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Courtesy of:- Ray Lo, and the Spurs List.
FA Youth Cup 4th Round
White Hart Lane, Tottenham
Monday 11th January 2010, 7pm
SPURS v PORTSMOUTH
(White/Blue) (Blue/White)
4-4-2 4-4-2
0(0) 1(0)
Jamie Butler 1 Liam O'Brien
Jesse
Waller-Lassen 2 Peter Gregory
Tom Carroll 3 Billy Tsovolos
Jake Nicholson 4 Billy Goddard
Nathan Byrne 5 Perry Ryan
Steven Caulker 6 Sam Nagri
Ryan Fredericks 7 Gael Nlundulu
Dean Parrett 8 Florent Cuvelier
Harry Kane(C) 9 Nadir Ciftci
John Bostock 10 Carl Walshe
Paul-Jose
M’Poku 11 Ellis Martin
Jordan Archer 12 Lewis Stockford
Olumude
Durojaiye 13 James Jennings
(3)82Mins.
Paul McBride 14 Mark Smith
(7)90Mins. (7)79Mins.
Kudus Oyenuga 15 Pablo Navas
(11)59Mins. (10)58Mins.
Zaine
Francis-Angol 16 James Seeley
Coaches:-
A.Inglethorpe P. Smalley
Scorer:-
Ciftci 62
Booked:-
Parrett 45(Late) Goddard 29(Shirt)
Nlundulu 35(Dissent)
Attendance:- about 1000
Referee:- C. Breakspear
Assistants:- M. Webb, M. Carmichael
Fourth Official:- A. Neil
On a cold evening a good sized crowd came out to watch this fourth round tie at the Lane. The pitch looked good and there was little snow outside the ground to worry those that turned up thanks to good work by the club. I had to chase the staff to provide team sheets which duly turned up just before the kick-off.
Spurs were almost at full strength and just as in the previous round recalled Bostock and Caulker from their loan clubs. Caulker lined up with Byrne at the back with Waller-Lassen on the right and Carroll on the left. Nicholson and Parrett started in the centre of midfield with Fredericks on the right wing and M'Poku on the left. Bostock played in support of Kane up front.
Spurs kicked off attacking the Paxton Road but took a while to settle into any pattern. The visitors forced the first corner and had the first chance when Ciftci fired over from a free kick. Parrett had Spurs' opening effort after ten minutes with a shot on the turn that O'Brien saved easily. Cuvelier went wide before Fredericks came inside and dribbled his way to the near post before seeing his effort come back off that post. O'Brien was not troubled by the effort from Bostock and watched Caulker head over from Parrett's corner. Martin saw his shot fly over after being played in by Nlundulu. Parrett directed his effort wide from another Fredericks cross. Parrett then pushed the ball passed Goddard on the left and would have been clear away had the defender not grabbed his shirt.
Up to this point the visitors had been getting the better of the ref's decisions but Goddard went into his book. Portsmouth were now having to defend a lot more with the midfield dropping deep to provide extra bodies. Nicholson fired in from long range when the ball was played square but it was a simple stop for the keeper. When an attack was broken up on the right Nlundulu was booked for something he said as he was nowhere near the ball when a free kick was given against the visitors. O'Brien saved well from a curling effort by M'Poku as Spurs increased pressure on the visitors goal. Ciftci drew a save from Butler before M'Poku had another shot saved.
Fredericks had been getting to the line and putting in low crosses that were not being converted so he cut inside and fired over. M'Poku had another effort saved before Fredericks went wide from Carroll's cross. Nludulu got clear on the right and saw his effort saved for a corner from which Ciftci put the ball wide. Parrett got past two defenders to get into the area but pushed the ball too far and was booked stretching for it as it was cleared.
Spurs started the second half as they finished the, pinning Portsmouth in their own half. Bostock fired wide and Kane went wide minutes later before Parrett had his effort saved. Fredericks was next to be foiled by O'Brien with the ball going for a corner. Parrett flighted the corner to Caulker who headed down and the keeper pushed the rising ball over the bar. O'Brien had to save from Caulker again when he headed on a centre from Bostock.
Inglethorpe sent on Oyenuga for M'Poku to lead the line with Kane dropping behind him and Bostock moving across to the left. A mistake by Caulker put Waller-Lassen in trouble leading to Ciftci going clear down the left and having time to curl the ball past Butler to put Portsmouth into the lead. It was their first chance of the half. Spurs responded with Fredericks going wide and O'Brien saving a rasping drive from Carroll with Parrett also going wide. Kane had an effort saved and Oyenuga fired wide before the visitors took advantage of the space behind Spurs defence as they pushed forward. Cuvelier fired wide and Butler saved from Smith. Parrett put a free kick wide of the far post with two white shirts failing to get on the end of it. With time running out Oyenuga headed over another Parrett free kick. McBride came on for Fredericks as four minutes of added time was being signalled.
This was a disappointing result for the Academy side having dominated the play for almost the whole of the second half. Portsmouth defended well but the finishing by the home side was generally poor. Fredericks' performance on the right created plenty of crosses which were not turned into goals and when called upon the keeper made at least four match winning saves. Spurs did most of their best work down the flanks as Portsmouth were strong in the centre where they wanted to make one too many passes much of the time. Portsmouth meet either Forest or Chelsea in the next round.
The Academy go to MK Dons on Saturday morning and I don't think that they will be as lucky as Portsmouth were tonight.
Ray
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