Premier U-18 Play-offs 2014-15
             Hotspur Way, Bulls Cross, Enfield
               Saturday 9th May 2015, 12 noon

                  SPURS     v   ASTON VILLA
             ( White/Blue)     (Claret/Blue)
                 4-1-4-1          4-2-3-1

                   2(1)             3(2) 

          Thomas McDermott  1  Kieran Boucher
          Christopher Paul  2  Joseph Linley
            Joseph Muscatt  3  Liam Hailey
             Charlie Owens  4  Elliot Simmons
              Anton Walkes  5  Alex Prosser
               Jaden Brown  6  Joonas Sunaman
               Armani Daly  7  Moustapa Zeidan
         Zenon Stylianides  8  Jordache Walters
                 Ryan Loft  9  Rushian Hepburn-Murphy(C)
                Cy Goddard 10  Callum O'Hare
          Anthony Georgiou 11  Corey Taylor

           Charlie Hayford 12  Jake Walker
                (10)71Mins     (5)67Mins
                Harry Voss 13
                Jack Roles 14  Callum Rowe
                 (3)79Mins     (4)46Mins
          Kazaiah Sterling 15  Jake Humphries
                 (7)60Mins     (8)52Mins
                           16  Louis Hall
                           17  Harvey Knibbs

Scorers:-
          Loft 33, 67          Hepburn-Murphy 20
                               Walters 39
                               Humphries 90 

Booked:-
          Muscatt 90+1         Prosser 63

Coach:-
          K. McKenna           A. McAndrews

Referee:– A. Lewis

It was a chilly cloudly morning at Hotspur Way for the last play-off game which was against Villa who are were two points below Spurs in ninth place. Spurs lost their last game 3-0 at West Brom while Villa were beaten 4-1 by Everton. Villa won 2-1 at Hotspur Way during the regular season.

Spurs defended the South end in the first half and were soon put under pressure by a strong and physical Villa side who closed down quickly putting in solid challenges. Loft had the first chance when he fired into the side netting from a Georgiou cross. Brown got forward to meet another Georgiou cross but fired wide of the near post.

Hepburn-Murphy got through to fire wide. Spurs worked the ball forward with Owens playing in Daly on the right whose effort was saved at the near post by Boucher. Paul got forward to draw a save from the keeper winning a corner. Villa took the lead when Walters won the ball in the middle and played Hepburn-Murphy in to score.

Spurs kept trying to move the ball through the midfield and did find Loft who fired over. Owens curled a free kick over a five man wall but Boucher saved diving to hie right. Taylor got round the back on the left whipping in a cross that was cleared off the line by Muscatt.

Stylianides played in Daly and his cross shot was turned in at the far post by Loft for the equaliser. Owens played in Loft who set up Georgiou for a chance that was saved for a corner. From the corner the ball was played to Stylianides who picked out Owens for a shot that was over. Spurs' next attack saw Daly's shot blocked and when it was not cleared Georgiou saw his effort hit the outside of the far post. Muscatt got down the left and crossed for Daly to fire wide before Taylor got round the back and whipped in a cross that Walters bundled into the net to put Villa back in front.

Daly supplied Georgiou for a shot that was deflected for a corner from which Muscatt drew a save. Taylor got round the back and all the way to the near post where McDermott blocked his effort. The last chance of the half was headed over by Loft from a cross by Muscatt.

Villa made a change at half-time and another three minutes in before Hepburn-Murphy fired over. Spurs made their first change replacing Daly with Sterling; going with two up front. Loft fired wide from a corner before Prosser was booked for a foul. Spurs were back in the game when Stylianides found Georgiou who centred for Loft to score.

Humphries headed over from a free kick before Paul got down the right and whipped in a cross that Loft could not convert with his head. Hayford replaced Goddard in midfield before Sterling headed wide from a centre by Muscatt. Spurs' last change was Roles coming on for Paul, going into midfield leaving three at the back.

Owens fired wide before Zeidan got down the left firing wide. With time running out, Hepburn-Murphy got the better of Brown on the right getting to the line and crossing for Humphries to score at the far post. As the game went into added time Muscatt was booked for a foul on Hepburn-Murphy as Spurs went all out for a third. Owens played in Loft who set up Sterling but Boucher saved his effort just before the final whistle.

Spurs worked hard but could not get their passing game going due to good closing down by the visitors who took their chances when they won the ball. It was not a game to put your foot on the ball as the "Villans" were in so quickly. Villa go above Spurs who are now three points clear of Man City in last place who drew 3-3 with Chelsea. City still have a game to play which if they win that they will go above Spurs leaving them with the wooden spoon.

Ray

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