Frank Lampard Denied First Win as Chelsea Boss as Blues Draw With Irish Team Featuring 14-Year-Old

Frank Lampard was denied his first win as Chelsea manager as the Blues began their pre-season schedule with a 1-1 draw against Irish side Bohemians on

Frank Lampard was denied his first win as Chelsea manager as the Blues began their pre-season schedule with a 1-1 draw against Irish side Bohemians on Wednesday.

The former Chelsea midfielder fielded a heavily rotated side from the off on Wednesday evening, providing starts for the likes of Marc Guehi, Dujon Sterling and Danny Drinkwater, then making changes to the entire starting XI after the break.

Our first pre-season game of 2019/20 ends in a draw. 🤝#CFCinDublin pic.twitter.com/aAI91tOw2O

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 10, 2019

Chelsea initially put themselves ahead in the friendly when Michy Batshuayi - who has spent the last 18 months out on loan - opened the scoring after just eight minutes.

Somewhat predictably, the game was a non-event for the most part as Chelsea looked to get back up to speed after their recent break. However, Bohemians were able to inject some last-minute drama into proceedings when they scored an equaliser in the dying minutes through trialist Eric Molloy.

The hosts also ended the game with Even Ferguson on the pitch, a 14-year-old substitute who fired an effort narrowly wide of the post shortly before Molloy found the back of the net.

Charles McQuillan/GettyImages

Speaking about his managerial debut with Chelsea, Lampard told the club's website: "It was a tough game for us.

"We wanted to win obviously because you always do but it’s not about that at this point – it’s about individuals getting fit and pushing themselves to the limit. We were pleased with the outcome and I thought some of the performances, particularly from some of the young lads, were really good."

Chelsea's next pre-season friendly will be against St. Patricks on July 13.