FA Youth Cup, Round 3
   The Den, Zampa Road, Bermondsey
    Monday 17th December 2018, 7pm

        MILLWALL   v    SPURS
     (Blue/White)    (White/Blue)
        4-2-3-1        4-1-4-1
          1(1)           2(0)
After extra time – 1-1 at 90 minutes

    Joseph Wright  1  Joshua Oluwayemi
       Lewis West  2  Maxwell Statham
   Junior Tiensia  3  Dennis Cirkin
 Billy Mitchell(C) 4  Harvey White
    Hayden Muller  5  Brooklyn Lyons-Foster
  Besart Topalloj  6  Luis Binks
Samuel Skeffington 7  Dilan Markanday
    Reuben Duncan  8  Armando Shashoua
 George Alexander  9  Troy Parrott
     Harry Taylor 10  Paris Maghoma
     Jayden Davis 11  Rodel Richards

       Jay Barton 12  Jubril Okedina
        (8)85Mins     (11)106Mins
Leighton Fanshawe 13  Kacper Kurylowicz
     Sean O'Brien 14  Maximus Tainio
                      (5)85Mins
                  15  Maurizio Pochettino
                      (8)79Mins
 Abdul Asdulmalik 16  J'Neil Bennett
        (5)96Mins     (2)54Mins
    Alex Mitchell 17
        (9)96Mins

Scorers:-
   B. Mitchell 34     Bennett 90(+3)
                      Richards 94

Booked:-
    West 32(Foul)     Shashoua 10(Holding)
    Muller 77(Trip)   Binks 67(Foul)
 Alexander 79(Foul)   Maghoma 109(Foul)
  Tiensa 90+2(Foul)   Tainio 120+3(Foul)
   Barton 108(Trip)

Coaches:-
      Larry McAvoy    Matt Wells

Attendance:– 752

Referee:– Ricky Adams
Assistants:– Jamie Eacott & Peter Conn
Fourth Official:– Phillip Dunkley 

Spurs travelled to South London for their first game in this season's FA Youth Cup which pitted them against the "Lions" who are third in the Premier League second tier having beaten Colchester 7-0 in their last game. It was a chilly wet night with a loud home crowd. The game was a one-off and was to be settled on the night with penalties after extra time if needed.

Spurs lined up with Oluwayemi behind Lyons-Foster and Binks with Statham at right back and Cirkin on the left. White anchored the midfield with Shashoua and Maghoma ahead of him. They were flanked by Markanday on the right and Richards on the left in support of Parrott up front. On the bench was the returning Bennett who had been out with injury acquired during the Arsenal game.

Spurs kicked off the first half attacking the Cold Blow Lane end and moved the ball quickly but the home side worked hard to close them down with a high press and solid challenges. Shashoua was booked early for holding as Spurs lost the ball. The press from Millwall saw turnovers leading to attacks with the impressive Tiensa getting forward to draw a save with a deflected effort.

Richards played in Parrott to hit a shot that was saved by Wright who had a good game saving from Maghoma minutes later. West was booked for bringing down Richards before Millwall took the lead in spectacular style when Mitchell let fly from about 30 yards into the top corner. There was nothing Oluwayemi could do about it. Spurs responded with a Maghoma effort just wide. Duncan hit a free kick wide before the break.

There were no changes for the start of the second half which saw the home side make a good start. Tiensa played in Skeffington to hit over for a corner. A free kick by Davis was headed wide by Muller and Alexander shot over before he drew a save which saw the ball spin up and over the bar away from the keeper.

Markanday headed wide from a cross by Cirkin before Spurs made their first change with Bennett coming on for Statham. Spurs went to three at the back so that Bennett could go to the left flank. Straight away Bennett got down the left and crossed for Markanday to draw a save and continued to get the better of West.

Binks was booked preventing a breakthrough and Muller headed another free kick wide. After Maghoma had fired over, Davis drove wide from Taylor's pass. Muller went into the ref's book for stopping Markanday and he was followed by Alexander soon after.

Spurs' second change saw Pochettino come on for Shashoua to work on the right and Tainio came on for Lyons-Foster on the right of the backline as the third change. Wright made a great save to prevent Parrott scoring with a shot on the turn when played in by Markanday. The keeper saved Binks' header from the following corner. White headed over from another corner as Spurs pressed, while Millwall players were dropping with cramp from their exertions.

With the game entering added time Spurs won a corner on the right. Twice it was defended at the near post so on the third corner White floated it to the far side of goal where Bennett scored with a header. Millwall had one last chance from a free kick that Topalloj headed over before extra time.

Spurs looked the fitter as they went into the first period with Bennett firing wide from Markanday's pass. They took the lead when a forward pass saw Parrott hold off his marker and push the ball past Wright, but having gone too far to the right he pulled the ball back for Richards to score.

The "Lions" responded with an effort by Taylor that Oluwayemi pushed onto his post before clearing. Spurs were moving the ball better and Bennett whipped the ball across the six yard box without a white shirt making contact. Parrott laid the ball off to Pochettino to draw a save from Wright who then saved from Markanday just afterwards. The first period ended with Bennett playing in Richards for an effort that was saved.

Spurs looked to hold their lead in the second period by sending Okedina on in place of Richards at right back (A fourth substitute came now be used in the case of extra time). Barton was booked for a trip on Markanday as he went by him and Maghoma followed as he retaliated to a bad tackle. With some of the Spurs players going down with cramp, Millwall mustered themselves for a last push. Taylor saw his effort blocked before he fired wide moments later with both efforts going for corners.

Bennett played in Markanday for a chance that was saved while Tainio was booked for a foul in added time which saw Mitchell having a go at Maghoma who went down with cramp, but Spurs saw out the game to go into the next round where they go to the former South London side Arsenal who beat Northampton Town 2-0 earlier.

Both sides put everything into the game with home players suffering cramp before the 90 minutes and the fitter Spurs players in the second period of extra time. Spurs began to get on top with the introduction of Bennett who was able to get down the flank turning the defenders. The third round can produce shocks as top teams like Spurs can underestimate the opposition and Cup holders Chelsea have lost to Manchester United at this stage having been unbeaten for five years. While the Millwall keeper kept his side in it with some good saves, the hosts did enough to win it themselves but Spurs were as dogged as them and came away with the victory.

Ray

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