Premier Academy League
       Spurs Lodge, Chigwell, Essex
       Wednesday 5th May 2010, 12am

        SPURS       v       READING
    (White/Blue)         (Blue/White)
        4-4-2                4-4-2

         6(4)                 2(0)


     Jordan Archer  1 Simon Locke
      Nathan Byrne  2 Michael Boateng
Zaine Francis-Angol 3 Rhys Tylor
    Jake Nicholson  4 Harry Harding
     Calum Butcher  5 Michael Hector
 Olumude Durojaiye  6 Danny Joyce
    Alex Pritchard  7 Domonic Samuels
      Dean Parrett  8 James Rowe
      John Bostock  9 Jacob Walcott
       Tom Carroll 10 Oliver Kelly
Paul-Jose M’Poku(C)11 Josh Webb

     Oscar Jansson 12 Aaron Tishbola
         (1)86Mins.   (7)53Mins.
                   13 Grant Smith 
     Laste Dombaxe 14 Craig Tanner
        (11)62Mins.   (11)53Mins.
    Callum Tapping 15 Tom Brown
         (6)46Mins.   (2)78Mins.

Scorers:-
     Carroll 15, 25    Walcott 71
     M'Poku  19        Tanner 83
     Parrett 42
     Nicholson 59
     Pritchard 72

Booked:-
                       Joyce 29(Late) 

Coaches:-
    A.Inglethorpe      G. Warner

Referee:- P. Forrester

It was a sunny morning if a little chilly for May. Reading's Academy players had been stuck in the States only returning yesterday. They fielded a team that did not make the trip so would not suffer from jet lag. Spurs fielded a strong side having not played in the game on Saturday.

Butcher joined Durojaiye at the back with Byrne at right back and Francis-Angol on the left. Nicholson and Parrett started in the centre of midfield with Pritchard on the right and M'Poku on the left. Carroll supported Bostock up front. It looked as if there was a reserve match being planned as a group of other players came to watch part of the game that included Taarabt, Dervite and Mason.

Spurs defended the North end in the first half with the visitors starting well with some fast paced one touch football. Spurs settled and began to pass the ball as well as Reading with better approach work that troubled their defence. Nicholson played M'Poku in to draw a save from Locke before M'Poku got down the left and saw his cross played on by Pritchard to Carroll who finished low to the keepers right.

Bostock saw his free kick from just outside the area saved by Locke. The second goal was not long in coming when Byrne got down the right and crossed for M'Poku to finish coming in from the left. M'Poku had a hand in the third when he came in from the left and played a short ball into Carroll attacking the near post. Tom turned on the ball and delicately chipped it over the keeper into the far side of the goal. A minute later and Bostock received the ball in space on the edge of the area to the right and fired in a shot that came back off the inside of the far post. Bostock drove wide with his next effort before Joyce caught him late for a second time to earn a booking from the ref.

Spurs kept the pressure on with Parrett firing the free kick over after it hit the wall. The defenders were also getting forward with Francis-Angol getting down the left and drawing a save from the keeper. From the corner Byrne crossed for Durojaiye, but his header was saved. Parrett fired another free kick wide before M'Poku crossed for Byrne to shoot, but his goal bound effort was blocked. Kelly was played in down the right channel but fired over. In response Francis-Angol got down the left and passed to Carroll inside who played it on to Parrett who finished with a low volley for 4-0. There was still time for M'Poku to play in Bostock who fired wide before the half finished.

Durojaiye was replaced for the second half by Tapping who went to right back with Byrne moving inside to partner Butcher. Tapping was quickly into the action when he got forward to force a save from Locke. Locke was kept busy saving from Parrett and then Pritchard when he had been played in by M'Poku. Reading made two changes which added impetus to their attack with Tanner forcing their first save from Archer. M'Poku fired wide before pulling the ball back for Nicholson to get on the score sheet with an effort from outside the area. M'Poku came off just after with a knock and was replaced by Dombaxe.

Kelly hit an effort wide before Butcher got forward to shoot wide and Bostock also went wide. With Spurs pushing forward at every opportunity it was no surprise that they got caught out when Tishbola found Walcott who ran on and beat Archer with a low drive. Spurs replied immediately with the ball played left for Dombaxe to get down the left and cross for Pritchard coming in from the right to finish with a backheel that sent the keeper the wrong way. Nicholson fired over following a short corner before Walcott got behind the defence but Archer saved well. Francis-Angol got forward again down the left before cutting inside and hitting a low shot that Locke saved. Walcott got free again but fired wide before getting away again forcing Archer to off his line quickly. The keeper came off worst when he collided with Walcott and as he lay there Kelly got to the ball first laying it back to Tanner who fired past the two defenders on the line. Archer was replaced by Jansson for the final minutes in which Parrett had an effort saved and Walcott saw his blocked for a corner.

The scoreline suggests that Reading did not have a strong line-up but the way Spurs demolished them was good to see. Inglethorpe will not be pleased with the way they left space at the back during the second half. It makes up for the game on Saturday when Villa took advantage to beat a junior side 5-1. The last game of the season is on Monday afternoon when the Youth Cup winners Chelsea come to the Lodge.

Ray

Follow @spursodyssey