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Courtesy of Ray Lo of the Spurs List
Pre-Season Friendly
Broadfield Stadium, Crawley, Surrey
Wednesday 5th August 2009, 7.45pm
CRAWLEY TOWN v SPURS XI
(All Red) (White/Blue)
4-4-2 4-4-2
4(1) 1(0)
Simon Rayner 1 Oscar Jansson
Sam Rents 2 Sam Cox
Adam Quinn(C) 3 Jake Nicholson
Eddie Hutchinson 4 Dean Parrett
Chris Giles 5 Anton Blackwood
Karl Broadhurst 6 Dorian Dervite
Danny Forrest 7 Ryan Fredericks
Charles Ademeno 8 John Bostock
Jefferson Louis 9 Jonathan Obika
Ben Smith 10 Danny Rose(C)
Michael Malcolm 11 Andros Townsend
Simon Rusk 12 Lee Butcher
(21)12Mins
Nick Jordan 13 Jesse Waller-Lassen
(1)46Mins (6)77Mins
Jamie Cook 14 Coskun Ekim
(9)65Mins
Max Lake-Edwards 15 Paul-Jose M'Poku
(5)46Mins (7)46Mins
Glen Wilson 16 Harry Kane
(4)46Mins (10)70Mins
Barry Cogan 17 Kudus Oyenuga
(10)46Mins
Byron Napper 18
(3)65Mins
Nick Carter 19
(8)65Mins
Mithun Nayee 20
(14)81Mins
Danny Powell 21
(6)46Mins
Josh Huggins 22
(7)70Mins
Scorers:-
Louis 5 (pen) Townsend 86(pen)
Cogan 60
Powell 62, 76
Booked:-
Hutchinson 45+2
Coaches:-
S. Evans C. Allen
Referee:- B. Malone
Assistants:- H. Lennard, A. Slaughter
Fourth Official:- P. Nicholas
Attendance - 1,023
It was a warm evening for this evening's match, which was a return to the site of a 6-1 defeat at the same stage of last pre-season. Again Clive picked a young side for this game with Dervite being the oldest Spurs player. The team was not as young as at last week's game at St. Neots as players that went to China were available. Crawley had some of the players that played last year as well as former young Spur Michael Malcolm.
Spurs lined up with Dervite and Blackwood at the back with Cox on the right and Nicholson on the left. Parrett and Bostock started in the centre of midfield with Fredericks on the right and Townsend on the left with Rose supporting Obika up front.
Spurs kicked off attacking the South end but quickly found that the home side gave little room to pass and no time to dwell on the ball. Their tackling was as strong as last year which unsettled our young lads as it did then. Players were put under pressure from the start and their game deteriorated from the smooth passing that they usually play to hurried passes that mainly missed the target.
It did not help that Crawley took the lead early on when a free kick was played into the area from the left and it bounced up and hit Nicholson on the arm. The referee gave a penalty which Louis put to Jansson's right. Neither side were happy with the ref and I think that it helped to knock the lads' confidence. The Spurs youngsters were being roughed up and the referee was not giving them much protection and I am sorry to say that Dervite's head dropped during the first half which as the oldest player could not have helped the younger lads.
Rose responded to the goal by attempting a long shot that the keeper saved for a corner. From the corner Obika headed over. Rose then played Obika in but he was tackled just as he shot. Jansson saved from Louis while Rayner had an easy save from Townsend before the ball was back up the Spurs end with Ademeno drawing a save. Rose fired wide as the home side pushed forward and tested Jansson as he saved from Malcolm and Hutchinson with Giles firing over.
Fredericks had some success on the right and he came inside to see his effort turned over for a corner. Bostock hit the kick to the far post where Rose saw his attempt saved with the ball dropping in the area and not cleared by the defence which gave Obika a chance. Jonathan could only send it over the bar. Bostock played a through ball for Obika but he put it wide under pressure.
Smith picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area but drove his shot wide. Obika got a chance at the near post but it was saved and his follow-up hit the post. After Ademeno drove over, Louis went wide twice first from a free kick and then from Malcolm's pass. Malcolm then fired a free kick wide. A strong run by Rose saw him drive wide. Ademeno got free on the left and saw his effort saved by Jansson with Hutchinson following up but hitting the post. Bostock took a free kick that hit a defender and looped up in the air before Rayner pushed it out for a corner. Hutchinson was booked by the referee for stopping Bostock as he tried to run into the area. Bostock took the kick himself and drew a save from the keeper.
The home side made five changes for the second half while Clive made one, bringing on M'Poku for Fredericks. Jansson had a simple save to make in the first minute but was stretched saving from Powell ten minutes later. Before that M'Poku had just missed connecting with a good cross from Townsend. Bostock fired in a shot that Rayner saved but could not hold. The keeper then saved as Obika followed up to concede a corner which M'Poku headed over.
Crawley increased their lead when they got down the left and Cogan met the cross in the middle of the area to beat Jansson. Crawley got a third soon after when Dervite missed his tackle on the edge of the area and Powell got in to score as the ball went behind him. Dorian then upset the Crawley players and fans when he launched himself at the ball and caught Forrest with his studs showing. The ref let it go but had to speak with both players after they had squared up to each other.
Blackwood saw his effort turned away for a corner and Obika saw his go wide before Kane came on for Rose. Cook had a chance that he put wide before Bostock sent his free kick over. Kane was played in on the right and saw his first effort blocked by the keeper and could only turn the rebound wide of the post.
Crawley again increased their lead when Cook set up Powell from the right. Originally Dervite had won the ball from Cook but was robbed before he could clear it. Clive decided that Dervite had to come off and sent on Waller-Lassen to play at right back with Cox moving inside.
Cook got through again but Jansson saved his effort before he was replaced himself. With the game lost the young Spurs players took the game to their hosts opening up the play more which saw the keeper saving from Parrett and Kane firing wide. Townsend got the ball and attacked the full back Rusk who tripped him in the area to concede a penalty. Andros took the kick himself and hit it high to the right for a consolation goal. Spurred on by this, Townsend fired a shot wide as the game drew to a close.
This was not a good performance from Spurs tonight faced with a strong physical side who did not let them settle into any sort of rhythm. Like last year it was a young mainly inexperienced side although some of the players have played with the first team.
It was a bad night for Dervite who was the captain of the side last year when they suffered badly and he himself tried too hard. I am a strong believer in Dorian's ability but he had a poor game and did not need that after his mistake at Wembley. The team resorted to playing a lot of long balls to the front men when they have spent most of last season playing quick passes to feet in Academy games. In the last few minutes they reverted more to the Academy style and looked better. It should be pointed out in Spurs' defence that Crawley start their season this Saturday whereas Spurs Reserves will not play any competitive football as they have withdrawn from the Reserve League. Next week they go to Sutton United for the last of the pre-season games.
Ray
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