Premier U-18 League
                  Play-offs 2014-15
           Hotspur Way, Bulls cross,Enfield
            Saturday 25th April 2015, 11am

               SPURS     v  MANCHESTER UNITED
           (White/Blue)       (Red/White)
              4-2-3-1           3-5-1-1

                0(0)            2(2)

             Harry Voss  1 George Dorrington
       Christopher Paul  2 Tyler Reid
         Joseph Muscatt  3 Cameron Borthwick-Jackson
          Charlie Owens  4 Roshaw(C)
         Anton Walkes(C) 5 Timothy Fosu-Mensah
            Jaden Brown  6 Jordan Thompson
            Armani Daly  7 Devonte Redmond
      Zenon Stylianides  8 Ruairi Croskery
        Kaziah Sterling  9 Marcus Rashford
             Cy Goddard 10 Callum Gribbin
         Ismail Azzaoui 11 Ethan Hamilton

       Anthony Georgiou 12 Charlie Scott
              (7)56Mins    (8)76Mins
         Brandon Austin 13 Oliver Byrne
         Marcus Edwards 14 Joseph Riley
              (2)88Mins    (11)46Mins
              Ryan Loft 15 Oliver Rathbone
              (3)67Mins    (7)88Mins
                         16 James Dunne

Scorer:- 
                            Rashford 12, 36

Booked:- 
       Loft 82(Late)

Coach:-
       K. McKenna           P. McGuiness

Referee:– P. Georgiou

It was a cloudy morning for the visit of second placed United who are unbeaten so far in the play-offs, having drawn at second place Everton last week. Last week Spurs picked up their first win, taking advantage of a young Manchester City side.

Spurs, who have an under-21 game on Monday, fielded a weakened side with Voss in goal behind Walkes and Brown at the back with Paul at right back and Muscatt on the left. Owens anchored the midfield with Goddard alongside him while Stylianides was ahead of them with Daly on the right and Azzaoui on the left in support of Sterling up front. United started with three at the back in line with Van Gaal's former first team set-up.

Spurs defended the southern end in the first half and soon found themselves out-numbered in midfield as the visitors pushed up to compress the play and squeeze the Spurs midfield. Spurs won the first corner from which Paul headed wide. Owens, up in support, fired well over as his effort was deflected for a corner. Goddard got into the area to head a cross which was deflected wide for another corner.

United made a break and set up Croskery, who fired wide for a corner from which the ball was played back for Fosu-Mensah to hit over. The big defender got forward to draw a save from Voss for a corner which led to the opening goal. Bothwick-Jackson's far post header was saved with the follow up blocked before Rashford scored.

Spurs responded well with Azzaoui getting down the left before crossing to Daly on the far side. The winger dribbled into the area before his rising drive hit the underside of the bar bouncing on the line before being cleared. I would have liked to have seen that on MUTV. Walkes got forward to collect the ball on the right, firing low across the goal with a defender clearing off the line. Dorrington had an easy save just after that, before the visitors began to regain control in midfield.

Stylianides fired wide before United increased their lead to two. Rashford collected a forward pass from Gribbin and beat Voss with a low drive inside the keeper's right-hand post. Croskery had a good chance saved before firing wide with another as United forced errors out of the midfield and Thompson drew a save at the end of the half.

United made one change for the start of the second half which saw them continue to dominate. Rashford had a chance to complete his hat-trick but Voss saved and Croskery fired over from a Riley cross. As United sat back, allowing Spurs more time in midfield, Owens played in Azzaoui for a chance which Dorrington saved easily.

Sterling fired over, having created half a chance. Spurs made their first change replacing Daly with Georgiou on the right. Voss saved Bothwick-Jackson's header from a corner before Georgiou drew a save from Dorrington having come inside. Thompson fired over having made a good run to get on the end of a through ball by Riley. Rashford fired over when well placed to connect with a Tyler cross.

Spurs then also went three at the back, when Loft replaced Muscatt, to apply more pressure on the visitors' defence. Rashford, still looking for his third, took a free kick from distance but hit it wide. Georgiou got through on the right but hit his right-footed effort into the side netting. Paul floated a cross to the far post that was headed down by Sterling for Azzaoui to draw a save from the keeper. Paul then tried himself with Dorrington saving his drive.

Loft was booked for a late challenge on Fosu-Mensah trying to stop a break by the big defender. Paul picked up an injury and had to be replaced by Edwards with Owens filling in at the back. United were content to run the clock down with Rashford firing wide at the final whistle.

United contained Spurs with their formation taking a two goal lead into the break and were happy to sit back and pick off Spurs as they went forward in search of a goal. Stylianides did well moving the ball around midfield. This earned him a kick or two off the ball but Spurs could not make the best of the possession they were allowed.

This win moves United to the top of the table with Spurs left in sixth. Next week Spurs travel to West Brom who sit in fourth. Spurs lost to the Midlanders in their Southern League match which had to be replayed when the original match was abandoned by the ref after Spurs had taken the lead in terrible conditions. The ref had been hoping for a draw so would not let Spurs take the points. West Brom are shy of letting people in so if I am turned away I will join Paul Smith in Manchester for the U-21 game at City's new training ground.

Ray

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