Premier League 2, Division 1, 2018-19
    Lamex Stadium, Broadhall Way, Stevenage
       Friday 14th September 2018, 7pm

            SPURS     v     MAN CITY
         (White/Blue)     (Blue/White)
            5-4-1           4-2-3-1

             2(2)             0(0)

       Brando Austin  1  Daniel Grimshaw
       Timothy Eyoma  2  Alpha Dionkou
         Jaden Brown  3  Cameron Humphreys(C)
        George Marsh  4  Colin Rosler
    Jonathan Dinzeyi  5  Nathanael Ogbeta
          Luis Binks  6  Claudio Gomes
       Paris Maghoma  7  Rabbi Matondo
         Luke Amos(C) 8  Tom Dele-Bashiru
     Shayon Harrison  9  Nabil Touaizi
        Oliver Skipp 10  Adrian Bernabe
          Jack Roles 11  Benjamin Garre

Tashan Oakley-Boothe 12  Iker Pozo
           (9)78Mins     (10)46Mins
     Jonathan De Bie 13  Tom Scott
        Dylan Duncan 14  Taylor Richards
           (7)84Mins
     Japhet Tanganga 15  Ian Carlo Poveda
                         (11)61Mins
                     16  Lorenzo Gonzalez
                         (9)84Mins

Scorers:-
         Harrison 21
         Maghoma 28

Booked:-
      Brown 40(Foul)     Dionkou 57(Foul)
      Marsh 74(Late)

Attendance:– 637

Coach:-
       Wayne Burnett     Paul Harsley

Referee:– Sam Purkiss
Assistants:– Robert Evans & Martyn Holmes
Fourth Official:– Hugh Gilroy

It was a cool evening for the visit of Manchester City as club football returned after the International break. City began the season putting six goals past Arsenal and West Ham but lost their last match 5-0 at Brighton. Spurs' poor start has seen them not win a game and drop into the relegation zone. Last season City did the double over Spurs including a 5-0 win at Stevenage in the last game of the season after Spurs had escaped relegation with victories over Chelsea and Arsenal.

Spurs lined up with Austin behind a back three of Dinzeyi, Marsh and Binks with Eyoma on the right and Brown on the left as wing-backs. Amos anchored the midfield with Roles ahead of him flanked by Skipp to the right and Maghoma to the left in support of Harrison up front.

Spurs defended the North end in the first half in a fast moving open game. City had great pace down the right with Matondo outpacing Brown too often. Spurs had an appeal for a penalty early on when a back-heel by Harrison saw Maghoma get into the area before being tackled, but the referee waved play on.

Touaizi had the first chance, drawing a save from Austin and his first time effort from Matondo's cross was also saved. City were having the better of the play but when Spurs won the ball in the middle Skipp passed to Maghoma who played a lovely through ball to Harrison who had timed his run to perfection and slotted past the advancing Grimshaw.

Touaizi got behind the Spurs defence, running onto a long ball over the top but Austin got fingertips to his effort to push it wide of the far post. Spurs again won the ball in the middle and Skipp played the ball through the right channel for the run in behind of Maghoma who turned and fired past the keeper for Spurs' second.

Spurs began to have more possession and Brown played in Roles to break the City back line but Grimshaw saved his effort. Matondo got down the right and whipped the ball in from a tight angle which Austin pushed against the near post and across the area to Garre outside the far post. He stepped inside but fired wide of the far post. Touaizi fired wide before Brown was booked for stopping Dele-Bashiru from getting free. Harrison played in Maghoma for a chance that was wide before Dele-Bashiru fired over from a cross by Garre in the last minute of the half.

City made a change for the start of the second half to provide more defensive cover for their defence which gave more space in midfield for Spurs to have more possession. Maghoma made a run from the centre line to the edge of the City area before winning a corner from Grimshaw's save. Skipp headed over from the corner kick. Maghoma crossed to the far post for Harrison to hit the far post with his first time effort.

With the Spurs midfield beginning to give City the runaround Dionkou went through Amos to get a yellow card. City stepped up and pushed Spurs back creating a string of chances in a short space of time. Garre and Montondo had switched wings and Austin had to save from Garre and then from Montondo after Montondo had fired over. Dele-Bashiru fired over from the edge of the area.

Maghoma stepped over a ball that went onto Brown who advanced before laying it off to the midfielder to drive over the bar. Touaizi got through but Austin was out quickly to save before Maghoma played in Harrison for a chance that was saved. Marsh was booked for a late tackle on Dele-Bashiru which was off the ground. Harrison had another effort saved before Austin saved from Gomes following a short corner.

Spurs replaced Harrison with Oakley-Boothe as they looked to close out the game. City continued to look for a goal with Gomes drawing a save after being played in by Touaizi. The City striker had to be replaced after he took a knock closing Dinzeyi down. Spurs made their second change at the same time with Duncan replacing Maghoma. In added time Austin saved from Gomes.

Spurs were outplayed by City at the start of the game but closing down quickly in the midfield saw them get two goals and boost their confidence so that it was City who had to do the chasing later on. The work rate of both teams was amazing as they kept going to the end at such a high level. Spurs' first win of the season moved them up to mid-table (Ed:- 9th of 12 teams). Spurs travel to unbeaten Everton next on Sunday 23rd September after the Champions Youth League game in Milan.

Ray

Follow @spursodyssey