Courtesy of:- Ray Lo, and the Spurs List.
[e-mail Ray Lo]
NB:- Pictures used in this report were taken at a recent Youth game against Reading
FA Premier Academy League Group D
Spurs Lodge, Luxborourgh Lane, Chigwell
Saturday 1st March 2003, 11am ko
Unfortunately the secretary is on holiday so there were no team sheets
available. I can only give the Spurs team details from memory.
SPURS (White/Blue) 3-5-2 1(0)
Nicky Eyre; Philip Ifil, Marcel McKie, Danny Foster(Nicky Wettner 80),
Ben Bowditch(C), Ricky Dobson, Lee Barnett (Jonathan Black 80), Mark
Hughes, Michael Malcolm(Mario Noto 88), Mark Yeates, Owen Price
Unused subs:- Daniel Perry, Jamie Slabber
FULHAM (Black/White) 4-4-2 1(1)
Scorers - Fulham No.5 5, Yeates 47.
On a warm overcast morning with a firm surface Spurs put out what I would
take to be the Youth Cup side for the tie against Middlesbrough during the
coming week. I think that only Bowditch is not eligible. I thought that
they started the game with that in mind as they seemed a little off the
pace. Calderwood watched the game with Holland on the bench with Henry,
Galbraith and Marney in attendance.
Spurs lined up with Bowditch flanked by Foster on the right and Dobson on
the left at the back with Ifil and McKie as wing-backs. Hughes anchored the
midfield with Yeates on his right and Barnett on his left. Price partnered
Malcolm up front with Slabber staying on the bench indicating that he is
not completely fit.
Spurs kicked off attacking the right end but were soon under pressure with
the visitors scoring from a corner when the Fulham centre-back headed in at the far
post. Spurs took a little while to settle and get their game together but
with Ifil linking with Price down the right we started to create chances.
Fulham forced Eyre into a couple more saves but Malcolm had a hat-trick of
chances at the other end. Michael's first was a diving header, just wide, from
Price's centre. Following Hughes' volley across goal, Price provided Malcolm
with his second chance which he headed firmly down only for the keeper to
save on the line. Malcolm then completely missed a perfect low centre from Ifil
just before the end of the half.
Having upped the tempo in the first half Spurs carried on in the second
and latching on to a through ball, Yeates had time to look up, and cut inside
from the right, before firing in a cracking left foot volley. The home side kept
the pressure on without giving the visiting keeper much work. Yeates and
Bowditch had efforts as did Ifil and Barnett and despite making a couple of
substitutions Fulham made little impact on the back three until Foster had
to be replaced.
Holland took the opportunity to bring on Black and Wettner
to keep the pressure on. McKie moved inside for Wettner to play wide and
Black replaced Barnett in midfield. With Yeates getting forward and Price
drifting wide the attacks came mainly down the wings with Malcolm not
getting much change from the Fulham centrebacks it was just the type of
match for Slabber, but he was kept on the bench and it was Noto who came on
for Malcolm.
Spurs continued pushing forward until the end with good approach play without the final touch in the middle to claim the winning goal.
Overall this was a good performance from what was more or less our U-17
team against the Fulham U-19s, so despite what was probably a little under
par game we could have won. As mentioned already Spurs play Middlesbrough
in the 6th round of the FA Youth cup next week. Middlesbrough U-19's drew 0-0
and their U17's lost today.
Next Saturday the U19's will play Leicester at the Lodge kicking off at noon.
Ray
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