Spurs XI Pre-season friendly
     Kingsmeadow Stadium, Kingston, Surrey 
        Thursday 18th July 2013, 7.45pm
            (actual time 7.55pm)

      KINGSTONIAN     v     SPURS XI
      (Red/White)         (White/Blue)
         4-4-2               4-3-3

          0(0)                4(2)

      Rob Tolfrey(C)  1  Jordan Archer
      Aaron Goode     2  Ryan Fredericks(C)
     Marcus Moody     3  Adam Smith
   Daniel Sweeney     4  Giancarlo Gallifuoco
    Matthew Drage     5  Dominic Ball
         Sam Page     6  Kevin Stewart
    Matt Pattison     7  Kenneth McEvoy
   Tommy Kavanagh     8  Ruben Lameiras
   Andre McCollin     9  Jonathan Obika
        Ryan Moss    10  Simon Dawkins
       Dee Okojie    11  Cristian Ceballos

Charles Ofusu-Hene   12  Alex McQueen
       (11)46Mins.       (4)61Mins.
      Ben Sampayo    13  Jonathan Miles
       (1)80Mins.        (1)46Mins.
    Bashiru Alimi    14  Shaquile Coulthirst
          63Mins.        (9)46Mins.
       Tom Jelley    15  Laste Dombaxe
          46Mins.        (7)46Mins.
    Billy Henshaw    16  Roman Michael-Percil
          80Mins.        (10)59Mins.
                     17  Aaron McEneff
                         (8)46Mins.
      Matt Somner    18  Darren McQueen
          46Mins.        (6)65Mins.

Scorers:-
                         McEvoy 7
                         Obika 20
                         Dawkins 59
                         Ceballos 90

Coaches:-
       A. Dowson         C. Ramsey 

Referee:– D. Sheldrake
Assistants:– C. Hicks & M. Eva

Attendance:– 654

It was a bright warm evening for the first Spurs XI friendly which saw them return to Kingsmeadow having won 2-1 last year with goals from Mason and Barthram. Both sides had four players who played in that game. Some Players who played at Swindon were included in tonight's squad. The game was delayed, as it was last year, due to heavy traffic.

Spurs lined up with Stewart and Ball at the back with Fredericks at right back and Smith on the left in front of Archer. Gallifuoco anchored the midfield trio with Lameiras and Dawkins while Obika was up front with McEvoy and Ceballos providing the width.

Spurs kicked off attacking the north end in the first half and looked to use the width of the pitch with Gallifuoco driving long balls to the wings. Ceballos put in a deep cross that landed on the top of the goal from the right before Spurs scored with an attack down the left. McEvoy advanced down the flank before cutting inside, playing a ball through for Obika who was challenged to the left of the goal. He recovered and crossed for McEvoy who had continued into the area to score with his head.

The home side responded with a drive over the bar by McCollin from a short free kick by Pattison. Pattison then conceded a free kick when he pulled Smith back for Ceballos to test Tolfrey. Okojie fired over before Spurs had a chance to increase the lead when Smith drove in a cross from the left. The cross was only half cleared, and McEvoy and Dawkins got in each others way with the goal exposed.

Moody broke through two tackles to get down the right, playing in Moss for a strike that was blocked for a corner. A long pass to Obika gave him the chance to fire in a shot from the edge of the area that deflected off a defender leaving Tolfrey stranded for Spurs second goal.

McEvoy came in off the left before laying the ball off for Gallifuoco to strike from 25 yards, forcing the keeper to save. Another cross from the left by McEvoy found Ceballos on the far post but his goal-bound effort was cleared off the line for a corner. Moss fired wide before Ceballos drove over as the K's began to have more possession which saw McCollin fire wide and also Goode before the break.

Both sides made four changes for the start of the second half. Spurs replaced Archer with Miles in goal. Obika made way for Coulthirst up front, while Lameiras was replaced by McEneff and McEvoy by Dombaxe in the midfield.

Miles was soon in action saving a Kavanagh free kick while Coulthirst set up Ceballos for a chance that was saved. Coulthirst laid the ball out to Smith who played the ball into the path of Dawkins to slot into the far corner for 3-0. That was Dawkins' last touch as he was replaced by Roman-Percil before the restart.

Shortly after that, Alex McQueen came on for Gallifuoco in the middle but had to drop into the back four when Stewart had to go off after being flattened. Darren McQueen came on in his place.

Somner headed wide before Ofusu-Hene fired over from a half-cleared corner. McEneff tried his luck from distance but was just wide. From another corner Page headed the ball back across the goal for Kavanagh to head over at the post. Okojie fired wide before Dombaxe set up Ceballos for a strike that flew over. With the game lost, the home side made the last of their changes with one of the newcomers drawing a save from Miles. Michael-Percil fired wide before Spurs got a fourth at the death. Fredericks got down the right and he pulled the ball back for Ceballos who drove in a low shot that was deflected in at the near post. It may have come off Coulthirst but was given to Ceballos.

It was a good workout for the Spurs development squad who have players still to return from the summer and are likely to feature in the next Spurs XI game at MK Dons on the 31st July. These players will feature in the U-21 league and the NextGen competiton this season. The Academy squad will be playing a friendly match at Hotspur Way next Saturday against Nottingham Forest as they warm up for the U-18 league.

Ray

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