Leasing.com Trophy, Group A South, Second Round
  Jobserve Community Stadium, United Way, Colchester
          Tuesday 8th October 2019, 7.30pm

      COLCHESTER UTD    V    TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
        (All Blue)             (White/Blue)
         4-2-3-1                 4-1-4-1

           1(1)                    1(0)
  (Spurs win penalty shootout 6-5 for extra point)

Colchester:– Ross; Lapslie(C)(Comley 68), Sowunmi, Senior, Norris, Brown, Sarpong-Wiredu(Jackson 75), Eastman, Clamin, Chilvers, Puku(Robinson 79)

Unused Subs:– Vose, Kensdale, Dunne, Stevenson

Scorer:– Norris 43

Booked – Norris 52(Foul)

Manager:- John McGreal

Spurs:– De Bie; Eyoma, Walcott, Binks, Hinds, Bowden(C)(Patterson 66), Oakley-Boothe, White, Shashoua, Tracey(Markanday 75), Richards(Etete 89)

Unused Subs:- Oluwayemi; Clarke, Lyons-Foster, Pochettino

Scorer:– Oakley-Boothe 75

Booked:– Walcott 40(Late)

Coach:– Wayne Burnett

Attendance:– 1061

Referee:– A. Young
Assistants:– G. Maskell & O. Jackson
Fourth Official:– G. Viccars

It was a cool damp evening for the Spurs U-21 side's trip to Essex only two weeks after the first team came here and lost on penalties after a poor 0-0 draw in the League Cup. With International call-ups Spurs could not field Tanganga or Parrott who played in that game so it was a completely new eleven. Colchester started with five of the same players, as well as the four unused subs and had three on the bench who took part in that League Cup game. Spurs needed a result as they lost their opening group game at Ipswich while Colchester beat Gillingham.

Spurs lined up with De Bie behind Walcott and Binks with Eyoma at right back and Hinds on the left. Bowden anchored the midfield with White and Shashoua ahead of him. They were flanked by Oakley-Boothe on the right and Tracey on the left in support of Richards up front. The bench had a good attacking look to it with just one defender.

Spurs kicked off the first half attacking the South end against a strong United defence in a team that sought to attack more than in the last meeting. The more experienced home side had the better of the early play not allowing Spurs to settle into their passing play.

Brown had an early effort over the bar and blocks in quick succession by Binks on Puku and Hinds on Norris kept them out. Norris had a free kick that was wide before Richards had a chance for Spurs that was deflected for a corner.

Norris won a corner when his effort went wide before Richards was played in by Shashoua but Ross saved, blocking with his face. Tracey saw his effort go for a corner before Walcott was booked battling with Norris on the left having been out-muscled. From the free kick, De Bie saved Sowunmi's header. Colchester took the lead when Clampin got down the left and crossed to the unmarked Norris at the far post. His header beat De Bie and Walcott on the line to allow the league side to go in with a lead at the break.

There were no changes for the start of the second half which saw Spurs looking to get forward quicker and the hosts sitting back looking to break. Norris was booked for a foul on Bowden as he went forward. White had a snap shot that was way over the bar before Spurs made their first change. Bowden was replaced by Patterson in midfield with White dropping into the anchor role.

Brown had an effort over before Spurs drew level. Eyoma played in Oakley-Boothe through the right channel and his shot was strong enough to get through the defenders in his way. Both sides made a change before the restart with Spurs replacing Tracey, who had taken two knocks to the head, with Markanday, and Colchester sending on the second of their heroes from that cup victory.

Markanday soon put in a couple of crosses from the left, one hitting the crossbar as Spurs increased pressure on the home goal. White played in Richards to fire wide before the striker was replaced by Etete who soon had an effort saved when played in by Shashoua. As the game went into added time Markanday played in Patterson to draw a save while Colchester could have snatched it when following a corner Eastman fired wide at the far post.

With the game finishing level and each side having a point there was a penalty shootout for an extra point. First up was Binks for Spurs and he put it straight down the middle as Ross went to his right. Norris was first for Colchester and hit the bar to De Bie's left. 1-0 to Spurs.

Next up was White who hit the inside of the left post with the keeper beaten with Brown scoring inside the same post 1-1. Shashoua waited for the keeper to commit before rolling the ball inside the left post while Robinson gave De Bie no chance of stopping his right side kick. 2-2.

Patterson stepped up to beat Ross's dive but hit the inside of the right post before Senior beat De Bie to his left 2-3. Eyoma was next up and he sent the keeper the wrong way as he found the left corner while De Bie made the only save of the shoot-out diving to his left to deny Chilvers 3-3.

Etete stepped up to find the top corner while Eastman made amends by sending the keeper the wrong way in the sudden death 4-4. Hinds was next and he sent Ross the wrong way netting in the right corner with Jackson beating De Bie to his left 5-5. Walcott sent the keeper the wrong way scoring inside the left post with Comley hitting his penalty wide of the right post leaving Spurs with the extra point having won the shoot-out 6-5.

This was a tough game for the Spurs youngsters who weathered early pressure to get a foothold in the game and got on top in the later stages as the hosts looked to see out the game. The fact that they did better than seasoned professionals two weeks earlier is a bonus. Ipswich beat Gillingham to top the group and will meet Colchester in the final group match to decide who wins it. Spurs will go to Gillingham having beaten them last season. This was our only win in this tournament to date, and the next game will be our last group match.

Ray

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