.

Mount got his second in first-half injury time, as a free-kick from wide on the left sneaked in at the near post, before Cole Dasilva continued the rout on 55 minutes when he finished off a fine counter-attack involving Hudson-Odoi and George McEachran.

Mount completed his treble just after the hour mark when a cross was poorly cleared and the midfielder’s left-footed shot from outside the box proved too good for Birmingham keeper Adam Siviter.

Chelsea could have had so many more goals – Ike Ugbo and Marc Guehi both hit the post while substitute Martell Taylor-Crossdale had one ruled out for offside.

Two other subs combined to add the fifth late on, Harvey St. Clair’s persistence seeing him ride a couple of challenges before Reece James lashed in.

Chelsea will now meet Sheffield Wednesday in the next round on Monday.