Premier U-21 League 2013-14, 
          Prokit UK Stadium, Bishop's Stortford,
               Monday 3rd February 2014, 7pm

                 SPURS      v     EVERTON
              (White/Blue)     (Blue/White)
                4-2-1-3           4-5-1

                  0(0)            0(0) 

             Jordan Archer  1  Mason Springthorpe
              Alex McQueen  2  Ben McLaughlin
            Ezekial Fryers  3  Luke Garbutt
           Milos Veljkovic  4  Ryan Ledson
              Dominic Ball  5  Matthew Pennington
      Giancarlo Gallifuoco  6  Tyias Browning(C)
            Kenneth McEvoy  7  George Green
             Aaron McEneff  8  Joe Williams
      Souleymane Coulibaly  9  Hallam Hope
             Harry Kane(C) 10  Matthew Kennedy
       Shaquile Coulthirst 11  Courtney Duffus

            Darren McQueen 12  Russell Griffiths
                 (6)79Mins
                Luke McGee 13
             Laste Dombaxe 14  Conor McAleny
                 (3)46Mins     (7)58Mins
            Ruben Lameiras 15  Harry Charsley
                 (9)79Mins     (9)75Mins
                           16  Ibuo Touray
                               (11)90+1Min
                           17  Curtis Langton

Booked:-   
                              McAleny 68(Foul) 

Coach:-  
           P. Brush           A. Stubbs

Referee:– A. Sannerude
Assistants:- P. Lister & S. Barry
Fourth Official:– D. Lawson

Attendance:– 382

We finally got a game at the Prokit UK Stadium after three games had been called off. There had been no rain but there was a cold wind. The visitors were Everton who have the same number of points but a better goal difference than Spurs. Both teams come into the game having lost their last game and needing points to climb the table.

Spurs lined up with Archer in goal behind Ball and Gallifouco, with Alex McQueen at right back and Fryers on the left. Veljkovic and McEneff started in front of the back four with Kane behind the front three. Coulibaly led the line with McEvoy on the right and Coulthirst on the left.

Spurs defended the south end of the ground which seemed to be the worst part of the pitch. Spurs sought to play passing football while Everton were content to contain them, closing down quickly and looking for the second ball to counter.

Spurs had an early chance when Coulthirst headed on Archer's kick for Coulibaly to fire wide. Hope found himself goal-side of the defence and fired wide as Archer came out quickly. McEvoy got down the right and crossed for Coulibaly to head wide. Kane saw his drive go wide of the left post before Garbutt fired in a long range effort that Archer saved at the expense of a corner.

Williams fed Green for an effort that was cleared off the line. Green hit his free kick wide as Spurs continued to lose possession in midfield. Kane saw his looping header from Coulthirst's cross saved by Springthorpe for a corner. Williams drove wide before McEneff's corner was headed over by Gallifouco. Coulibaly saw his effort deflected wide for a corner in the last minute of the first half.

Dombaxe replaced Fryers for the start of the second half with McQueen moving to left back and McEneff dropping to right back. This gave Spurs more control of the midfield and as their passing improved, the visitors dropped off more relying on their mean defence.

Coulthirst drew an early save and Veljkovic crossed for Gallifouco to head wide. Coulibaly played in Kane for a shot that flew wide. Everton sent on McAleny who was booked inside ten minutes for a foul although it might have been his reaction to the referee that sealed it.Springthorpe saved from Kane for a corner from which Gallifouco drove over the bar.

Another effort from Kane was deflected onto the top of the goal and when the resulting corner was played back to Dombaxe he hit it on the turn and saw it drop onto the crossbar. Spurs made a double substitution in an effort to win the game. Darren McQueen replaced Gallifouco and Lameiras came on for Coulibaly. McQueen went up front while Lameiras went into the midfield with Veljkovic dropped into the back four. Spurs could not breakdown the "Toffees"' defence and left themselves open to breaks by the visitors. Williams fired wide and Archer conceded a corner saving from McAleny. From the corner Pennington headed wide.

This was a hard won point against one of the meanest defences in the league. It was a game of few chances and while Everton did not come to play football Spurs did not have the guile to break them down. The point moves Spurs up two places to 15th behind Everton on goal difference. In eleven games Everton have scored thirteen and conceded thirteen while Spurs have scored twenty four in twelve games. That shows you what a difficult side they are to play against. Next week Spurs travel to bottom club Blackburn.

Ray

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