Premier Academy League Gp.B 
         Stadium MK, Milton Keynes  
      Saturday 17th January 2009, 11am

        MK DONS      v       SPURS 
      (All White)          (All Black)
        4-4-2                4-4-2

         0(0)                 2(1)

           Kurt Fox  1 Jamie Butler
    George Williams  2 Jake Nicholson
      Adam Chicksen  3 Yuri Berchiche
      Martel Powell  4 Yaser Kasim
       Harry Milton  5 Nathan Byrne
       Tom Flanagan  6 Calum Butcher(C)
      Hayden Carter  7 Kyle Fraser-Allen
        Troy Farden  8 Coskun Ekim
Daniel Delderfield(C)9 Kudus Oyenuga
   Charlie Collins  10 David Hutton
    Justin Dowlind  11 Andros Townsend

   Ashley Harrison  12 Oscar Jansson
    Joshua England  13 Adam Smith
       (11)87Mins.     (3)73Mins
    George Baldock  14 Jonathan Obika 
                       (9)68Mins.
         Mark Lee   15 Dean Parrett 
        (4)82Mins.     (8)59Mins.
                    16 Sam Cox

Scorers:-              Hutton 7, 55

Coaches:-
          M. Dove      A. Inglethorpe

Ref:- A. Field
Assistants:- L. Passey, J. Bradshaw

Spurs made a number of changes from the Youth cup game in midweek with Inglethorpe resting players and giving a run out to some of the reserve squad players. Butler was again between the sticks with Byrne joining Butcher at the back. Nicholson came in at right back and Berchiche at left back. Ekim started alongside Kasim in the centre of midfield with Fraser-Allen on the right and Townsend on the left. This was a late change as he was wearing the number 17 shirt. Hutton played in support of Oyenuga up front.

Spurs attacked the East end in the first half in what turned out to be poor game, no doubt due to the many changes. Spurs passing and movement was not as slick as it usually is with balls going astray and players slow to release the ball and getting caught in possession. The visitors took an early lead when Townsend played in Oyenuga who laid the ball left to Hutton. Hutton came inside the defender and scored at the near post with a low drive.

Fox collected a weak effort from Oyenuga just after that before Delderfield got passed Byrne down the right channel but wasted his chance by firing over. Hutton put the ball wide of the near post from Townsend’s corner and Kasim fired wide. Farden hit a clearance over before Oyenuga was wide from a Kasim corner. Ekim tried his luck from distance but Fox saved easily. Collins had a chance that he put wide before being set up by a good run and cross by Dowling which he managed to put wide from inside the six yard box.

The home side were pushing forward more now and Delderfield put his effort over before Spurs responded. Fraser-Allen was a little slow to react and his effort was blocked. Butcher put the ball wide from a free kick and Fraser-Allen had a shot saved.

There were no changes at half time, but Inglethorpe moved Byrne to left back and brought Berchiche into the middle next to Butcher. This was needed as young Byrne was not coping well against the bigger strikers and was lucky not to have been penalised for holding on several occasions. Within five minutes Inglethorpe took off Townsend and sent on Obika to partner Oyenuga in attack with Hutton moving to the left flank. The change soon bore fruit as Obika got away from his marker and played the ball through to Hutton on the left. Hutton took the ball forward a couple of paces before slotting under Fox for his, and Spurs' second.

Farden fired over and Butcher had his effort saved before Inglethorpe made two more changes. First he replaced Kasim in the centre of the midfield with Parrett and then took off Oyenuga for Smith to take up the right side of midfield with Fraser-Allen moving inside to support Obika. Farden was wide at a corner as the game tailed off with Dove giving a couple of his young subs a run out. Parrett tried his luck from outside the area but Fox saved to his right. Smith had a chance that was saved after an earlier effort was blocked. In stoppage time Flanagan headed wide from a free kick.

It was not a great performance from Spurs despite having more experienced players drafted in, as the rhythm was missing with so many changes. Ekim had a good game in the middle with Nicholson and Oyenuga doing okay, but it was a strange choice to play Byrne at the back. He was more comfortable when moved outside. With a reserve game at Portsmouth next week it was a workout for the development squad players. The Academy squad fly out to Guadalajaya next week to complete in the Chivas tournament. They have had to postpone their next two academy matches and put back the Youth Cup tie at Plymouth to the 11th February. If they get past Plymouth they will face either Sunderland or the gooners in the next round.

Ray