FA Premier Academy League – South
   Spurs Lodge, Luxborough Lane, Chigwell
      Saturday 6th October 2007, 11am

            SPURS   v   READING   
        (All White)    (All Red)
            4-4-2        4-5-1
 
             1(1)        2(2)

        Lee Butcher 1 Alex McCarty
        Adam Smith  2 Daniel Spence
    Daniel Hutchins 3 Julian Kelly
    Yasser Kasim (C)4 Patrick Cox
     Yuri Benchiche 5 Harrison Bayley(C)
    Takura Mtandari 6 Clovis Kamdjo
       Kyle
       Fraser-Allen 7 Tom Piotrowski
       Dean Parrett 8 Gylfi Sigurdsson  
     Jonathan Obika 9 Kelvin Bossman
      David Hutton 10 Viktor Illugason
    Andros Townsend11 Gary Frewen

        Alex Olsen 12 Jahson Downes
       (11) 84Mins    (7)50Mins
      James Dalton 13 Ross Kitteridge
           Sam Cox 14 Mitchell Bryant
         (3)87Mins    (10)66Mins
    Callum Butcher 15 Ashley Mitchell
       Chris Casey 16 Oliver Kelly
         (2)64Mins    (12)78Mins

Coach:-

     A. Inglethope    E.Dolan

Scorers:-

   Townsend  27    Frewen 14
                   Kamdjo 22 

Bookings:-
Townsend 64(Late)
Kasim 86(Late)

Ref:-
    Mr. S.Essex

It was a sunny morning, with a cool breeze. It clouded over as the game went on. A crowd of around sixty people gathered to watch with the Reserves joining us after their training session during the second half.

Spurs lined up with Berchiche at the back alongside Mtandari with Smith returning at right back and Hutchins continuing at left back. Parrett again partnered Kasim in the middle with Fraser-Allen on the right and Townsend on the left. Obika continued up front with Hutton dropping into the hole.

The Visitors kicked off attacking the North goal, and almost scored when Kamdjo headed against the cross-bar from a free kick. Reading had come to defend deep looking for the counter which allowed Berchiche to carry the ball into their half before drawing a save from McCarthy with a 30 yard effort.

The game became a midfield battle with the visitors using their physical strength to prevent the home side's normal passing game. Some of the Spurs players, being lightweight, had difficulty in maintaining their feet.

Frewen gave the visitors the lead, when he headed home a free kick taken on the right. Townsend fired over from a good position and Parrett had a long range effort saved before a break by Reading ended with Butcher turning a shot by Frewen around the post. The resultant corner was taken short before the ball was swung in for Kamdjo to head home. It is not only the first team that cannot defend corners.

Spurs responded well and began to get the ball out wide with Hutchins hopeful effort saved by McCarthy going to his left. Good work down the right with the ball crossed to Townsend on the left gave him the opening to shoot across the keeper into the far corner.

Three more chances fell to Townsend in the first half with the first having to be cleared off the line after it beat the keeper. The next was put over the bar before McCarthy saved the last one. The Reading response was a chance put over by Sigurdsson.

The second half was almost all Spurs as the visitors sat back and looked for the break. Within two minutes Townsend set Obika up but his shot was saved. Spurs pushed back the visitors into their own half playing the ball around looking for an opening with players trying to find the killer pass instead of just bombarding the goal.

Casey was brought on to add to the aerial threat in place of Smith who took a knock to the face early in the first half. Hutchins moved to cover the right back position with Berchiche going to left back. Reading did break out with Downes making Butcher save from distance, but this was a rare incursion as they were under so much pressure.

Berchiche had another shot saved before a couple of minutes later heading over from Hutton’s corner. Inglethorpe sent on Olsen to add his goalscoring abilities up front with Hutton moving to the left. Cox was also brought on in place of Hutchins who looked to have received a knock as Spurs went to three at the back. Despite all the pressure on the Reading goal the home side could not break through and the last chance fell to Olsen which McCarthy saved.

It was a disappointing result as there was only one side in it for most of the game. Reading defended very well for most of the game with only the ineffective Bossman in our half. With so much of our game depending on passing to feet. When openings appeared players were slow to have a dig, instead looking to play a colleague in.

Reading scored from two set-pieces going close from a third with hardly a threat from open play. We lacked good centre backs at dead ball situations such as Mills and Dervite who weighed in with a few goals last season. With Reading having so many bodies back I would have liked to see a few more long range efforts from players patrolling outside the area.

Next Saturday the Academy will be away to high flying Leicester City when I hope to provide a report. Before that the Reserves will be playing at Upton Park on Tuesday. I spotted Dervite amongst the reserve players, which is good news.

Ray

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