Premier Academy League   
QEH Sports Ground, Clevedon Rd., Failand    
  Saturday 6th December 2008, 12am

   BRISTOL CITY    v      SPURS 
   (Red/White)         (White/Blue)
      4-4-2               4-4-2

       3(1)                5(3)

      Tom Bradley  1 Jamie Butler
   Chris Williams  2 Sam Cox
         Dan Ball  3 Nathan Byrne
        Nick Dunn  4 Coskun Ekim
   Luke Wilkinson  5 Steven Caulker(C)
      Joe Edwards  6 Calum Butcher
       Joe Lennox  7 Paul-Jose M単uku
   Ashley Kington  8 Dean Parrett
   Marlon Jackson  9 Kudus Oyenuga
  Rob Stambolziev 10 Ryan Mason
      George Boon 11 Andros Townsend

    Harry Rubbins 12 Jonathan Miles
       (7)63Mins.
                  13 Jake Nicholson
                     (3)73Mins
      Jack Neagle 14 Jonathan Obika 
                     (9)68Mins.
     Joe McLennan 15 Yaser Kasim
        (9)46Mins.   (8)59Mins.
   Daryn Henessey 16   
        (3)46Mins.   

Scorers:-
Kington 2, 58, 66     M単uku 19, 52
                      Oyenuga 22, 33
                      Mason 75

No Bookings

Sent off:-            Butcher 85(Late)
                      Mason 89 (Abuse)

Coaches:-
J. Clayton            A. Inglethorpe

Ref:- Mr. Brimming
Assistants:- J. Dicker, G. McDermott

It was a cold morning with the pitch heavy from earlier rain. A small crowd gathered at Bristol痴 new Academy location not far from their old one but which looked better. I arrived a few minutes late but just as the teamsheets were being circulated.

Spurs made a number of changes from the Youth cup game in midweek but did include the Captain who had limped off before the end on Tuesday. Butler was in goal behind Caulker and Butcher at the back with Cox on the right and Byrne on the left of the defence. Parrett and Ekim were in the centre of midfield with M単uku on the right and Townsend on the left. Oyenuga made his first start up front with support from Mason.

The home side made the early running with Kington firing them into the lead. Butler had to make saves from Williams and Boon as they pressed and Lennox also put an effort over. Oyenuga crossed from the right for Townsend who hit it wide of the target as the visitors began to get their passing game flowing. Two minutes later Spurs were level when Townsend痴 corner was met by the head of M単uku. M単uku got down the right and played the ball into Oyenuga who drove it low across the keeper for the second goal. Mason was then fed by M単uku but his effort was saved by Bradley before he met a centre from Cox with his head only to see it go wide.

Jackson then had a fierce drive saved by Butler and then turned a cross back at the far post for Stambolziev to shoot from ten yards, but Butler was equal to it. Jackson followed that with an effort over the bar. Spurs attacked through the middle with Mason playing a diagonal ball into the path of Oyenuga on the left edge of the area. The young forward controlled with his first touch and steered the ball past the keeper with the next. M単uku and Townsend had switched wings early in the half and it was from the left side that M単uku tried a long shot that hit the underside of the bar before being scrambled away. Boon had the last chance of the half which he hit over the bar.

The "Robins" made two changes for the second half including the dangerous Jackson which looked to have geed up the side as Butler was forced into a good save inside the first minute. Spurs soon began to get on top and Bradley had to save a free kick from Mason. Oyenuga got to a cross first but saw his effort from ten yards saved by the keeper who could not hold it and M単uku was quick to react and slot it home.

Spurs began to take a hold on the game with Parrett firing wide but this changed when Stambolziev headed down to Kington some 20 yards out. His first time volley flashed past Butler into the net and gave City a lift.

Inglethorpe replaced Parrett (who was limping), with Kasim to strengthen the centre. M単uku saw his drive saved and then Oyenuga got behind the defence to slot home only for the assistant's flag to rule it out. A mistake by Butcher when he tried to control a centre left Kington with a chance on the edge of the area which he buried before anyone could move to close the gap to a single goal.

City put Spurs under more pressure and the challenges got stronger as they looked for the equaliser with Butler saving from Rubbins. Inglethorpe made two more changes to look for another goal. Following a City corner M単uku broke out from near the goal line and showed great pace to get into the other half before passing to Townsend to carry on to the line crossing the ball for Mason to fire home.

With the home side still pushing forward another breakaway saw Bradley save from Townsend. When Stambolziev went down after laying off the ball the referee consulted with his assistant and showed Butcher a straight red card for what must have been a very late challenge. After Bristol went wide the referee called both Captains together to say something which may have been about the language as when M単uku ran into a red shirted player the referee stopped the game and produced another red card which was shown to Mason. Spurs held out for the final two minutes successfully running down the clock.

This was another good result, despite the changes to the line-up with a impressive debut for Oyenuga who looks a better finisher than Obika. The two red cards means that we will be losing two important players for the next two games which include the FA Youth Cup. Next Saturday will be the last game before the break for Christmas when we entertain Cardiff City at the Lodge. The Bluebirds are the only team to beat Spurs so far this season so there will be an added bit of spice.

Ray

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