Premier U-18, Merit Group 2, 2016-17
         Hotspur Way, Bulls Cross, Enfield
          Saturday 29th April 2017, 11am

             SPURS     v     FULHAM
         (White/Blue)      (Red/Black)
            4-1-4-1          4-2-3-1

              5(2)             2(0) 

       Alfie Whiteman  1  Taye Ashby-Hammond
          Tariq Hinds  2  Joe Felix
          Jaden Brown  3  Dan Martin
         Oliver Skipp  4  Reece York
       George Marsh(C) 5  Jayden Mundle-Smith
      Japhet Tanganga  6  Jerome Opoku
      Samuel Shashoua  7  Isaac Pearce
         Dylan Duncan  8  Jayden Harris
     Kazaiah Sterling  9  Timmy Abrahams
           Jack Roles 10  Mikolas Kwietniewski 
      Keanan Bennetts 11  Chris Kelly

      Moroyin Omolabi 12  Michael Elstone
            (4)70Mins     (9)53Mins
         Luke Freeman 13  Julian Schwarzer
         Matthew Lock 14  Djed Spence
            (2)75Mins     (2)77Mins
    Phoenix Patterson 15  Cameron Thompson
           (10)58Mins
                      16  Nicolas Santos Clase
                          (11)64Mins

Scorers:-
        Roles 35          Kwietniewski 52 (pen)
        Shashoua 44, 54   Harris 84
        Bennetts 57 
        Sterling 80

Booked:-   
                          Harris 82(Foul)

Coach:-
        J. McDermott      M. Pembridge

Referee:– Ollie Butcher
Assistants:- Joshua Howard & Paul Greenfield

It was a chilly, cloudy morning at Hotspur Way for the visit of Fulham for the fourth merit game. Spurs had beaten Fulham 1-0 away in the regular season but had lost the home match 3-0. Spurs had begun the second stage on song, unbeaten in their opening three games, while Fulham came here unbeaten in eleven, but with only one win in the second phase drawing last week 2-2 with Norwich City. Spurs did not play last week as their game at Everton was postponed (following the sudden death of Spurs' U-23 coach Ugo Ehiogu), which with them being on a hot streak was unfortunate.

Spurs lined up with Whiteman in goal behind Marsh and Tanganga with Hinds at right back and Brown on the left. Skipp anchored the midfield with Roles and Duncan ahead of him. They were flanked by Shashoua on the right and Bennetts on the left in support of Sterling up front. Injuries and International duty meant a short bench.

Spurs kicked off the first half attacking the North end and showed a little rustiness in their passing during the opening period while the visitors kept a high line and were very physical in the challenges. Spurs began to get their game together but it was ten minutes into the game before the first chance came which was an effort by Shashoua that went wide. Sterling's near post effort was saved by Ashby-Hammond with Roles' follow up hitting the near post and rebounding out to Bennetts who somehow put it over the bar.

Chances continued to come the home side's way but were not taken. Tanganga headed over from a corner and Shashoua played in Sterling for a shot which the keeper touched away for a corner. Sterling headed over a cross from Hinds and the full back provided the ball for Roles to also hit over. Sterling drew another save from Ashby-Hammond for a corner having been set up by Hinds. Bennetts ran onto a lovely through ball by Shashoua but, finding no support, had a go himself. The keeper saved Bennetts' shot.

Fulham finally cracked when Roles passed to Sterling on the left and got into the area for the return to fire inside the near post.

Whiteman had to make his first save a little over five minutes before the break when he got down to a long range effort by York. The goalkeeper's quick release saw Bennetts get behind the visitors defence but his right footed effort hit the near post. Spurs got a second when Shashoua weaved his way in from the right and scored across the keeper to send Spurs in with a two goal lead.

There were no changes for the start of the second half which saw an early effort by Shashoua saved for a corner from which Roles flick at the near post was saved. York broke into the Spurs area and was tackled by Skipp who gave away a penalty which was taken by Kwietniewski who beat Whiteman's dive to his left. It only took Spurs two minutes to regan their two goal lead as Shashoua attacked down the right playing the ball inside to Roles and going for the return which he placed inside the right post.

Spurs soon made it four when Skipp pulled the ball down and played a through ball for Bennetts to run onto and beat the keeper with a low finish. Spurs made their first change with Patterson replacing Roles in midfield. Bennetts got down the left and crossed for Sterling at the near post who laid it off to Duncan at the far post, but his effort was blocked. Martin got down the left and crossed for Pearce to fire over. Pearce had another chance when Opoku carried the ball out of defence but also put that over the bar.

Omolabi replaced Skipp as the holding midfielder and after Sterling was again denied by Ashby-Hammond, Hinds was replaced by Lock at right back. It was a ball over the top by Lock to Bennetts on the left that provided the chance for Sterling to finally beat Ashby-Hammond and get on the scoresheet. Harris went into the ref's book for a tackle from behind on Bennetts and Fulham were lucky not to be punished more when two of their defenders kicked players on the ground. One was spoken to by the ref but the other got away with it. Fulham pulled a goal back when Spence got down the right and pulled the ball back for Harris to fire home. They almost got another when Elstone got behind but Marsh made a saving tackle. Sterling had the last chance in the dying minutes but drove the ball wide.

Spurs were a little slow off the mark giving the ball away a lot, but when they got into their stride they were too good for Fulham. Shashoua was back to his best creating openings with his passing and dribbling. Spurs' hot streak continues and the win keeps them in second place a point behind Aston Villa who they meet next week. They travel to Bodymoor Heath with a game in hand and well placed to top the group.

Ray

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