Premier U-18 League, Southern Group, 2015-16
               Hotspur Way, Bulls Cross, Enfield
              Saturday 24th October 2015, 11.30am

                  SPURS      v   LEICESTER CITY
              (White/Blue)         (All Blue)
                 4-2-3-1            4-2-3-1

                   0(0)               1(0) 

                Harry Voss   1  Max Bramley
          Christopher Paul   2  Elliott Percival
               Jaden Brown   3  Michael Kelly(C)
              George Marsh   4  Cal Templeton
           Japhet Tanganga   5  Josh Knight
         Christian Maghoma   6  Alex Pascanu
        Nicholas Tsaroulla   7  Toby Fura
             Charlie Owens   8  Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
                 Ryan Loft   9  Kairo Mitchell
              Dylan Duncan  10  Admiral Muskwe
           Samuel Shashoua  11  Josh Eppiah

                Jack Roles  12  Kyle Grund
                (10)65Mins
          Thomas McDermott  13  Cameron Yates
              Aramide Oteh  14  Ethan Hodby
                 (7)69Mins
         Zenon Stylianides  15  Morgan Brown
           Keanan Bennetts  16  Kairo Arlott-John

Scorers:-    
                                Mitchell 88 

Booked:-
         Roles 90(UGC)          Percival 90(UGC)

Coach:-
         K. McKenna             T. Peake

Referee:– D. Lunani

Spurs entertained Leicester City at Hotspur Way in a game that had been switched from Leicester. The visitors won their last game 3-2 away at Aston Villa and sit third in the table. Spurs won last week beating Swansea 3-1. Last season Spurs won the fixture 2-0 to qualify for the Elite group in the second part of the season in a match which saw four yellow cards.

Spurs lined up with Voss in goal behind Maghoma and Tanganga with Paul at right back and Brown on the left. Marsh and Owens played in front of them with Duncan behind Loft up front flanked by Tsaroulla on the right and Shashoua on the left. Jack Roles was on the bench having returned from playing for the Cyprus U-17 side.

Spurs defended the South end in the first half which turned into a physical battle in midfield as the visitors sought to close down Spurs quickly and force turnovers which they were quick to exploit. Spurs had the first chance when Owens had an effort blocked for a corner from which Maghoma headed wide. Shashoua was played in by Brown for a shot wide.

Pressure on Spurs' defenders saw Muskwe draw a save from Voss. Voss had to push away a free kick floated to the far post. Muskwe headed another free kick wide while Knight drew a save from a free kick that was not cleared. Spurs were finding it hard to gain ground against a tough and determined midfield, so when Brown and Shashoua worked the ball down the right, the wide man played the ball in for Brown to try an overhead kick that was just wide. The only other chance Spurs had was when Tanganga headed a corner over the bar from a corner. Muskwe had another two chances before the break when first he forced a save from Voss and then fired wide.

There were no changes for the start of the second half which saw Spurs more determined to get forward, with Tsaroulla playing Shashoua in for a chance that was saved for a corner. Tsaroulla also set up a chance for Loft which he drove wide. Shashoua then crossed for Loft to head, but Bramley saved. Bramley came out to get a through ball but slipped to let Shashoua in for a shot which was cleared off the line for a corner.

Spurs made their first change when Roles came on for Duncan. Loft had another effort fly wide before Oteh replaced Tsaroulla. Spurs were forced to make another change when Tanganga failed to recover from a clash with Mitchell. Stylianides came on in midfield with Marsh dropping into the back four.

Shashoua played in Loft for an effort that went wide before Voss had to save from Kelly on the break. Stylianides played in Loft for a shot that was saved for a corner. Following the corner Spurs won a free kick on the left which Owens took. Bramley punched the ball out and it was played over the last man who was Marsh. In a chase for the ball Marsh was knocked off the ball by Eppiah who then only had Voss to beat. The keeper saved his shot but Mitchell, following up, put the ball in for a late winner. There was still time for Roles to have a difference of opinion with Percival over a tackle that saw both players booked.

Leicester had set out to frustrate Spurs by preventing them from passing the ball around them and forcing themselves onto the home defence. They had two goals disallowed due to offside while Loft saw his goal ruled out as the referee was not ready when Roles played him in from a free kick. The pressure from the"Foxes" caused Spurs to give up the ball too often in the first half but they did a lot better in the second with strong defending by the visitors. It looked like a draw until that breakaway. I was surprised that Marsh replaced Tanganga at the back against the big strikers that Leicester had, when Brown and Paul are bigger and have played in the middle of defence before. That would not have prevented the goal as the big boys were up for the set pieces.

Next Saturday the Academy travel to Brighton who were held to a 2-2 draw today at home to Fulham and sit 11th in the table. The win takes Leicester up to second while Spurs remain in 7th.

Ray

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