Premier U-18 League, Southern Group 2018-19
     Bodymoor Heath, Tamworth,Staffordshire
       Saturday 6th April 2019, 12 noon

         ASTON VILLA    v    SPURS
         (All Claret)     (White/Blue)
            4-2-3-1         4-1-4-1

              2(0)            3(2)

            Akos Onodi  1  Joshua Oluwayemi
           Brad Burton  2  Rayan Clarke
   Charlie McConnachie  3  Maxwell Statham
            Jack Birch  4  Phoenix Patterson
           Myles Sohna  5  Jubril Okedina
          Mungo Bridge  6  Brooklyn Lyons-Foster
Jaden Philogene-Bidace  7  Maurizio Pochettino
               Ben Guy  8  Dilan Markanday
        Aaron Pressley  9  Troy Parrott
          Michael Tait 10  Elliott Thorpe
         Colin Odutayo 11  Chay Cooper

          Charlie Farr 12  Rafferty Pedder
            (11)52Mins     (10)76Mins
        Filip Marshall 13  Kacper Kurylowicz
        Harrison Sohna 14  Tarrelle Whittaker
             (4)75Mins     (9)60Mins
             Seb Revan 15  Matthew Craig
                           (4)76Mins
          Anton Hooper 16  Marqes Muir
             (9)75Mins

Scorers:-
   Odutayo 50 (pen) Own goal, 5
   Guy 66                  Parrott 35 (pen)
                           Pochettino 56
Booked:-
     M. Sohna 30(Foul)     Pochettino 45(Foul)
     Guy 65(Late)

Coaches:-
         David Hughes      John McDermott

Referee:– Leslie Sinclair

Spurs travelled to Villa's training ground looking to return to winning ways to keep the pressure on Arsenal having lost to their local rivals on Tuesday 3-2 having led at halftime 2-0 but losing Binks to a red card. They held out until the last five minutes of the game to hand the advantage to them. Last week Villa lost 4-3 at Brighton. Last season Spurs won 5-0 at Bodymoor which was unusual as games are normally tight. Already this season Spurs beat Villa 6-1 at Hotspur Way.

With games coming thick and fast Spurs had to bring young players into the squad. Oluwayemi was in goal behind Okedina and Lyons-Foster with Clarke at right back and Statham on the left. The returning Patterson anchored the midfield with Markanday and Thorpe ahead of him. They were flanked by Pochettino on the right and Cooper on the left in support of Parrott also making a return from injury.

Spurs defended the South end in the first half but were quick to take the game to their hosts and after Tait had an effort turned wide for a corner Spurs took the lead. Parrott laid the ball off to Thorpe and got into the box to score from the return. (This goal has since been confirmed as an own goal by a Villa defender)

Onodi saved from Cooper when he had been played in by Thorpe, before Villa had an effort by Philogene-Bidace over the bar and Oluwayemi saved from Pressley. McConnachie got past Clarke and laid off the ball to Guy to draw a save.

Sohna was booked for clattering Parrott outside the area with the free kick by Patterson hitting the wall. Cooper played in Parrott who laid it off to Thorpe but the midfielder skied the ball over. Birch bundled Cooper over in the area to concede a penalty which was taken by Parrott who drilled it inside the right post for Spurs' second. Philogene-Bidace fired wide and Pochettino was booked for tackling from behind in the last minute of the half.

There were no changes for the start of the second half which saw the hosts come out fighting. They looked to exploit Clarke on the left and Philogene-Bidace had an early chance that was wide. They won a penalty with a ball over the top that Philogene-Bidace took into the area and Oluwayemi was penalised for catching him. Odutayo took the spot kick and sent Oluwayemi the wrong way to reduce the visitors' lead.

Oluwayemi saved an overhead kick by Philogene-Bidace before Parrott fired wide at the other end. Spurs regained their two-goal lead when the ball was worked down the left and Cooper crossed to the far post where an unmarked Pochettino had time to fire across the keeper into the far corner.

Farr played in Pressley for a chance that was deflected wide and the striker headed the resultant corner wide. On the hour Parrott was replaced by Whittaker. Onodi saved a long range effort by Thorpe before Guy was booked for a very late tackle on Markanday.

Villa got another goal from a corner that was headed on by Bridge for Guy at the far post to score. The goal gave the home side hope and Pressley headed over from another corner. Both sides made double changes. Spurs replaced Patterson with Craig and Pedder came on for Markanday as Spurs looked to close out the game. Cooper had an effort saved for a corner and Pochettino received another crossfield ball similar to when he scored but this time his effort was blocked as Spurs saw out the added time to take the points.

Despite being a makeshift side Spurs had enough to win the game and should possibly have had more goals to show for it. Unfortunately Arsenal won 8-0 to stay four points clear and now have a better goal difference as well. Spurs now travel to third place Chelsea on Wednesday as they try to close the gap on the leaders.

Ray

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