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Courtesy of:- Ray Lo, and the Spurs List.
Premier Academy League – Group B
Cardiff Athletics stadium, Leckwith Road. Cardiff
Saturday 15th October 2011, 11am
CARDIFF CITY v SPURS
(Blue/White) (White/Blue)
4-5-1 4-4-2
1(1) 3(1)
Dave Richards 1 Billy Granger
Luke Jones 2 Thomas Gardiner
Adam Davies 3 Oliver Modeste
Mamadou Diallo 4 Dominic Ball
Josh Yorwerth(C)5 James Yeboah
Kano Owen(6) 20 Jack Munns
Kevin St. Luce 7 Kenneth McEvoy
Theo Wharton 8 Lee Angol
Yannis Drais 9 Daniel Akindayini
Jaye Bowen 10 Shaquille Coulthirst(C)
Jordan Jackson 11 Grant Ward
Jordan Carter 12 Victor Zapatta-Caicedo
(11)54Mins. (9)90+2Mins.
Liam Matthews 13 Liam Priestly
Dane Griffiths 14 Mason Bush
(9)54Mins.
Josh Powell 15 Ramil Sheriff
(10)59Mins. (5)46Mins.
16 Roman Michael-Percil
(3)84Mins.
Scorers:-
No. 7 - 37 Akindayini 25
Coulthirst 48 pen
Munns 74
Coach:-
N. Ardley A. Inglethorpe
It was a chilly morning in South Wales until the sun came out and warmed us up. There was a small crowd at the stadium with a few people drifting in after the rugby and before the match at Cardiff City stadium. There were no team-sheets (Cardiff team notified after submission of report) but I got the Spurs team from Alex Inglethorpe. The Spurs side showed a number of U-16 players as there will be U-19 and Europa League games during the coming week.
Spurs lined up with Granger in goal and Ball dropping into a centre-back position alongside Yeboah with a first appearance for Gardiner at right back and Modeste on the left. Munns came into centre midfield wearing a number 20 shirt(suggesting a late inclusion) alongside Angol with McEvoy on the right flank and Ward on the left. Coulthirst supported Akindayini on his first game for the seniors.
Spurs attacked the south end in the first half but found it difficult to beat the off-side trap that the home side used to great effect. They used this to launch attacks on the Spurs goal with the two wide players supporting Drais. Ball who is normally a midfielder did well but kept moving forward as if he was still in midfield and it was his effort that produced the first save of the game.
City's first chance came from a cross from the left that Drais failed to reach as it went across the goal-mouth. City had an attempt well wide before Akindayini ran onto a through ball to the right and hit his shot behind the keeper but just wide of the far post. Granger had to make a save before McEvoy got down the right and crossed for Akindayini to turn wide of the near post. Akindayini did find the net from Modeste's left wing cross to put Spurs in front.
Spurs began to look more comfortable and Ball fired over from a free kick and the keeper saved from Ward. Cardiff equalised when a cross from the right found a player in space at the far post with time to control the ball before firing across Granger into the net. Gardiner blocked a shot on the line from a left wing cross and Drais put the rebound over the bar.
Sheriff replaced Yeboah for the second half and quickly settled in as Spurs began to push the "Bluebirds" defence back. Coulthirst saw his effort saved before Spurs were awarded a penalty after a foul by the Cardiff captain. Coulthirst over-ruled Munns to take the kick, and drove it low to the keeper's right to put Spurs back in the lead.
Cardiff made their three changes as the game began to slip away from them with two of them combining for an effort that flew over. Coulthirst drove his effort into the side netting before the visitors increased their lead. Ball found himself just outside the Cardiff area and drove the ball towards the goal and when the sting was taken out of his effort, Munns turned it past the keeper at the near post.
Granger saved at his near post for a corner. Modeste went down with what looked like a head injury and had to be taken off on a stretcher to be replaced by Michael-Percil on the left wing, with Ward dropping to left back. I don't know what happened as it was off the ball. I just hope he is okay.
Two of their subs linked up again for a chance that was driven over from inside the area and Coulthirst also fired over but from outside the area. Coulthirst drove another effort wide before Akindayini made way for Zapatta-Caicedo in added time. There was still time for City to put an effort over the bar before the ref blew the final whistle.
It took a while for Spurs to adapt to the way Cardiff played. Spurs slowly began to get on top. The "Bluebirds" could have gone ahead early but once Spurs scored the balance of the game swung more and more their way. If City had scored first the momentum may have gone the other way. Gardiner did well at right back with the only blot being caught ball-watching for the Cardiff goal. Akindayini also did well up front and had a few chances including the one he put away. Both should be happy with their first appearance at this level.
The win moves Spurs up two places into third as Leicester lost to Reading and Watford could only draw with Bristol City. There is no Academy game next week so the next game will be away at Watford on the 29th October. This is just before the NextGen away fixture against Inter Milan. Before that the U-19's will be playing PSV Eindhoven next week. At the moment it is scheduled to be played at Spurs Lodge on wednesday at 2pm.
Ray
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