FA Youth Cup 3rd round
             Lamex Stadium, Broadhall Way, Stevenage
               Wednesday 2nd December 2015, 7pm

                   SPURS      v   ROTHERHAM UTD
                (White/Blue)       (Red/White)
                  4-2-3-1            4-2-3-1

                    4(1)              0(0)

              Alfie Whiteman  1  Lawrence Bilboe
             Japhet Tanganga  2  Fabian Bailey(C)
          Nicholas Tsaroulla  3  Danial Smalley
               Charlie Owens  4  Ross Dickinson
    Cameron Carter-Vickers(C) 5  Bradley Peace-Macdonald
                 Jaden Brown  6  Thomas Rose
             Keanan Bennetts  7  Darnelle Bailey-King
           Zenon Stylianides  8  Brandon Potts
            Kazaiah Sterling  9  Kudakwashe Muskwe
              Marcus Edwards 10  Benjamin Wiles
             Samuel Shashoua 11  Alaster Redmayne

              Joseph Muscatt 12  Harry Fidler(GK)
                   (3)46Mins
            Thomas McDermott 13
                George Marsh 14  J'Cee Abrahams
                                 (8)62Mins
                Dylan Duncan 15  Adam Saxton
                   (7)80Mins     (11)87Mins
                   Ryan Loft 16  Trae Adeyemi
                   (9)71Mins     (10)46Mins
                             17  Sam Martin

Scorers:-
             Bennetts 12
             Smalley o.g. 65
             Loft 75
             Shashoua 87

Booked:-
        Tsaroulla 28(Diving)     Potts 58(Foul)
        Whiteman 51(Handball)    Bailey 77(Foul)
        Owens 87(Foul)

Coach:-
        K. McKenna               G. Barker

Attendance:- 333

Referee:– M. Wilson
Assistants:– L. Hantea & L. Jessup
Fourth Official:– M. Simmons

It was a cool evening at Stevenage as Spurs got their Youth Cup campaign up and running. The Youth Alliance League side came to Stevenage on a run of three wins while Spurs lost their last game 3-2 at Hotspur Way on Saturday.

Spurs lined up with a strong squad starting with keeper Whiteman behind Carter-Vickers and Brown with Tanganga at right back and Tsaroulla on the left. Owens anchored the midfield with Stylianides alongside him. Bennetts was on the right flank with Shashoua on the left alongside Edwards playing behind Sterling up front. Muscatt (back from injury) started on the bench.

Spurs kicked off attacking the South end against a side that sought to contain them and hit back with quick counter attacks. This provided them with the first chance of the game when they won a free kick on the right from which Peace-Macdonald saw his header at the far post saved by Whiteman for a corner.

Spurs took the lead when Bennetts ran onto a good through ball by Owens into the area. His first effort beat the keeper but came back off the far post to him to score. Edwards' run from the half-way line into the area was stopped by Bilboe saving at his feet. Bennetts' cross was met by Sterling but his effort was blocked before Bennetts then had a chance saved.

While Carter-Vickers dealt with long balls played over the top Muskwe got away down the right but fired wide. Tsaroulla got down the left and went down under the challenge of two defenders and grabbed the ball in expectation of a free kick only to be shown a yellow card by the referee. I am not sure if it was for a dive or handball. Shashoua got down the left and put in a good ball across the box evading everybody.

The "Millers"' chances were coming from dead ball situations and Dickinson had an effort blocked at the near post from a corner which led to another. A Spurs free kick on the right was deflected to Bennetts who fired over just before the end of the half.

Both sides made a change for the start of the second half with Spurs replacing Tsaroulla with Muscatt. Muscatt went to right back with Tanganga moving inside to allow Brown to go to left back. Spurs continued to keep the pressure on the visitors' goal with Edwards drawing a save early on.

A long ball was caught by Whiteman on the edge of his area only for him to be shown a yellow card by the referee because his hands were over the line. Bennetts drew another save from Bilboe as Spurs worked hard to get through a stubborn defence. Potts was booked for an over physical foul on Shashoua who responded by working an opening to draw a save from the keeper.

Owens hit a free kick over before Spurs increased rheir lead. Stylianides got round the back on the left side, pulling the ball back for Sterling to hit a volley that was going wide of the far post only for Smalley to deflect it inside the far post.

Spurs replaced Sterling with Loft to give the visitors a new problem and he was in the right place to receive a lovely ball from Edwards to score, curling the ball inside the right post. Bailey was booked for a bad foul on Stylianides before Owens fired wide. Smalley got down the left and his cross was headed wide by Muskwe who got ahead of Carter-Vickers for once.

Spurs took off Bennetts for Duncan becoming a little more narrow. Shashoua was played in for a shot from distance that took a deflection on its way into the net for 4-0 off Ross. Spurs continued to press with a free kick deflected wide before Shashoua came in from the left along the eighteen yard line to hit a shot that was saved. Owens was booked for a high tackle as Spurs kept on to the end. Brown drove forward and fired over before Stylianides had the last effort of the game which was saved by Bilboe.

This was a good win for Spurs who dominated the game giving the visitors few chances. Carter-Vickers won almost everything that came his way and the midfield passed their way through the opposition defence almost at will. Sometimes too many passes gave the visitors the chance to break. The United defence took a while to break down but Spurs kept the pressure on until it buckled.

Ray

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