Courtesy of:- Ray Lo, and the Spurs List.
Premier Academy League, Group B
Spurs Lodge, Chigwell, Essex
Saturday 13th December 2008, 11am
SPURS v CARDIFF CITY
(White/Blue) (All Mulberry)
4-4-2 4-4-2
4(2) 0(0)
Oscar Jansson 1 Jordan Santiago
Adam Smith 2 Adam Matthews
Sam Cox 3 James Bloom
Yaser Kasim 4 Ibrahim Farah
Steven Caulker(C) 5 Kye Edwards
Calum Butcher 6 Aaron Morris
Paul Jose M’Puku 7 Luke Cummings
John Bostock 8 Jonathon Meades(C)
Jonathan Obika 9 Craig Mason
Ryan Mason 10 Josh McGennis
Andros Townsend 11 Soloman Taylor
Jamie Butler 12 Nathaniel Jarvis
(7)73Mins
Coskun Ekim 13
Dean Parrett 14 Leigh Smith
(8)62Mins. (10)59Mins.
Nathan Byrne 15
(2)73Mins.
Jake Nicholson 16 Rhys Kelleher
(9)77Mins. (11)59Mins.
Coaches:-
A.Inglethorpe G. Twose
Scorers:-
Obika 5
Mason 39
Bostock 54
M’Puku 82
Booked:-
Obika 65(Late) Morris 12(Pulling)
Santiago 18(Obstruction)
Farah 89 (Late)
Referee:- M. Smith
Only a small group of people gathered for the Academy's last game before the Christmas break. It was a cold rainy morning and the ground was soaked from the overnight rain. Spurs lined up with Caulker and Butcher in front of Jansson in goal with Smith at right back and Cox on the left. Bostock joined Kasim in the centre of midfield with M’Puku on the right and Townsend on the left wing. Mason supported Obika up front. Cardiff made only three changes from the side that started in Cardiff and inflicted Spurs Under-18s' only defeat this season.
Spurs defended the North end but soon got into their one-touch passing game. Cardiff won an early corner from which Farah fired wide. Spurs were awarded a free kick on the right and Mason flighted the ball into the middle of the box. Obika found himself on the ground but managed to get his head to the ball and nodded it along the ground into the corner of the net.
Obika was played through the middle only to be pulled back by Morris who received a yellow card from the ref. Mason hit the free kick wide. Bostock passed forward to Mason who fed Townsend wide on the left. Townsend fired in a low cross that just went wide of the far post with M’Puku sliding in. Obika run through to collect a high dropping ball but was blocked by Santiago coming out of his area. The ref deemed that a yellow was sufficient punishment for the keeper. Townsend put the free kick over the bar to land on the netting.
Mason tried his luck from distance but it sailed over the bar. Meades hit a speculative effort well over before hitting over from a corner. Spurs' next attack saw the ball threaded through to Mason who went round Santiago to score. Farah had another attempt that he put wide. Spurs worked a corner routine which resulted in a near post shot knocked away by Morris. Mason put an effort wide before getting on the end of a Townsend cut back which he also put wide. McGennis headed on a cross to Mason but he fired wide of the near post. As the half ended, Cummings fired over from a short free kick.
From the kick off the ball was played long to the left where Townsend collected and drove for the line before coming inside to drive the ball against the inside of the far post. Bloom curled his free kick wide. Townsend had a weak shot saved before Spurs increased their lead. Spurs had a free kick just to the right outside the area. Bostock took it while the visitors were still sorting themselves out, having let the ref know. It had the Cardiff players protesting about the lack of a whistle.
Bostock made way for Parrett who played a little deeper than usual with Kasim moving ahead of him. Townsend went just wide of the near post for a corner. Obika was shown a yellow when attempting to tackle back. Mason fired wide from a Matthews free kick. Santiago saved from Townsend and Jansson saved from Farah. Byrne replaced Smith after he had a knock. Cardiff sub Smith went wide from a corner. M’Puku squared the ball for Kasim to drive but his effort was saved by the keeper.
Inglethorpe replaced Obika with Nicholson who went to the right side to allow M’Puku to go up front. M’Puku got on the scoresheet when his run to the near post allowed him to meet Townsend’s cross. Edwards put his near post header wide from a free kick. Farah was booked for a late challenge on Mason which resulted in Spurs playing out the final five minutes with ten players as Ryan was unable to continue.
It was another good performance from Spurs with the one-touch passing and the pace of Obika and Townsend. Spurs go into the break with another good win and remain at the top of the group. Their next match is likely to be the 4th round Youth Cup game away to Charlton at the Valley. They are hoping to arrange it for the 14th January before the Academy game at Milton Keynes on the Saturday. Spurs will be taking the Academy side to Mexico in January which will mean some games will have to be rearranged.
Ray
