Premier Reserve League,  South
        Motspur Park, New Malden, Surrey
       Wednesday 10th December 2008, 7pm

           FULHAM     v      SPURS 
       (White/Black)      (Light Blue)
            4-5-1            4-5-1
 
            1(0)              1(0)

      Neil Etheridge  1 Ben Alnwick
       Fredrik Stoor  2 Adam Smith
         Toni Kallio  3 Yuri Berchiche
         Chris Baird  4 Daniel Hutchins
    Chris Smalling(C) 5 Takura Mtandari
       Dickson Etuhu  6 Dorian Dervite(C)
         Zoltan Gera  7 Kyle Fraser-Allen
      Leon Andreasen  8 David Hutton
       Seol Ki-Hyeon  9 Jonathan Obika
         Wayne Brown 10 John Bostock
      Matthew Briggs 11 Charlie Daniels

  Wesley Foderingham 12 Jamie Butler
        Lewis Cumber 13 Jaques Maghoma
                        (7)56Mins
        Joe Anderson 14 Alex Olsen
           (8)86Mins. 
       Matt Saunders 15 Yaser Kasim
          (6)61Mins.    (8)84Mins.
         Lewis Smith 16 Andros Townsend
          (7)57Mins.    (3)68Mins.

Scorers:-
           Briggs 69    Obika 75

Booked:-
     Etuhu 12(Late)     Daniels 31(Late)
     Gera 43(Foot up) 

Coaches:-
         B. MacKinley   C. Allen

Attendance:- 100

Ref:- G. Jerden
Assistants:- C. Phillips, A. Oldershaw
Fourth Official:- S. Earl

It was a cold evening for this London Derby game. Only a small crowd came all the way out into the suburbs for this match where the Academy games are played instead of Craven Cottage. It is not the best place for a game as the view from the only stand is so poor.

Spurs lined up against a strong Fulham side with seven first teamers in the starting line-up. Clive Allen had picked a very young side with little first team experience. Dervite and Mtandari were at the back with Smith at right back and Berchiche on the left. Hutchins sat deep in the centre of the midfield with Bostock and Hutton more advanced. Fraser-Allen was wide right and Daniels on the left with Obika the lone front man.

Spurs kicked off attacking the left goal but the game became stuck in the middle of the park with what got through being cleaned up by the back line of both teams. Fulham had a very tall side and they often just leaned over the top of the Spurs players to win the ball. When the ball was on the deck Spurs were able to move it but were closed down quickly.

Etuhu was not quick enough when Fraser-Allen came inside and was booked for hooking his feet away as he got past. Fulham produced the bigger threat in the opening period but it was not until the 15th minute that Alnwick had to make the first save from a free kick by Andreasen. Seol got down the right and crossed for Gera, but his header was well wide.

Daniels was booked for a late challenge on Stoor before Andreasen headed wide following a corner. Obika nearly embarrassed the keeper on a couple of occasions chasing down balls before Berchiche put an effort wide. Gera chased a through ball and was booked for a raised foot on Alnwick.

The home side started the second half strongly and Seol managed to head the ball down and wide at the near post from a corner. A free kick by Brown was met by Kallio but Alnwick got down to save his shot. Daniels fired over before we had some changes. Maghoma came on for Fraser-Allen who had got nowhere on the right. Maghoma took up the anchor role in the defence with Hutchins moving up and Hutton going to the right flank. Spurs began to look better and started to threaten more and the game became more end to end.

Bostock had an effort that Etheridge saved and then Smith got past Alnwick, but the keeper recovered to block his shot. Allen then replaced Berchiche with Townsend who went to the left wing as Daniels dropped to the left back position. Fulham took the lead when Brown’s corner came out to Andreasen, he drilled it low in towards the far post. The ball was deflected out to Briggs who lifted the ball over the crowd into the far side of the goal. It was an intelligent effort and about what they deserved.

Spur almost equalised straight away when Maghoma played a lovely pass through to Hutton, but Etheridge came out quickly to block. Daniels played a one-two with Townsend on the left before coming inside to drive the ball just wide of the far post. When Fulham failed to clear the ball it fell to Obika on the edge of the area. He went past Baird and scored low to the keeper's left. When Hutton took a corner on the left it reached Daniels at the far post via a Fulham head, but he could not find the net. Kasim came on for Bostock and took up a very high position. Obika got the ball in the net but was ruled offside. As the game went into added time Brown had an effort that he put over the bar and Obika drove wide of the near post.

This was a better performance from the development team. Despite not having much threat up front for a lot of the game, they looked more settled as a team. They looked a lot better when Maghoma came on and started to threaten. A good point earnt against a strong team. The reserves play Villa at Brisbane Road on Monday evening which I will go to after the Spurs AGM. On Saturday our Academy will be playing Cardiff City in the morning at the Lodge in their last game before they break for Christmas.

Ray

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