F.A.Premier Academy League U-17, Group D,
                Spurs Lodge, Chigwell, Essex
          Saturday 21st September 2002, 12am k.o.

            SPURS           V       LEICESTER CITY
        (White/Blue)                 (Blue/White)
            4-4-2                     4-4-2
             1(1)                     4(1)

    Nicholas Eyre           1       Conrad Logan
    Philip Ifil             2       S. Grant
    Gareth Jenkins          3       R. Stearman
    David Hicks             4       Stephen Dawson(C)
    Andrew Hodges           5       Colin O'Shea
    Joe Watson              6       Connor McAnallen
    Charlie Lee             7       Danny McAlea
    Kieran McKenna          8       T. Petrew
    Michael Malcolm         9       Chris O'Grady
    Owen Price             10       Aaron Butcher
    Tom Welch              11       Levi Porter

    Andrew Barcham         12       S. Musgrove
    (7)63                           (11)89 Mins.
    Tom Forcast            13
    Liam Francis           14       L. Dewas
    (4)63Mins.                      (8)89 Mins.
    Charlie Daniels        15       P. Ashton
     (3)75Min                       (10)89 Mins.
    Danny Jones            16

Scorers - Malcolm 12, Butcher 29, 55, Porter 68, O'Grady 75

Booked - Hodges 49 late.

A warm morning which was a little cool due to overcast condictions saw around fifty watch the new youth intake take on the Foxes. This was my first look at the junior side who up to today had played four games winning one and drawing twice, the same as the visitors. Jimmy Neighbours' side lined up with Watson and Hodges at the back flanked by Ifil on the right and Jenkins on the left. The midfield had Hicks and McKenna in the centre, Lee on the right and Welch on the left. The highly rated Price partnered Malcolm up front, these two being the only ones I saw last season in a U-17 game.

City kicked off attacking the south end to our left and had the first chances in the seventh minute when first O'Grady's volley and then Porter's follow-up were blocked. Spurs then began to dominate the game as Ifil spent more time in midfield attacking than defending and Malcolm did a good job in leading the line showing good vision laying balls off for teammates and looking for space. Price made some good runs and liked to take on defenders even when a white shirt was open.

It was good work by Ifil and Price down the right that produced the centre for Malcolm to turn in for the opening goal. Spurs continued to play the better football for the rest of the half showing good approach play without the rewards. Malcolm went close on a couple of occasions as did Price. It was a suprise when Leicester equalised as dispite the good work that O'Grady did throughout the game they did not look dangerous in the first half. O'Grady picked up a loose ball and played it to the far post where I think it was Butcher's shot that was half blocked by Jenkins allowing the ball to slowly roll past the wrongfooted Eyre.

This spurred on the home side and I think that they tried too hard looking for a second goal that the final ball was missing. It looked good for the second half but the visitors had other ideas as it was a complete turnaround, their passing was better and the tackling harder as they took the initative and the game to the home side. They dominated the game and left the opposition chasing shadows.

Leicester took the lead from a corner when Butcher climbed highest to loop his header over Eyre into the top of the net. Neighbour made a double substitution in an attempt to get back into it, bringing on Barcham and Francis for Hicks and the limping Lee. Francis went to left back pushing Jenkins into midfield and Barcham played alongside Malcolm allowing Price to drop back more on the right.

The Foxes adjusted to the changes quicker than the home side and apart from a couple of runs by Price closed down the midfield. The visitors went further ahead when Grant broke down the right and crossed for Porter coming round the back to score low to the keepers right. With a fifteen minutes left O'Grady got his reward for his good display when he cut inside Hodge and beat Eyre with a cross shot from the right. The game finished without further score thankfully.

This is the point where boy prodigies become footballers, where the skillful schoolboys learn to be football players. I watched a game where in the first half the skills of the Spurs boys stood out and a second half where the teamwork of footballers won the game. The Spurs team without doubt contains good skillful players who need to be moulded into a team where individual skills complement the team work of the rest. Not to go for goal when there is a better option, supporting others when under pressure and bringing others into play to increase the pressure on your opponent. This is something that our boys have to learn and add to their skills.

They have a fortnight to improve before their next match away to Watford. I will be at Spurs lodge to see the U-19's play Watford.

In passing I was looking through the results for the youth leagues in which Arsenal top both U-19 and U-17 in our group, I noticed that the Newcastle U-19 played twice the previous week - home to Liverpool winning 7-1 and away to Manchester United winning 7-3, something to watch out for in the future.

© Ray Lo

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