FA YOUTH CUP 3RD ROUND
TUESDAY 7TH DECEMBER, 2004
(at White Hart Lane)
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 (0) NOTTINGHAM FOREST 0 (0)

Scorer:-
Barcham, 90

Referee:- Mr. A. Field

Attendance:- Est. 3,000

Teams:-
Spurs (4-4-2):- Forecast; Ifil (Capt.), Lee, Mills, Wright; Davis (sub Heller, 78), Maghoma, O'Hara, Daniels; Dawkins (sub Thyer, 58), Barcham

Subs not used:- Button; Riley; Lewis

No bookings

Forest (4-4-2):- Gamble; Cullingworth, Hanbury, Fernandez, Blair; Glass, Hughes, McGugan (Capt.), Bastians; Mullarkey, Vickers (sub Pittman, 80)

Subs not used:- Martin; Rigby, Vickerton, Fairclough

Booked:- Blair (foul on Dawkins)

Just when it looked like Forest were going to manage to play out time in the corner of the Spurs half, and take this tie to a replay at The City Ground, up popped Andy Barcham to fire home the winner well into injury time to secure young Spurs' passage to the 4th Round of the Youth Cup. It was a great and deserving finish to a game that built up to a crescendo. Let there be no doubt that the home side were worthy winners, having hit the woodwork twice, forced a number of decent saves from Forest keeper Paddy gamble, and in the second half particularly dominating possession and the game. Had their decision making at crucial times been better, then Spurs could and should have had this game wrapped up well before that "last hour" clincher, and there were times towards the end of the game, when Forest looked like they might just snatch a cheeky win.

Spurs welcomed Premiership player Phil Ifil back to the ranks of his peers, and he skippered the side with his usual gusto. Jamie O'Hara was very impressive in the middle, but in the first half, his partner Jack Maghoma also made some strong runs. The two front men were kept fairly quiet in the first half, and the ball just did not quite run for Simon Dawkins, who was replaced after 58 minutes by Scott Thyer. Thyer was the provider of Barcham's winner, and Barcham really deserved that goal, having impressed throughout the second half, with some great hold-up play, turns, runs, shots and what should have been final passes for goals, if only his compatriots could have made their final touch accurate.

Mullarkey and Vickers were a constant worry to Mills and Lee early in the game, and in the opening minutes, Spurs had already defended a free kick, when Jamie Davis made a great interception preventing the ball reaching Forest's left winger, Felix Bastians inside the Spurs area. Barcham claimed an early penalty but was waved away by referee Field, before he did show the only yellow card of the game to left back Daniel Blair for a high challenge on Dawkins. Spurs' first clear chance came after 17 minutes from a Jamie O'Hara free kick, taken on the left. Barcham tried to get a touch but the ball reached the back of the area, where Leigh Mills rifled a shot onto the bar which rebounded into open territory.

Four minutes later a great move down the left for Spurs ended in a cross from O'Hara, which Jamie Davis met, but his header bounced down and easily into the hands of Gamble. Forest had a useful free kick from the left which Fernandez met with a glancing header, hitting it wide of the post. A good run through the middle by Maghoma allowed him to slip the ball to Davis, who could have tried a shot, but made an indecisive attempted pass to Daniels, which failed. Daniels is an impactive winger who likes to get into the middle and also hit the woodwork later in the game. In injury time in the first half, Davis did make a the right decision after another run, and fired a shot which was parried by Gamble, met by Daniels, whose shot was blocked, meaning the stalemate lasted till half-time.

It was a while before any meaningful action, after the break, but after 56 minutes Ifil won a good battle in the Forest half. He could have sent Davis away, but seeing the keeper a few yards out, tried a cheeky 30 yard shot which scooted outside the post. After 61 minutes, Mills was on hand for another free kick taken on the left. Leigh headed the ball inside where Daniels's shot was blocked and Barcham's effort went over, possibly deflected. An offside flag had gone up anyway.

Forest skipper Lewis McGugan tried a 25 yard free kick after Jamie O'Hara was penalised for little more than a shoulder barge, but Tommy Forecast was on hand to collect the kick. There was a nasty midfield collision between Ifil and Mills, going for the same ball, when Ifil recovered first, and Mills carried on, nursing a severe knock to his right leg. It almost cost Spurs, as Mills struggled in his first challenge, but Charlie Lee was on hand to clear the danger.

Now Spurs started to show some real urgency, as fears of a replay loomed. Daniels cleverly flicked a low ball into Barcham's path, and the striker's shot was deflected for a corner. Minutes later Barcham collected a ball from the half way line with his back to goal, turned quickly, leaving the defence in his wake and setting up substitute Scott Thyer. Just as Thyer was about to pull the trigger from about 15 yards, Blair got in a marvellous saving tackle to prevent a decisive shot. More great work from Barcham after 77 minutes cutting in from the left flank and setting up Daniels again led to the shot from the left winger hitting the top of the bar, and bouncing away from danger.

Davis was replaced by Heller, who is lightning fast, but was not allowed a run in his brief appearance tonight. A short corner worked by O'Hara and Heller was passed inside to Lee, who teed up Barcham, but the shot was straight at the keeper. As Spurs were attacking more and more, Forest might have taken advantage of the stretched situation, and substitute Pittman was battling away in the Spurs corner, when the ball was carried clear, and passed to Thyer around the half-way line. Barcham was begging for the ball, which he got, and despite the attentions of three Forest players, he got goalside of all of them and coolly slotted a low shot to the left of the keeper for a dramatic winner, to justified acclaim from the crowd, who cheered the youngsters heartily off the pitch.

I was lucky enough to be seated just behind the Directors' box, where Martin Jol, Frank Arnesen, Chris Hughton and Clive Allen joined in that hearty applause and saw their excited kids off the park.

If you are not going to Manchester City this Saturday, why not go to Spurs Lodge and see the under-18s play Milton Keynes (kick-off 11 a.m). You will see plenty of endeavour and not a little skill, and maybe you can spot the next Premiership star to emerge from the Spurs' ranks. Failing that, if you missed tonight's game, and we get a home draw in a future round of the Youth Cup, give them your support at The Lane. They are worth it!

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