* Chelsea win to seal first place in Group F
* Second half fightback gives Chelsea victory
* Ancelotti pleased with youngsters
(adding quotes, details)
By Mike Collett
LONDON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Chelsea put aside uncertainty
over their immediate future with a performance that boded well
for the longer term as their young players inspired a 2-1
comeback win over MSK Zilina in the Champions League on Tuesday.
An equaliser from 21-year-old Daniel Sturridge and assured
displays from 17-year-old midfielder Josh McEachran, 19-year-old
defender Jeffrey Bruma and 20-year-old defender Patrick van
Aanholt in the second half helped Chelsea to victory after going
behind in the 19th minute.
Florent Malouda scored a late winner to leave Chelsea with a
maximum 15 points from their five matches, and guaranteed first
place in Group F, followed by Olympique Marseille (9), who won
3-0 at Spartak Moscow (6). Zilina are bottom with no points.
Zilina went ahead through Babatounde Bello and held that
lead until six minutes into the second half when Sturridge
equalised with a close range effort in Chelsea's 100th match in
Europe's elite club competition.
The London side then dominated the second half before
finally getting the goal they deserved through Malouda's tap-in
four minutes from time.
The result lifted some of the gloom over Stamford Bridge
following the recent, controversial departure of popular
assistant coach Ray Wilkins and three defeats in their last four
Premier League matches which have sparked rumours over the
future of coach Carlo Ancelotti.
He, however, was calm and composed after a win against
surprisingly stubborn opponents, who lost by a record home
Champions League score of 7-0 in their last group match against
Olympique Marseille.
Ancelotti made six changes to the side that lost to
Birmingham City on Saturday and was without injured or rested
senior players like John Terry, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien
and Alex, and gave some of his younger players a chance.
"We did not play well in the first half but we were very
good in the second half and I was very pleased with the young
players generally," Ancelotti told reporters.
"It was important to win and move on. We have now had 60
shots at goal in our last two games but only scored twice. We
have been unlucky not to score more but the young players have
had some good experience tonight and showed the quality they can
bring to the team."
He singled out McEachran, a slightly-built creative England
Under-17 midfielder who has been with Chelsea since he was
eight, for his second-half performance.
"He was good defensively today but can play the ball long or
short without a problem," he said. "He has to grow, he has to
improve -- but he is ready to play."
SURPRISE GOAL
Chelsea hardly looked ready for anything much in the opening
half but it was still a surprise when they fell behind when
Bello, a 21-year-old Nigerian-born Benin international exchanged
passes advancing up the field with Robert Jez before firing wide
of goalkeeper Peter Cech's stand-in Ross Turnbull.
That was Zilina's first goal in the competition since their
4-1 home loss to Chelsea in September, and they continued to
worry the English champions.
The home side gradually began to assert themselves with
Sturridge prevented from an equaliser before halftime only by a
superb save from Martin Dubravka.
At the start of the second half, Ancelotti replaced the only
youngster to disappoint -- 19-year-old Gael Kakuta -- with
Salomon Kalou and with two wingers stretching the Zilina
defence, his side began to dominate.
Didier Drogba and Van Aanholt hit the post before Malouda
scored when Zilina's defensive frailties were exposed.
"I thought we had done enough for as point and we are
obviously disappointed to lose right at the end," said Zilina
boss Pavel Hapal, whose team are in danger of ending this group
stage with the worst record since the Champions League began.
"Chelsea though had more chances in the second half, and we
could have conceded a lot more, so it's good, if we had to lose,
we only lost 2-1."
(Editing by Sonia Oxley; To comment on this story email
sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
