Premier U-21 League 2014-15
          Hetton Centre, Houghton-le-Spring
           Monday 22nd September 2014, 7pm.

             SUNDERLAND   v      SPURS
            (Red/White)       (White/Blue)
               4-3-3             4-3-3

                2(0)              1(0)

              Joel Dixon  1 Luke McGee
       Andrew Cartwright  2 Cameron Carter-Vickers
           Thomas Robson  3 Alexander McQueen
           Connor Oliver  4 Harry Winks
          Thomas McNamee  5 Dominic Ball
          David Ferguson  6 Milos Vejlkovic(C)
          Duncan Watmore  7 Emmanuel Sonupe
              Liam Agnew  8 Ruben Lameiras
     Charalampos Mavrias  9 Daniel Akindayini
             Carl Lawson 10 Ryan Mason
          Adilson Cabral 11 William Miller

            Martin Smith 12 Nathan Oduwa
               (4)73Mins    (7)56Mins
     Makaymilian Stryjek 13 Jonathan Miles
            Jassem Sukar 14 Filip Lesniak
                            (4)59Mins
            Ethan Robson 15 Joe Pritchard
            (11)90+4Mins    (8)71Mins
          Rees Greenwood 16
              (10)82Mins

Scorers:-  
          Ferguson 51       Akindayini 90
          Smith 78 

Booked:-  
     Cartwright 41(Foul)
     Agnew 90+1(KBA)

Coaches:-   
                            U.Ehiogu 

Attendance:– 487

Referee:– K. Mulraine

Spurs travelled to face Sunderland for their first away game of the season having won both home games so far, while Sunderland lost their last game 4-0 away to Manchester United.

Spurs lined up with McGee in goal behind Vejlkovic and Ball with Carter-Vickers making a first start at right back and McQueen on the left. Winks anchored the midfield with Lameiras and Mason in support of Akindayini up front flanked by Sonupe and Miller.

I missed the opening period of an absorbing attacking game with both sides attacking at pace. Spurs attacked the south end in the first half looking to pass their way through the home defence who closed down quickly, turning the ball over and attacking at pace to catch the Spurs defence short at the back.

With Sonupe providing crosses from the right and the "Mackems" countering through the middle only the lack of a clinical finish kept the game goal-less at the interval. Robson's cross from the right reached Mavrias but McGee saved. Miller drove wide before Cartwright was booked for persistent fouling after he stopped McQueen from getting into the area. Mason took the free kick which was headed wide by Carter-Vickers at the far post. McQueen played in Akindayini for a chance that was saved. McGee, put under pressure by Sunderland, mis-hit a back pass but recovered to put the ball safe.

There were no changes for the second half which saw the home side put more pressure of Spurs in midfield forcing more turnovers. McGee saved well from Watmore, who had made an interception and a run through the defence, winning a corner. From the corner, Ferguson had a tap-in when the ball was not cleared.

Spurs responded quickly with Sonupe getting down the right and crossing for Miller coming in at the far post. His effort was blocked and Mason's follow up went wide. McNamee was wide at a corner before Spurs started making changes. Oduwa came on for Sonupe and Lesniak replaced Winks.

Oduwa fired wide before Spurs made their last change, replacing Lameiras with Pritchard. Sunderland sent on Smith who quickly got into the action with some quick attacking runs winning a penalty. The substitute took the kick himself but McGee spread himself well to save, only for the striker to follow up his kick and score.

Spurs threw caution to the wind and went at the home side.Dixon saved from Miller to concede a corner from which he saved Vejlkovic's header. The home side tried to close out the game but conceded when Oduwa got down the right and Akindayini dug the ball out of his feet to score.

Agnew was booked for kicking the ball away when Spurs won a free kick. The ball was played to Vejlkovic attacking at the far post who was caught by a defender, raising a good shout for a penalty which was not given. Sunderland made their last change in added time to waste a few more seconds, Cabral taking a age to leave the field. The home side held out for the whistle to pick up the three points.

This was a well fought game, with a few solid tackles that raised some queries from the players but the ball was kept moving. Sunderland did very well in preventing the Spurs midfield from putting together their normal passing game, forcing errors and countering at pace. It was a tough introduction for Carter-Vickers playing out of position at right back. Pritchard did well when he came on, adding some extra pace in midfield which helped the push in the later part of the game.

This was Spurs' first defeat of the campaign which they will hope to put right when they take on Manchester United at Stevenage in a week's time.

Ray

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