Premier League 2, First Division 2018-19
         Recreation Ground, Aldershot
        Friday 23rd November 2018, 7pm

            CHELSEA    v    SPURS
           (All Blue)    (White/Blue)
             3-5-2         4-1-4-1

              1(0)           1(1)

        Jamie Cumming  1  Brandon Austin(C)
        Tariq Lamptey  2  Tariq Hinds
       Joshua Grant(C) 3  Jaden Brown
       Richard Nartey  4  Jamie Bowden
           Marc Guehi  5  Japhet Tanganga
     George McEachran  6  Timothy Eyoma
     Connor Gallagher  7  Tashan Oakley-Boothe
        Billy Gilmour  8  George Marsh
       Daishawn Redan  9  Kazaiah Sterling
     Martell
     Taylor-Crossdale 10  Paris Maghoma
        Jaun Castillo 11  Jack Roles

        Joseph Colley 12  Dylan Duncan
                          (4)74Mins
          Karlo Ziger 13  Thomas Glover
        Charlie Brown 14  Jamie Reynolds
           (10)61Mins     (10)87Mins
         Tino Anjorin 15  Rodel Richards
            (9)65Mins     (11)82Mins
         Tariq Uwakwe 16
            (6)76Mins

Scorers:-
             Brown 88     Roles 26

Booked:-
 Gallagher 86(Holding)    Bowden 48(Late)
                          Oakley-Boothe 49(Late)

Coaches:-
          Joe Edwards     Wayne Burnett

Attendance:– 632

Referee:– Alan Dale
Assistants:– Adam Ricketts & Stacey Parsons
Fourth Official:– Daniel Simpson 

Spurs travelled to Aldershot on a cold evening to take on third-placed Chelsea after the International break looking to get their season back on track after two defeats in a row while Chelsea beat Arsenal 5-4 in their last game. Last season Spurs beat Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge as they pulled themselves out of relegation worries.

Spurs lined up with Austin in goal with the captain's armband behind Tanganga and Eyoma with Hinds at right back and Brown on the left. Bowden anchored the midfield with Marsh and Maghoma ahead of him. They were flanked by Oakley-Boothe on the right and Roles on the left in support of Sterling up front. With a top of the table clash with the "Gooners" U-18s in the morning Spurs had a short bench.

Spurs attacked the North end in the first half playing up the slope. In an open passing game both sides moved the ball well with the home side using Lamptey to work the right-hand side down the slope. The wingback won an early corner coming inside to shot wide. With both defences being strong Maghoma had the first effort on target when Cumming saved his long range effort after 17 minutes.

While Chelsea had a little more of the ball it was Spurs who took the lead. Brown picked up a loose ball just inside the Chelsea half and advanced before slipping in Roles to score from a tight angle. The hosts responded with a header by Guehi that went wide from a corner and Castillo fired wide before Spurs moved the game into the middle third until Chelsea finished the half strongly.

Lamptey was played in on the right and his effort from a tight angle was saved by Austin with Castillo getting his head to the ball at the far post only to see it headed away by Tanganga on the post. Taylor-Crossdale had a shot that went wide just after but Spurs went in at the break in the lead.

There were no changes for the start of the second half which saw Spurs playing down the slope with Maghoma crossing in the first minute for Sterling to attempt an overhead kick which was saved by Cumming. The referee booked two Spurs players in the space of a minute, both for late tackles , but did not book Lamptey for also being late on Brown minutes later. Bowden was the first after he had lost the ball and attempted to get it back, while Oakley-Boothe was more a mis-timed tackle. It did not stop Spurs getting forward and Sterling played in Roles to draw a save.

Lamptey continued to get down the right and he played in Redan to fire wide of the near post. A lovely through ball by Maghoma to Sterling on the right gave the Spurs striker a good chance but Cumming saved. Gallagher sent Gilmour away down the left and the referee gave a penalty for handball by Tanganga as he attempted to cross. Gilmour stepped up to take the kick but Austin saved diving to his right.

Chelsea changed their two strikers as they looked to get back into the game with Gallagher firing over from a corner routine. Spurs made their first change with Duncan coming on for Bowden with Marsh dropping into the anchor role. After the hosts made their last change Spurs took off goalscorer Roles for Richards.

Gallagher was booked for pulling back Duncan as he skipped past him. Spurs were now in control and took off Maghoma for Reynolds as they looked to see out time. Chelsea then created one more chance when Brown was played through and he beat Austin with a low finish into the far corner. In the remaining time Spurs pushed for a winner with Reynolds having the ball drop to his feet as Chelsea failed to clear but he hit it over the bar in the last minute of the game.

This was very much a case of two points dropped as Spurs controlled most of the second half. The first had been fairly even but they were caught out late in the game. Chelsea knew they had snatched a point as the goal did not raise their game at all and Spurs finished the strongest. Spurs meet Everton in a fortnight at Hotspur Way. This will be another hard test in Spurs' recovery having lost to the league leaders 6-0 at Goodison.

Ray

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