Premier Academy League, South  
  Wellington Training ground, Eastleigh 
    Saturday 29th March 2008, 11am
 
      PORTSMOUTH    v     SPURS
     (Blue/White)      (All White)
        4-5-1             4-4-2
 
         3(1)              2(0)
 
         Tom Smith  1 Oscar Jansson
      Tero Mantyla  2 Takura Mtandari(C)
    Andre Blackman  3 Daniel Hutchins
       Marlon Pack  4 Sam Cox
 Callum Reynolds(C) 5 Adjet Shehu
         Joel Ward  6 Calum Butcher
    Andrea Mutombo  7 Kyle Fraser-Allen
    Matthew Richie  8 Josh Ekim
  Paris Cowan-Hall  9 Jonathan Obika
        Tom Kilbey 10 Ryan Mason
     Jordan Hughes 11 Danny Rose
 
    Louie
    Jordan-Castles 12 Sol Asajile
       (9)83Mins.     (5)46Mins.
       Joe Collins 13 James Dalton
       Nick Jordan 14 Jake Nicholson
                     (10)86Mins.
    Ryan Woodford  15 Jamie Davis
                     (8)58Mins.
    Ryan Gazet
    Du Chattelier  16
      (7)60Mins.

Scorers:-
Cowan-Hall 35, 66     Rose 48
        Hughes 82     Fraser-Allen 80

Booked:-
                      Fraser-Allen 74
                      Hutchins 74
                      (Both dissent)

Coaches:-
        P.Hart       A.Inglethorpe

Referee:- D.Woolford
Assistants:- G.Buckwell, J. Pickering

It was a windy, overcast morning, with rain that came during the second half. For the penultimate away game of this season With a small crowd of onlookers, Spurs came to this game with a weakened side missing many regulars and introducing a couple of U-16's to the side for their first games. I believe that Townsend was due to play , but was withdrawn late allowing Ekim to step in for his first start.

Spurs lined up with Shehu joining Butcher at the back with Mtandari at right back and Hutchins on the left. Young Turk Ekim joined Cox in the centre of midfield with Fraser-Allen wide on the right and Rose on the left. Mason played behind Obika in attack.

Spurs kicked off attacking the north end and Rose won a corner on the left straight away. This came to nothing as did the one when Rose drove in a centre, which was deflected just wide of the near post by a defender. Pompey were sitting back allowing Spurs to push forward relying on quick counters with their wide players and striker. From their first break they won a corner which was headed off the line by Rose. Despite most of the play being in the home half they managed to threaten with Richie being blocked by Jansson as well as putting a shot well wide. Cowan-Hall put one over before Mason fired wide at the other end. Spurs were again caught by a break which went to Cowan-Hall on the edge of the area. He neatly dribbled past both centre-backs before drilling the ball home for the opener.

Jansson saved from Kilbey shortly after and Obika was tackled just as he ran into the area and was about to shoot. From the corner Mtandari headed wide. Smith saved Obika's weak effort as the half ended.

At the start of the second half Shehu was replaced by Asajile who went to right back allowing Mtandari to move into the centre. Portsmouth began a little more adventurously and were caught out by a long ball to Rose who raced into the area. Smith got a hand to the ball but Rose recovered and scored from an acute angle past a couple of defenders. Hughes fired over and Richie went wide from a corner as Portsmouth looked to go back in front. Davis came on for Ekim and played down the right allowing Fraser-Allen to stay on the left and Rose to support Obika with Mason dropping back.

Smith saved a snap shot by Rose as the game began to open up with both sides attacking. Blackman tried his luck, but was wide and Rose had another effort saved with Mason putting the rebound wide. Rose tried from over 30 yards, with the ball going well over. Gazet Du Chattelier fired over before Cowan-Hall struck again. With Spurs looking for a free kick for a foul on Rose deep in the Portsmouth half, the ball was played long and Cowan-Hall found himself well clear of the last defender with only the keeper to beat. Jansson came out but he slipped the ball past him for his and Pompey's second.

Mason had a shot saved as the home side began to dominate. Gazet Du Chattelier fired over as did Kilbey, with Cowan-Hall bringing two saves from Jansson. When Fraser-Allen went down under pressure with the Ref giving the free kick to the home side, he protested and was booked for dissent with Hutchins also booked for saying something as well. Davis worked the ball to Rose on the right and his cross found Fraser-Allen free at the far post. After a couple of touches he fired it in across the keeper into the far corner.

Spurs were not level for long as Hughes broke through the centre timing his run well to shoot low past the keeper. The Ref then gave a free kick for a foul on Fraser-Allen which Mason fired in only for the keeper to save for a corner. Kilbey went wide again before Inglethorpe made his last change with a straight swap of Nicolson for Mason. Smith saved another free kick, this time from Hutchins before Kilbey put the last chance over the bar.

With so many changes to the line-up Spurs did not get into their stride. There was some good approach play with a couple of dangerous crosses from the wings. I think that Rose was going to start behind Obika as he kept drifting in from the wing where he was dangerous early in the game. It looked like they lost confidence as the game went on and with some of the ref's decisions going against them and the pouring rain, they began to leave gaps. Players didn't track back as well as they should leaving Portsmouth players with chances to score. Cowan-Hall scored from one and nearly scored from another. I suppose the changes were due to the International week which saw players going away and possibly rested. It would have been better to make these changes for a home game. The U-18's have two home games in a row now with Crystal Palace next Saturday and then Ipswich Town. I will be at Blackburn for the first so will not be able to post a report. I will be back in time for the reserve game on Monday evening at Brisbane Road to see them take on Fulham.

Ray

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