Premier Academy League, Group B
        Spurs Lodge, Chigwell, Essex.
      Saturday 2nd April 2011, 11am k.o.

           SPURS     v     MK DONS
       (White/Blue)      (Red/White)
           4-4-2            4-4-2

            4(0)             0(0)

     Jonathon Miles  1 Daniel Glass
         Daniel Day  2 John ?
       Alex McQueen  3 Ryan Plowright
     Massimo Luongo  4
      William Ekong  5 
       James Yeboah  6 Jordan Ivey-Ward
       Jack Munns(C) 7 Igor Coronado
     Ronnie Hawkins  8 Harry Milton
Shaquille Coulthirst 9 Jesse ?
          Lee Angol 10 Joe ?
       Paul McBride 11

    Freddy Champion 12 
        (10)71Mins.
                    13 ? 
                       (7)71Mins.
     Kenneth McAvoy 14 
          (8)60Mins.
     Oliver Modeste 15 ?
         (7)78Mins.    (10)79Mins.
                    16

Scorers:-
Coulthirst 54, 58,70
    Luongo 59

Booked:-
    Yeboah 90+3(Late)

Coach:-
       A. Inglethorpe   M. Dove

Ref:-

Spurs lined up with Miles in goal behind a fresh back four. Yeboah and Ekong came into the centre with McQueen at right back and Day on the left. Luongo and Hawkins started in the centre of midfield with Munns on the right and McBride on the left. Angol supported Coulthirst up front. Two new U-16's started on the bench.

Spurs kicked off attacking the South goal and were soon probing the visitors' defence with Coulthirst curling in an early effort that was pushed away for a corner. Coronado played for much of the first half on the left of the Dons attack and fired over after good work down the right. Hawkins went close with a free kick before McBride fired wide. Miles had a easy catch from a 40 yard strike as the big No.5 came out of defence. McBride was sent free with a long diagonal pass and crossed to the far post where McQueen knocked the ball back to Angol who blazed over. Angol did better minutes later when he headed Hawkins near post corner against the crossbar. McBride was released with a through ball down the left channel and looked odds on to score until Ivey-Ward slid in with a last ditch tackle in mid-strike. The ref did not add on any time as he looked to keep the game flowing. He could have booked Yeboah for a late foul on the visitors striker but just gave him a telling off.

There were no changes for the second half as Spurs began to apply pressure on the Dons. McBride got round the back and drove in a low cross that Angol just failed to reach. It was not long before Spurs went in front and it came from casual play by the visitors. The keeper played the ball out to his defender who dwelt on it for a few seconds which allowed Luongo to dispossess him and knock the ball into the path of Coulthirst. The Spurs striker was quick to turn and advance into the area to beat the keeper low to his left.

The visitors attacked straight from the re-start driving up the centre but Miles saved Milton's effort at the expense of a corner. As the Dons pushed forward they left space at the back which Spurs exploited. A beautiful long diagonal ball from Hawkins found McQueen racing clear down the right flank. The young full back controlled the ball in his stride and advanced a few paces before putting in a lovely cross to the near post that Coulthirst flicked on to score his second. Spurs got a third when Luongo headed in from Munns corner to make it three goals in five minutes.

Inglethorpe made his first change sending on McAvoy for Hawkins to play on the right wing with Munns coming inside. The Dons continued to push forward and Coronado fired wide before another mistake allowed Coulthirst to complete his hat-trick. The keeper had given the ball wide but as the defender was closed down he played it across his area playing his teammate into trouble as he was robbed by Angol. The ball was played square for the incoming Coulthirst to drive home.

With the game safe Inglethorpe replaced Angol with Champion and the hard working Munns with Modeste after he had needed treatment on his leg. With Spurs in control they took their foot off the gas but still threatened with Luongo driving wide and Champion having an effort saved. The visitors were still looking for a consolation and had an effort fly wide with the Spurs defenders having to make a couple of timely tackles. They should have done better when the centre forward nicked the ball and drawing Miles off his line before cutting it back for a player to run onto at the near post. Spurs got bodies back to force him across the area. At one point the ref gave them a free kick just outside the area but after speaking to his linesman changed it to a Spurs kick for offside, much to the anger of a visiting supporter.

The only blemish on the home side's performance was the booking for Yeboah for a late challenge – it was his third such challenge in the game so it had been coming. With so many changes to the side for this game it was no surprise that it took a while for them to settle as it did for the visitors so there was not many chances in the first half. Spurs finally got their act together in the second and once the first goal went in looked more composed. In the opposite fixture Spurs took a three goal lead but allowed the Dons to come back and had to hang on at 3-2. This time the Dons had no answer and could have conceded more. Not a bad result as Inglethorpe had to keep players back for another rearranged game next week.

The next game is an away fixture against Cardiff City which will be played on Tuesday at the training ground of Reading kicking off at 1pm. Next Saturday the academy will be away at Southampton for the next inter-group match. Because there are two games in the week Inglethorpe has to rotate his players to allow them a set rest period. So like today he will have to play weakened side for these games. I will be at Reading on Tuesday but cannot go to Southampton on Saturday as my neck is due to be exercised by the visit of Stoke to the Lane.

Ray

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