Reserve Friendly
        Brisbane Road, Leyton
    Monday 17th December 2007, 7pm
 
       SPURS      V     LIVERPOOL    
    (All White)          (All Red)
       4-4-2              4-4-2
 
        1(1)               2(0)
 
   Tommy Forecast 1 Peter Gulacsi
     Cian Hughton 2 Martin Kelly
       Joe Martin 3 Emiliano Insua
   Jake Livermore 4 Mikel San Jose Dominguez
 Ricardo Rocha(C) 5 Ronald Huth
  Dorien Dervite  6 Jay Spearing(C)
 Wayne Routledge  7 Ryan Crowther
      Danny Rose  8 Francisco Duran  
   Tomas Pekhart  9 Craig Lindfield
      Alec Olsen 10 Daniel Pacheco
    David Hutton 11 Ray Putterill
 
    David Button 12 Krisztian Nemeth
       (1)46Mins.   (10)60Mins.
 Daniel Hutchins 13 Dean Bouzanis
     (10)69Mins.
  Yuri Benchiche 14 Jordy Brouwer
      (5)69Mins.    (11)69Mins.
         Sam Cox 15 Daniel Ayala
		    (8)13 Mins.
     Yaser Kasim 16 Gerardo Bruna
       (6)78Mins.
                 17 Stephen Darby
Kyle Fraser-Allen18
      (11)46Mins. 

Coach:-
         C.Allen    G.Ablett

Scorers:-
Pekhart  24,(pen)  Kelly 83
                   Lindfield 85  

Booked:-
                   Huth 79(Foul)

Referee:- S.Beck
Assistants:- G.Jerden, M.Webb, C.Breakspear

Spurs lined up with Forecast in goal with Rocha and Dervite at the back and Hughton on the right and Martin on the left. Livermore and Rose went into centre midfield with Routledge on the right and Hutton on the left. Olsen partnered Pekhart in attack. The Liverpool squad (coached by former player Gary Ablett)included only one player who has first team experience and contained half former youth team players that had won the 2007 FA Youth cup and imported young players.

Spurs kicked off attacking the Winsor Road end and settled into a good passing pattern of play. Pacheco had two early speculative attempts off target after Martin had whipped in a low cross. Duran injured himself in a tackle with Hutton and had to be replaced by Ayala before Gulacsi had to make the first save of the game from Pekhart. Rose then had a shot that was blocked for a corner. Routledge fired the kick low to the near post where Hutton stepped over it and allowed it to pass the far post without a touch. With Routledge’s first touch on the wing he pushed the ball passed Insua but was not allowed to follow it.

Hutton was also proving a handful on the other side but it was Rose who got round the full back only to be fouled by Ayala. Pekhart took the penalty and hit a rising shot to the keeper's left. Spurs were having the better of the play and Rose tried to catch Gulacsi off his line from 60 yards out.

Huth hit a free kick over from just outside the area and then made a tackle on Olsen as he was about to go clean through. Despite the amount of possession Spurs had they did not trouble the keeper with many goal attempts and it was the Reds that had chances at the other end with Putterill going wide and Pacheco putting his effort over from the edge of the area. Huth’s powerful header from a corner was cleared by Dervite. Liverpool had more chances from Spearing and San Jose Dominguez shooting from distance.

Allen made three changes for the second half with Button replacing Forecast in goal, Kasim on for Livermore in midfield and Fraser-Allen in place of Hutton on the right with Routledge moving to the left side.

The visitors had a couple of early chances before Rose had a shot blocked after Pekhart had beaten Gulacsi at the far post and with the game settling more into a midfield battle Allen made another two changes. Berchiche came on for Rocha who gave the captain’s armband to Dervite. Yuri went to left back with Martin moving inside to partner Dervite. Hutchins came on in place of Olsen and moved into midfield to allow Rose to play in a more advanced position.

Lindfield drew a save from Button before Rose came deep to receive the ball and was caught as he turned by Huth who was shown the only yellow card of the night. Dervite carried the ball out of the back and played the ball to Fraser-Allen who then whipped in a centre that Pekhart headed powerfully goalward from ten yards. Gulacsi saved to his left to keep the Reds in the game. Two minutes later and they were level. Dervite conceded a free kick on the edge of the D. Lindfield drove the kick in low which Button blocked but Kelly reacted quickly to poke it in. Liverpool scored again from another free kick conceded by Dervite. This time Lindfield headed Spearings kick in at the near post. Lindfield had one more effort before the final whistle.

It was a hard result for the Reserves as they had so much possession during the game and Dervite had played well. All the changes in the game did not help and despite the number of attempts the visitors had, I thought that Spurs had been the better side. Routledge had started so well that Insua found it necessary to employ other ways to stop him and when he moved to the left to allow Fraser-Allen to play on the right he was not as effective. Rocha had a good run out and with Dervite alongside him controlled the centre. Most of the Liverpool shooting was from distance. The only worry was that Martin does not look as strong since coming back from injury.

The Reserves do not have a game until the 4th January when they entertain Derby at Brisbane Road.

Ray

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