FA YOUTH CUP SEMI-FINAL 1ST LEG
FRIDAY 8TH APRIL, 2005
(at Portman Road)
IPSWICH U-18S 2 (1) SPURS U-18S 0 (0)

Scorers:-
Trotter, 29
Clarke, 76

Referee: - Mr. P. Crossley

Attendance: - 4,325

Teams:-
Ipswich (4-3-2-1):- Supple; Moore, Casement, Collins, Synott; Lordan, Garvan, Trotter; Knights, Craig (Capt.); Clarke

Subs not used: - Reynolds (GK); Hammond, Ainsley, Sheringham, Haynes

No Bookings

Spurs (4-4-2):- Forecast; Ifil (Capt.), Mills, Lee, Wright; Maghoma, Lewis, O’Hara, Daniels; Dawkins (sub Davis, 76), Barcham

Subs not used: - Holloway; Archibald-Henville, Riley; Seanla

Booked: - Lewis

Until Ipswich striker Billy Clarke scored a deflected shot in the 76th minute to give Ipswich a 2 goal lead, you would have fancied Spurs to put matters to rights next Wednesday in the second leg of this tie at White Hart lane. The fact of the matter is that for all the good football that Ipswich did play (and they were the better team on the night), they did not make Tommy Forecast work as hard as Shane Supple had in the first half, when Spurs had 4 excellent chances, two of which should have been put away by Charlie Daniels

The vocal and partisan home crowd took great delight in the performance of their youngsters, some of which have had a little first team squad appearance, whereas for Spurs, only Phil Ifil has played for the Spurs first team. Ipswich coach Bryan Klug definitely won the tactical battle. He decided to play Clarke as a lone striker, but very ably supported by Darryl Knights, who had been a thorn in our side in the September game at Spurs Lodge, who enjoyed playing from the midfield but getting behind the Spurs defence with some great runs. Both these players showed great movement and skill, challenging Leigh Mills and Charlie Lee to the full. Ipswich skipper Liam Craig also played more of an attacking role, but the rest of the midfield, Garvan, Trotter and Lordan assisted in swamping their Spurs counterparts out of the reckoning for most of the game

Most of Spurs chances arose as a result of errors by the Town defenders, who were literally slipping on occasions, suggesting they had the wrong studs on this arctic chilly April night. (The cricket season started today, and I suspect they needed about 10 sweaters!)

Spurs played their usual line-up, with Simon Dawkins getting the nod from Pat Holland to play beside top scorer, Andy Barcham. Spurs had a great chance to take a lead after just one minute, which would have been as much of a fillip as the goal at Vicarage Road in the last round. Jamie O’Hara sent the ball to Barcham in the middle, and when he passed back to the advancing Daniels, the Spurs winger had time to measure his shot, but hit it at the keeper who could not hold it, but parried it and cleared.

Whilst constantly challenged. Mills and Lee were on top of things, even when Clarke used his trickery in the box after 6 minutes, when receiving a cross from the right. Clarke hit a good left foot shot that was always curling wide from 25 yards out after 13 minutes, before repeating the effort a minute or two later. Spurs broke from an Ipswich attack after 16 minutes, and O’Hara’s long ball should have been cleared, but the normally reliable Aidan Collins slipped over and Barcham was away. Barcham was still being covered and had little room for manoeuvre, but he got in a good low shot, which Supple could not hold. Barcham was just in the air and above the ball as it rebounded under him. Supple looks a strong keeper, but he needed to actually hold the ball more in the early stages. He was tested a minute later, as Barcham now got through on the left side, and teed up Daniels again, with even more time to place his shot. Once again, Daniels hit his shot straight at the keeper who saved the day.

Ipswich now took the upper hand, with Garvan spraying passes and Knights and Clarke testing the Spurs defence constantly. In the 29th minute, a cross from the right seemed to be handled by Leigh Mills, but as the appeals went up, the loose ball had run to Trotter anyway, and he only had Tommy Forecast to beat with his low shot from short range. The goal had been coming. Simon Dawkins had his first effort, after a great threaded ball by Maghoma. Dawkins shot beat the keeper but ran across the area and wide. Next it was Trotter falling over on the ball, and Stuart Lewis hit a 25 yard shot wide of the left post.

Knights and Clarke demonstrated their skills on the ball in the Spurs area again, before Clarke set up Trotter for what should have been a second goal, but which was hit wide. After the break, Spurs matched the Town formation, with Maghoma reverting to a central role, where he got in lots of block tackles, and Dawkins falling back to play on the right. Maghoma had a half chance when reaching a floated free kick from O’Hara beyond the back post, but lifted the shot way over the target area. Maghoma started a great Spurs counter after 61 minutes, and sent Ifil away down the right. Ifil crossed and Barcham hit a great shot on the turn, first time, that Supple was glad to save conceding a corner. A Spurs corner was met by Mills, heading over Supple, but cleared off the line by Casement.

Knights, and Clarke were the chief protagonists again, as Lordan was offered a chance, but fired over the bar. Knights caused Spurs more problems when he got deep into the area after 68 minutes, this time teeing up Trotter, whose shot was wide. Knights was the provider for Clarke’s goal, moving in from the right, having left Maghoma in his wake. Clarke’s shot from at least 20 yards was deflected and left Forecast no chance to switch his direction. A second goal was deserved by the home side, who had played the better football by far, with swift movement, and plenty of men around the ball in defence or attack. Spurs never had a direct threat when the desperately needed a goal back, and in injury time they were lucky not to go 3 down, when Clarke set up Knights, who sliced his shot yards wide.

Clearly, Spurs need an early goal on Wednesday night, but they are capable of that. Come what may, it promises to be an enthralling and entertaining game which I thoroughly commend to you.

I just want to finish this report by thanking 13 year old Ipswich fan James Ager, who has kindly helped me out with some research for this report, the match preview, and our early season game against Ipswich. James will be the Ipswich mascot at Molineux next Monday night, and I hope he has a great night.

P.S – Did you notice the name of Sheringham on the Ipswich bench? This is Teddy’s son - Charlie, who was on Spurs’ books as a schoolboy, initially went to Millwall, but has been with Ipswich most of this season. Maybe he will get on the pitch at The Lane with Dad watching?

· Read the Preview Material for this tie here

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