Crawley Town hold Chelsea to a draw in Kewell's first home game in charge
It was an even game with both sides tending to cancel each other out.
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Hide AdChelsea took the lead in the 75th minutes with a well-taken goal by Charlie Brown.
This was levelled two minutes before the final whistle by Reds defender Joe McNerney.
Chelea fielded a young team with an average age of 19 years which included former Middlesbrough loanees Jamal Blackman in goal and Kenneth Omeruo at centre-back.
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Hide AdBlues also started with former Reading and Horsham centre-back Michael Hector.
Chelsea fielded Brighton-born Isaac Christie-Davies and featured 16-year-old Callum Hudson-Odoi up front with Ike Ugbo, 18.
Crawley had the opening attempt on goal when Josh Payne hit a speculative shot from 30 yards narrowly wide.
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Hide AdChelsea’s opening foray came from the lively Hudson-Odoi who ran into the Reds penalty area and launched a shot which was well-blocked by the defence.
Both sides lined up with 5-2-3 consisting of three centre-halves plus two wing-backs and were unchanged at the start of the second half.
Christie-Davies blasted well over the bar for Chelsea after the break and Ruben Sammut fired narrowly wide from 25 yards.
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Hide AdThe visitors were first out of the blocks in the second half with the diminutive Luke McCormick going on a good run into the area and shooting just wide.
Enzio Boldewijn then went on a good run at the other end but shot straight at keeper Jamal Blackman.
Both teams made multiple substitutions with Crawley using nine and Chelsea using 11.
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Hide AdReds sent the healthy crowd home happy by scoring a late equaliser when McNerney rose to head home a cross by Mark Connolly from the right.
Connelly was taken off with a knock after he scored and as replaced with Addison Garnett.
REDS: Merson, Young, Lelan (Blackman 73), Connolly (Garnett 88), Evina (Clifford 70), Bulman (capt) (Camara 73), Payne (McNerney 63), Randall (Djalo 70) Boldewijn (Cox 60), Harrold (Sanoh 63), Roberts (Lewis 63).
Unused: Morris
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Hide AdCHELSEA: Blackman, Grant, Omeruo (capt), Hector, Ampadu, Sammut, Christie-Davies, McCormick, Ugbo, Hudson-Odoi, Castillo
2nd half subs: Guemi, Beeney, Narte, Suljic, St Claire, Colley, Gallagher, Muhiem, McEachran, Tyler-Crosdale, Brown
REFEREE: Tim Robinson
ATTENDANCE: 3,546 (597 away)
MAN OF THE MATCH: Cedric Evina