Premier U-18 League, Southern League 2018-19
   Amex Elite Training Centre, Lancing, W. Sussex
        Saturday 12th January 2019, 11.30am

           BRIGHTON      v     SPURS
        (Green/White)       (White/Blue)
           4-2-3-1            4-1-4-1

             1(1)               4(2)

         Carl Rushworth  1  Joshua Oluwayemi
           Ayo Tanimowo  2  Maximus Tainio
           Cameron Tutt  3  Dennis Cirkin
           Julien Carre  4  Harvey White
          Kacper Lopata  5  Jubril Okedina
       Luca Cocoracchio  6  Brooklyn Lyons-Foster
             Ben Wilson  7  Dilan Markanday
             Jack Spong  8  Paris Maghoma
           Lorent Tolaj  9  Troy Parrott(C)
       Danny Cashman(C) 10  Rodel Richards
         Steffan Vukoje 11  J'Neil Bennett

            Matt Weaire 12  Malachi Walcott
              (6)73Mins     (2)6672Mins
              Roco Rees 13  Kacper Kurylowicz
            Sam Packham 14  Luis Binks
              (3)63Mins     (6)76Mins
           Tareq Shihab 15  Armando Shashoua
                            (10)43Mins.
           Marc Leonard 16  Rayan Clarke
              (7)63Mins

Scorers:-
              Vukoje 24     Parrott 8, 87
                            Richards 25
                            Bennett 65

Booked:-
          Tutt 48(Foul)     Bennett 60(High Foot)
         Carre 66(Late)

Sent Off:-
Carre 68(Dangerous Play)

Coaches:-
            Mike Harris     Matt Wells

Referee:– Daniel Proctor

Spurs travelled to Brighton on a chilly morning seeking to continue their good form on the South coast. Mid-table Brighton lost last week at Arsenal while Spurs continued their unbeaten run with a narrow victory over Swansea. Spurs began the season with a 6-4 win over the "Seagulls" to add to last season's trip to Brighton when they won 6-4.

Spurs lined up with Oluwayemi behind Okedina and Lyons-Foster with Tainio at right back and Cirkin on the left. White anchored the midfield with Maghoma and Richards ahead of him. They were flanked by Markanday on the right and Bennett on the left in support of Parrott up front who wearing the captain's armband. Walcott (returning from injury) was on the bench.

Spurs defended the South end in the first half which saw the home side start on the front foot with Cashman firing wide in the first minute. Spurs began to get on top but the hard tackling and pressing by the home side disrupted the passing football of the league leaders. Spurs did take an early lead when Brighton failed to clear a corner. Lyons-Foster passed to Bennett on the left, he turned it back to Cirkin who floated it into the box for Parrott to head inside the far post.

Brighton continued to make things difficult for Spurs and got an equaliser when they won the ball in the middle and played in Vukoje clear on the left. The wideman hit a powerful effort from 25 yards that beat Oluwayemi on its way into the top right corner.

Spurs responded with a goal within a minute from the restart. Bennett got away from Tanimowo to cross for Richards to score at the far post. Maghoma fired wide from a ball by Markanday while Cashman tried to beat Oluwayemi with a free kick that the keeper turned round the near post. Richards had to go off after being caught late and was replaced by Shashoua before the break.

There were no changes for the start of the second half which saw Spurs continue to dominate the play. Tutt picked up a booking after he had been warned in the first half, but White hit the free kick well over. Tanimowo got down the right and crossed for Tolaj to run onto with a clear sight of goal but the striker fired wide. He did get into the area later but was prevented from shooting by a last ditch tackle by Lyons-Foster. Bennett was booked for a foot up on Tanimowo which the Brighton player accepted as an accident.

Shashoua played in Maghoma to draw a save while Cocoracchio headed wide from a corner. Brighton made a double change which may have contributed to Spurs' third goal as Markanday and Shashoua combined to get past the new left back with Shashoua playing in Parrott for a strike at goal. Rushworth pushed the ball away but only into the path of Bennett at the far post who put it in.

Parrott dropped deep to pick up the ball and as he played it forward he was caught by Carre who was booked when the move ended with a goal kick. Parrott was again fouled when he went for a ball played into the area by Markanday. Lopata pushed him in the back to concede a penalty. The usually reliable White stepped up to take the kick but Rushworth saved diving to his right.

Spurs made their last two changes, firstly Walcott replaced Tainio with Okedina moving to right back and then Binks replaced Lyons-Foster at the back. Having been booked already Carre committed a terrible challenge on Markanday to receive a straight red. There was no advantage to Spurs as the wideman had to go off reducing Spurs to ten men as well.

After good work between Parrott, Maghoma and Shashoua in and around the Brighton area it finished with Parrott firing home for the fourth goal. There was still time for Maghoma to draw a save before the final whistle.

Spurs were not at their best in the first half which was mainly due to the home side closing down quickly. Spurs' quality told in the second half when they could have got six goals for the third time in a row but had to settle for four. The Brighton goal was a bit of a stunner but it was their tackling that cost Spurs the most. Markanday has been one of the most consistent players and his loss will be a big relief for Arsenal in the upcoming FA Youth Cup match. Arsenal also won today beating Villa 2-0 to stay two points behind Spurs. Chelsea dropped two points at home to Southampton and are now five points behind Spurs. Spurs still have to play both away so the question of who finishes top of the league is not done and dusted. Spurs were due to play Chelsea next week but it has been postponed due to the cup-tie against Arsenal on Thursday evening.

Ray

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