FA BARCLAYCARD PREMIERSHIP RESERVE LEAGUE
MONDAY 1ST NOVEMBER, 2004
SPURS RESERVES 3 (2) CHELSEA RESERVES 0 (0)

Scorers:-
Silva, 28, 30
Jackson, 51

Referee:- Mr. D. Phillips

Attendance:- Est. 600

Teams:-
Spurs (4-4-2):- Burch; Ifil, Kelly (Capt.), Defendi, Taricco; Dilevski, Marney, Jackson, Yeates; Silva, Barnard

Subs not used:- Fulop; O'Donoghue, McKie; Hughes; Slabber

No bookings

Chelsea (4-1-4-1):- Makabu; Smith, Morais, Watt, Hudell (sub Brand, 53); Grant (sub Younghusband, 72); Oliveira, Smith (sub Pettigrew, 62), Hollands (Capt.), Tillen; Woodards

Subs not used:- Russell; Simmonds (also named as sub - Gallaccio)

Booked:- Smith

It was great fun to see a Spurs team win a game convincingly. Alright it was effectively the Chelsea Youth team providing the opposition, but you still have to beat the team in front of you, and Spurs did that with a high speed game, which included some effective passing and good wing-play, especially from my man of the match Mark Yeates, who might be putting himself in the frame for the first team on this form. For a change it was Edson Silva Sousa who stole the goal-scoring headlines from his strike partner, Lee Barnard, with two goals in the space of two first half minutes.

If you take old hand Mauricio Taricco out of the equation, then Spurs too had little Premiership experience on display. All three of Spurs goals came from headers. They were old-fashioned goals, arising from great crosses and powerful finishes. There could easily have been more, but for some off-target shots, and the feet of the sometimes desperate Chelsea keeper, Yves Makubu.

The crowd was boosted somewhat by Chelsea fans unfamiliar with most of the names on their team sheet, with Oliveira the one closest to first team squad status in the past. With Champions' League football in the offing tomorrow, Jose Mourinho was not going to let any of his "23" man squad near this fixture.

In the early stages, Spurs passing from the back was a little sloppy, and Taricco and Defendi in particular were kept busy by the lively Oliveira and Woodards, who alternated as lone front man, or right winger. Chelsea were playing with Grant in front of their back four, and a four-man midfield behind that lone striker. It was 13 minutes before Spurs had a meaningful attack, with a long cross from Dilevski on the right, met by Yeates beyond the back post. Yeates slipped the ball to Silva, whose shot was blocked, with Marney's follow-up being deflected for a corner.

Spurs, and coach Clive Allen in particular, were getting frustrated by the regular raising of the flag of the Assistant Referee, as the strikers generally failed to time their runs well enough, although some decisions did look dodgy. Spurs were spraying good long diagonal balls, and Yeates in particular was having a lot of success against his right back. After 25 minutes, Chelsea's skipper Danny Hollands snatched a powerfully driven shot straight at Rob Burch after a throw from the right.

Spurs took the lead in the 28th minute, after a lovely flowing movement that began on the left. Marney did well to win a header in the midfield, then found Dilevski, who fed the overlapping Ifil, who hit a superb powerful cross on the run, which Silva hit home with a very strong header. Hollands once again tested Burch, after Jackson lost out in a midfield challenge, but then Spurs went two up. This time Yeates made his way down the left, crossing to the back post, where Silva rose to head the ball firmly down and into the net.

After the break, Mark Yeates had two dazzling runs down the left, twisting in and outside the defence. At the end of the first run, he tried to tee up Barnard, who was blocked, and then Yeates ended the second run with a good shot, just saved for a corner. The third goal followed soon after this great display. Marney found Yeates with a great long ball. The little Irishman (a Keane type player) beat the right back on the outside, got to the bye-line, then lifted a cross for John Jackson to head home in the style of recent goals against the Spurs Premiership side.

Now the Spurs side just seemed to get stronger and stronger. Marney and Jackson grew in confidence and ability in the middle. Yeates and Dilevski switched wings, and Ifil regularly supplemented the forward line with his efforts in attack. The way these lads ran tirelessly, and challenged for the ball everywhere reminded me of almost every team the first team has encountered this season.

Soon after the third goal, Spurs could have had a quick fourth as Marney sent Silva down the right and a quick ball gave Barnard a great opportunity with the goal beckoning. Barnard put his effort far too high and wide. Chelsea replaced Hudell with Brand, who moved up to partner Woodards, whilst Tillen dropped back to left back. Eventually this was to give the visitors more balance and at least one or two half chances late in the game. Marney stole the ball in the Chelsea half after 67 minutes and hit a low shot across the keeper, missing the post by a small gap.

With 20 minutes left, Barnard got the better of Watt, and passed back to Yeates who saw and took a cheeky opportunity to beat the out of position keeper with a left foot shot into the side netting from the edge of the area. Barnard and Yeates threatened the Blues with a great rapid burst out of defence after Morais' free kick had been charged down. Then Barnard nearly took advantage of a stray defensive ball, with a shot saved by the legs of Makubu.

With five minutes left, Spurs did have a little panic in defence as Tillen's free kick from the right was cleared twice at close range near the goal-line. Dilevski had a good run down the left, and gave Barnard yet another crack at goal, being thwarted again by the keeper's legs. Pat Jennings, watching from the stand, knew what these saves were about!

I felt that Spurs should have won by a greater margin for the good possession and chances they created. This was their sixth win in ten games, and they are firmly placed in the top half of the league, whilst Chelsea are near the bottom of the table. If Spurs can keep their first-teamers away, then the Reserves might have a very successful season!

Next up is a trip to Vicarage Road, Watford next Wednesday 10th November, and the following Monday, Ipswich visit Broadhall Way, Stevenage.

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