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Courtesy of:- Ray Lo, and the Spurs List.
2008-9 Pre-season Friendly
Clarence Park, St.Albans
Wednesday 16th July 2008, 7.45pm
ST. ALBANS CITY v SPURS XI
(Yellow/Blue) (White/Blue)
4-5-1 4-4-2
1(1) 2(2)
Paul Bastock 1 Lee Butcher
James Fisher 2 Cian Hughton
(4)65Mins.
Scott Cousins 3 Yuri Berchiche
(7)65Mins.
James Quilter 4 Daniel Hutchins
Ben Martin 5 Dorian Dervite
Frater 6 Anthony Gardner(C)
Jonathan Hunt 7 Kyle Fraser-Allen
Ridgway 8 Kevin-Prince Boateng
Paul Hakim 9 Andy Barcham
Lee Clark(C) 10 Alex Olsen
Simon Martin 11 David Hutton
Rod Hicks 12
(11)59Mins.
Dan Chillingworth 13 Mark Clare
(3)46Mins
Heywood 14 Kieran McKenna
(3)59Mins. (10)69Mins.
Williams 15 Ricardo Rocha
(5)65Mins (6)46Mins.
Fryatt 16 Sol Asajile
(8)59Mins. (8)46Mins.
Okai 17 Takura Mtandari
(7)71Mins. (2)46Mins.
Mattos 18
(10)71Mins.
Hassan Sulaiman 19
(6)37Mins
Eames 20
(9)71Mins
Scorers:-
S. Martin 44 Hutton 5
Olsen 23
Coaches:-
S. Castle C. Allen
It was a warm evening for the opening game of Clive Allen’s Spurs XI at one of our former reserve venues. A crowd of around two hundred had gathered to see us play an entertaining match against the conference side.
With the Academy away at a training camp as well as the first team in Spain, Clive’s resources were reduced even further by Button and Rose away with the England U19’s and others out on loan. With only one keeper in a party of 14 he made arrangements for subbed players to return to the field later in the game. Spurs lined up with Butcher in goal and Dervite and Gardner at the back with Hughton at right back and Berchiche on the left. Hutchins and Boateng were in the centre of midfield with Fraser-Allen on the right and Hutton on the left. Barcham and Olsen played up front against defenders who were at least a foot taller than them.(Editor's note:- One of those big defenders was former Spurs trainee, James Quilter. Check out the search box at the bottom of this report for further references to James' performances for Spurs)
Spurs kicked off playing up the slope attacking the north end and soon showed that they were quicker than the home side in mind and body. The Saints tried to use their extra weight in the challenge to prevent players settling on the ball, but Spurs showed some good early balls, particularly from Hutchins sitting in front of the back four, which forced the big defenders to turn.
Spurs were getting the better of balls on the ground whereas the big City defenders were winning all the high balls. The opening goal came from a long ball from Hughton played over the top. Bastock came out of his area to head clear, but the ball fell to Hutton 30 yards out who had time to steady himself before flighting the ball over the back-pedalling keeper into the net.
The home side responded with Clark getting down the right and crossing to the near post where Martin’s effort was blocked by Hughton. Hutton and Fraser-Allen were a continuing threat down the wings providing balls into the centre which Barcham and Olsen had a hard time to turn into chances. Spurs got a second goal when Hutton dribbled down the wing before playing the ball inside to Hutchins who chipped it to the far post for Olsen to fire home unmarked.
Butcher made his first save after 25 minutes from Ridgway before Barcham had a shot saved. Butcher was again called upon to push a volley from Hunt over the bar. Boateng headed wide from a corner before Butcher saved a free kick from Hunt. After Frater had been replaced by Sulaiman, City began to get more attacks going as the sub showed good skills on the right side and it was from his run and cross that Martin scored, bundling the ball home at the far post.
Spurs made four changes for the second half with both full backs replaced by Clare and Mtandari and Rocha replacing Gardner at the back taking the Captain's armband as well. Asajile replaced Boateng and played on the right side with Fraser-Allen moving to the left side allowing Hutton to come inside.
Ben Martin headed wide from a corner in the opening minutes with Olsen going wide at the other end before Ridgway went wide. Then eleven substitutions were made over a period of twelve minutes. Clive sent Hughton on for Hutchins in the middle and Berchiche for Fraser-Allen on the left. McKenna was the last Spurs player to come on when Olsen came off. Kieran went into midfield with Hutton pushed up front. There were fewer chances to score in the second half with the closest being when Hinds headed against the crossbar with a quarter of an hour remaining. Barcham had a fierce drive deflected for a corner. From the corner Rocha headed on to Dervite at the far post, but his header went wide.
A good result for the opening warm up game with the extra skill of the young Spurs side getting the better of the bigger more experienced non-league outfit. Next week they go to Crawley Town, another non-league side.
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