Premier League 2, 2016-17
     Lamex Stadium, Broadhall Way, Stevenage
          Monday 19th September 2016, 7pm

             SPURS     v      LIVERPOOL
         (White/Blue)         (All Red)
            4-2-3-1            4-2-3-1

              2(0)               6(4) 

       Thomas Glover   1   Kamil Grabara
  Kyle Walker-Peters   2   Trent Alexander-Arnold
      Joseph Muscatt   3   Joe Maguire
       Charlie Owens   4   Tiago Llori
   Christian Maghoma   5   Corey Whelan
      Anton Walkes(C)  6   Kevin Stewart
       Shilow Tracey   7   Harry Wilson(C)
   Zevon Stylianides   8   Matty Virtue
           Ryan Loft   9   Toni Gomes
      Marcus Edwards  10   Cameron Brannagan
    Joseph Pritchard  11   Ben Woodburn

Tashan Oakley-Boothe  12   Tom Brewitt
          (11)46Mins
    Thomas McDermott  13   Andy Firth
       Timothy Eyoma  14   Brooks Lennon
           (4)46Mins       (9)71Mins
         Tariq Hinds  15   Juanma Garcia
           (7)83Mins       (3)86Mins
                      16   Alan Phillips
                           (8)58Mins

Scorers:-
          Edwards 56       Wilson 3
     Loft pen 90+5  Woodburn 7
                           Brannagan 8, 78
                           Alexander-Arnold 33
                           Lennon 83

Booked:-
  Maghoma 45+4(Late)       Virtue 16(Pull)
Oakley-Boothe 46(Late)     Alexander-Arnold 40(Foot Up)
       Loft 69(Late)       Brannagan 87(Foot Up)
                           Llori 90+2(KBA)
                           Whelan 90+4(Foul)

Coach:-
           U. Ehiogu       M. Beale

Attendance:– 1016

Ref:– C. Brook
Assistants:- G. Ions & J. Whittaker
Fourth Official:– M. Gospel

It was a cool damp evening for the visit of Liverpool to Stevenage who attracted a big crowd. The game had been moved to Broadhall Way due to Sunderland and Gillingham playing at WHL either side of the fixture. Liverpool began the season with two 4-1 defeats but turned things around with two wins the last being 4-0 over Leicester City. Spurs lost their last game at Stamford Bridge 3-1.

With an eye on the League Cup tie on Wednesday Spurs left out Harrison and had a short bench of U-18 players. Spurs lined up with Glover in goal behind Maghoma and Walkes with Walker-Peters at right back and Muscatt on the left in place of the injured Ogilvie. Owens anchored the midfield with Stylianides while Edwards was ahead of them flanked by Tracey on the right and Pritchard on the left in surpport of Loft up front. Former young Spur Kevin Stewart was in the Liverpool side having made a late appearance in Liverpool's first team win over Chelsea on Friday.

Spurs defended the North end in the first half but were slow to react to the fast start and high pressing by the visitors. A quick break down the left by Virtue saw his effort saved by Glover, diving to his left. The ball was not cleared and Wilson fired in. Spurs hardly had time to recover when a long diagonal ball released Woodburn down the left. Walker-Peters actually got the ball but was forced off it by the wideman who had a free run on goal, slotting the ball in at the near post. A minute later and it was 3-0 to the visitors when Brannagan drove in a left sided cross.

Maguire got down the left and crossed to Wilson on the edge of the area on the right his strike was cleared of the line as Spurs were rocked. Spurs were not allowed to get at the visitors' defence as Liverpool made sure that if they could not get the ball then the Spurs player would not either. When Muscatt tried to get away he was hauled back by Virtue who went into the ref's book.

The pace of the Liverpool attack was causing problems all evening with Glover being exposed too often. The keeper was out quickly to save from Gomes when he was played through. Stewart had a header well wide from a corner. Just past the half hour mark Spurs repelled another attack but the ball went to Alexander-Arnold twenty odd yards out on the right and his screamer was in the back of the net. Alexander-Arnold was the next in the ref's book when he caught Muscatt in the face with a high boot.

Spurs began to string a few passes together against the pressing and got balls into the Liverpool area. Walker-Peters' ball down the line to Loft produced Spurs first real chance as the striker held off two defenders to get into the area but then hit his effort wide. In added time Maghoma gave the ball away on the halfway line and was booked for a late tackle trying to retrieve his error.

Spurs made two changes for the start of the second half with Oakley-Boothe replacing Pritchard on the left and Eyoma coming on for Owens going into the back four to allow Walkes to move into midfield. From the start you could see that Spurs wanted to take the game to the visitors but Oakley-Boothe was shown a yellow card for a late tackle on Alexander-Arnold. That was not the only thing he got as Wilson led with his elbow a little later.

Tracey headed a cross wide before Spurs pulled a goal back. Oakley-Boothe gave the ball to Edwards on the right when a corner was cleared to him and the little midfielder dribbled into the area before scoring at the near post. Woodburn fired over before Loft was booked for a tackle from behind. Liverpool made a couple of changes to spice up their attack but Edwards was beginning to find space and he played in Muscatt for a chance that was wide.

With Spurs pushing forward looking for more goals, they were caught out with a long ball which found Woodburn on the left. He passed inside to Brannagan who chipped the ball into the net to regain their four goal advantage. Alexander-Arnold played in Wilson for a shot that Glover saved before an under-hit pass from Stylianides was seized on by Brannagan who pulled it back for the advancing Lennon to fire past Glover for 6-1. That was enough for "The Reds" who sought to close out the game. Spurs made their last change taking off Tracey for Hinds who went to right back allowing Walker-Peters to move into midfield.

With more space in midfield Spurs pushed for another goal. Brannagan was booked for a foot up on Walker-Peters and Llori was booked for kicking the ball away when pulled up for a foul. Deep into added time with the last attack Edwards dribbled into the area and was brought down by Whelan to concede a penalty and to be shown a yellow card. Loft stepped up and put the spot kick into the left corner with the last kick of the match.

Spurs were run ragged in the first half. They had problems with the Liverpool pressing game and struggled to get out of their own half. When they did, "The Reds"' midfield prevented them getting at their defence. When Spurs managed to put a couple of passes together they looked as if they could threaten to get through. The visitors' defence was not put under any pressure which was a pity as they did not look too sound. They have the same high work rate as their first team, and unfortunately Spurs could not complete with that.

Spurs do not have long to recover from this defeat as they have to travel to Southampton on Friday evening. The "Saints" are second in the table having drawn 2-2 with Leicester this evening.

Ray

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