|
Courtesy of:- Ray Lo, and the Spurs List.
Loughborough University Stadium Opening
Holywell Sports Complex,
Loughborough University
Friday 4th May 2012, 7.30pm
LOUGHBOROUGH UFC v SPURS U-18
(All Purple) (All Black)
4-4-2 4-1-4-1
4(2) 4(1)
Spurs won on pens
4-1
Brendan Hazlett 1 Jonathan Miles
George Williams 2 Jack Barthram
Seb Baxter 3 Tomas Gomelt
Charlie Turnbull 4 Milos Veljkovic
Dan Partridge 5 Kevin Stewart(C)
Callum Williams 6 Dominic Ball
Jack Beckett 7 Kenneth McEvoy
Jordan Barker 8 Nabil Bentaleb
Daniel Nti 9 Darren McQueen
Matt Collino 10 Jack Munns
Lawerance Heard 11 Jesse Waller-Lassen
Will McCall 12 Ruben Lameiras
(2)82Mins. (4)54Mins.
George Nash 13 Billy Granger
(10)46Mins. (1)46Mins
Ben Parry 14 Victor Zapata-Caicedo
(9)65Mins. (9)44Mins.
Conor Mitchell 15 Tom Gardner
(8)65Mins. (6)69Mins.
Tom Nadin 16 Grant Ward
(6)46Mins. (3)46Mins.
Daniel Delderfield 18 Sam Smith
(4)82Mins. (11)69Mins.
Raul Alexis 19
(7)65Mins.
Daniel Lowton 20
(1)65Mins.
Scorers:-
Nti 34, pen.48 McQueen 2
Heard 43 Zapata-Caicedo 54
Beckett 55 Ward 76
o.g. 90+1
Coach:-
Stuart McLaren A. Inglethorpe
It was a cool evening with a light drizzle of rain for this friendly game to open the new Football Stadium that cost the University £4M to provide the University's football club with a venue fit for their matches in the Midland Alliance League. Bob Wilson was the guest for the opening with the proceeds going to his Willow Foundation. I noted that former Spurs reserve player Kieran McKenna coaches their side which contains three England University team players in their squad.
Spurs lined up with Miles in goal behind Stewart and Ball with Barthram at right back and Gomelt on the left. Bentaleb and Veljkovic in the centre of midfield with McEvoy on the right wing and Waller-Lassen on the left. Munns supported McQueen up front.
Spurs kicked off attacking the south end, and took an early lead when Waller-Lassen sent Gomelt away down the left to cross for McQueen to score with a low drive. Munns had an effort saved before the home side began to show that they were not just a bunch of students who liked to play football. They began to close down their younger opponents putting more strength in their challenges which upset the Spurs lads who expected more from the referee.
Nti set up Heard for a shot that was deflected for a corner. When the corner was not cleared, Miles had to save Williams' low drive. After Heard had fired wide, Barker saw his effort saved. Heard then drove against the bar from Williams' pass.
Gomelt got forward and fired into the side netting. Waller-Lassen was released through the centre but delayed his pass to Munns which allowed Hazlett to intercept. Munns played in McQueen for an effort that was saved. Collino crossed to Beckett at the far post who headed back into the middle where Nti volleyed home for the equaliser.
Spurs had a chance to restore their lead when McEvoy got down the right and pulled the ball back into the path of Barthram who failed to connect. Barthram fire wide from 25 yards when he was not closed down, while Nti drove wide at the other end. Nti robbed Ball on the left and crossed for an unmarked Heard to fire home for 2-1.
McQueen's injury-hit season continued when he had to come off before the end of the half being replaced by Zapata-Caicedo.
Both sides made two changes for the second half with Inglethorpe replacing Gomelt with Ward who went to left midfield with Waller-Lassen dropping to left back. Granger replaced Miles in goal.
McEvoy had been getting the better of Baxter in the first half and when he was replaced by Nadin in the second he continued to dominate the right side, getting round him to cross for Zapata to score the second goal for the visitors. Lameiras replaced Veljkovic who was not having a good game in the centre.
Loughborough regained the lead when Spurs failed to clear the ball and Beckett scored with a low drive from the edge of the area. When Heard got to the near post his cross was blocked but the referee awarded a penalty for a possible handball. It was too dim to see properly from my position. Nti beat Granger from the spot to increase their lead.
After Waller-Lassen fired wide, Loughborough made a number of changes to give players a run out, and after Lameiras saw his effort deflected for a corner Inglethorpe also made two changes. Gardner came on for Ball and Smith replaced Waller-Lassen.
Smith went into the centre of midfield with Lameiras moving to the left and Ward dropping to left back. McEvoy again provided the cross for Spurs' third goal scored by Ward attacking the near post. Spurs were now on the front foot as they went in search of the equaliser. Munns fired over from a free kick on the edge of the area after Lameiras was fouled. Lameiras released Ward down the left but McEvoy blazed his cross over at the far post. Spurs kept pressing with Ward drawing a save and McEvoy firing over until in added time Lameiras got down the left and fired in a low cross which was turned in by a defender for the equaliser.
As the game finished 4-4 there was a penalty shoot out to decide the winner. Hazlett replaced Lowton for Loughborough to face Spurs' first kicker. Bentaleb sent him the wrong way scoring to the left. Alexis did the same for 1-1. Munns placed his kick to the right with the keeper going left for 2-1. Granger saved Delderfield's effort diving to his right. Stewart stepped up and sent Hazlett the wrong way with a little chip to the left for 3-1. Granger then saved the kick from Baxter down the middle to leave Smith with the winning kick which was placed into the left corner with the keeper guessing wrong.
This was a tough test for our young players as Loughborough were a good side who don't just play in the University league. Some of them experienced the physical side of the professional game without the protection of an Academy referee for the first time. They coped well and kept going to rescue a draw. McEvoy had a good game on the right with Loughborough having to put two or even three players on him. Bentaleb also did well in the middle considering the big age difference.
I am looking forward to seeing some of these lads in Germany later in the month when Spurs play in an U-19 tournament at Stemwele.
Ray
Top of page | Back to 2011-12 Friendly Fixtures Index
|
