Premier League 2, 2019-20
   Hotspur Way, Whitewebbs Lane, Enfield
    Friday 13th September 2019, 12 noon

          SPURS     v   SOUTHAMPTON
       (White/Blue)    (Black/Yellow)
         4-1-4-1          3-5-1-1

           2(2)             2(1)

    Alfie Whiteman  1  Jack Bycroft
    Jubril Okedina  2  Kayne Ramsey
      Harvey White  3  Jack Vokins
      Jamie Bowden  4  Pascal Kpohomouh
   Timothy Eyoma(C) 5  Aaron O'Driscoll
  Jonathan Dinzeyi  6  Christoph Klarer
   Dilan Markanday  7  Callum Slattery(C)
  Armando Shashoua  8  Alex Jankewitz
    Rodel Richards  9  Kornelius Hansen
 Phoenix Patterson 10  Lucas Defise
     Shilow Tracey 11  Harlem Hale

       Tariq Hinds 12  Kieran Freeman
         (4)46Mins
   Jonathan De Bie 13  Tommy Scott
     Paris Maghoma 14  Kameron Ledwidge
        (10)63Mins     (4)82Mins
      Lyons-Foster 15  Kaseem Olaigbe
                       (11)78Mins
      Rayan Clarke 16  Kgaogelo Chauke
                       (8)60Mins

Scorers:-
      Markanday 22     Okedina (o.g.) 33
      White 32         Hansen 64

Booked:-
                       O'Driscoll 45+1(Holding)
                       Jankewitz 50(Foul)

Coach:-
     Wayne Burnett     Radhi Jaidi

Ref:– Daniel Middleton
Assistants:– Paul Evans & Robin Cox
Fourth Official:– Brett Grant

It was a hot sunny morning at Hotspur Way for the visit of Southampton. The "Saints" are eleventh in the table having been hammered 8-2 by champions Everton before the International break. We did not play Southampton last season as they won promotion from the second division in the play-offs beating Newcastle 2-1. Southampton have had a poor start to the season after starting with a win over Manchester City.

Spurs lined up with Whiteman in goal behind Dinzeyi and Eyoma with Okedina at right back and White on the left. Bowden returned to anchor the midfield with Shashoua and Patterson ahead of him. They were flanked by Markanday on the right and Tracey on the left in support of Richards up front. Players who had been on international duty were rested and are likely to be in Athens next week for the Champions Youth League game against Olympiacos.

Spurs defended the South end in the first half which saw the visitors press high up the pitch causing problems in the Spurs defence. However, once they overcame the press, the Spurs midfield moved the ball well to create chances.

Bycroft saved an early Tracey header from a cross by Markanday. Ramsey headed over from a "Saints" corner before Hale fired wide. Markanday drew a save and Patterson shot wide before Spurs took the lead. Tracey and Shashoua worked the ball down the left before Armando's cross reached Markanday on the right who came inside to drill home.

Shashoua played in Tracey to fire wide across goal before Spurs increased their lead. When Richards latched onto a poor pass he was tripped by the Southampton captain Slattery. The referee kept his card in his pocket despite it being a clear professional foul. Southampton did pay as White stepped up and hit the free kick into the top near corner.

From the restart Southampton went down the other end and scored. Hale saw his effort blocked on the near post with Hansen hitting the loose ball that went in off Okedina. Bowden played Richards in with a through ball down the middle but the striker fired wide. Hansen hit over before Spurs had another good chance when Shashoua crossed from the left to Richards who instead of shooting, laid it off to Markanday who had a touch before a block came in.

Richards fired wide from another Shashoua ball before the referee finally produced the yellow card for holding by O'Driscoll in added time at the end of the half.

Spurs made one change for the start of the second half with Bowden going off and Hinds coming on to play at left back to allow White to anchor the midfield.

Southampton looked to drop to five at the back and four in the middle to counter the Spurs midfield dominance. Bycroft had to save from Tracey and also got down to block when Hinds got into the area. Jankewitz was booked for a foul in the build-up but did not see why. Patterson drew a save before a string of changes that saw the little midfielder replaced by Maghoma.

Vokins was getting down the left and found space on a number of occasions and set up the visitors' equaliser when his cross was deflected into the path of Hansen to fire in. Southampton then proceded to close down the game to take the point which they did well, slowing the game and stopping it with injuries.

Defise was lucky to get away with a couple of fouls that only earned a talking to. Maghoma was taken to task by the referee when he protested about Ramsey slipping and rolling onto the ball to prevent him getting away. Spurs' last chance came with a snap shot by Maghoma that Bycroft pushed out to Richards but the goalkeeper recovered in time to save the striker's effort.

This was definitely a case of two points dropped by Spurs who had plenty of possession but not enough efforts on goal. The point does see them top the table on goal differnence over Chelsea and Arsenal who both have a game in hand. After the U-19 game in Athens next week Spurs travel to Blackburn on the 23rd where they had a good 3-1 win last season.

Ray

Follow @spursodyssey