Birmingham City Academy Showcase
                St. Andrews Stadium, Birmingham
                     Saturday 7th May 2016

        U-18 Showcase Game. 11.30am – Birmingham 1 – 4 Tottenham 

Birmingham City(Blue/White) (4-2-3-1) – Breadmore; Yuill, Martin(C), Mulders, Timms; Stirk, Lakin; O'Keeffe, Bailey, Popa; Hale

Substitutions:- Storer 46(Popa), Iyamu 46(O'Keeffe), Ebbutt 46(Hale), O'Keeffe 76(Stirk), Concannon

Unused Sub:- Siviter

Scorer:– Stirk 15

Tottenham Hotspur (White/Blue)(4-2-3-1) – Brandon Austin; Shilow Tracey, Joy Mukena, Christian Maghoma, Bennetts; George Marsh(C), Jack Roles; Marcus Edwards, Dylan Duncan, Kazaiah Sterling; Aramide Oteh.

Substitutions(rolling) – Alfie Whiteman 72(Austin), Japhet Tanganga 61(Maghoma), Zenon Stylianides 61(Roles), Charlie Owens 61(Marsh), Billy Golledge 61(Sterling), Sterling 72(Oteh), Marsh 78(Bennetts)

Scorers:– Sterling 7 (pen), 82, Edwards 24, Duncan 30 (pen) Referee:– T. Durno
Assistants:– C. Finnegan & P. Undsay

Spurs travelled to Birmingham with a strong squad looking to keep in shape for their upcoming Tournaments in the Netherlands. Brown and Shashoua were away with the England U-17 squad. Spurs included Golledge on trial from Redbridge. It was a warm morning with the players taking every chance they could to take on fluids during the game.

Spurs lined up with Austin in goal behind Maghoma and Mukena with Tracey at right back and Bennetts on the left. Marsh anchored the midfield with Roles alongside him. Ahead of them Duncan was flanked by Edwards on his right and Sterling on the left in support of Oteh up front.

Spurs defended the East end in the first half but with such an attacking line up they did not sit back, moving the ball quickly. Their first chance came when O'Keeffe tried to clear the ball inside the area facing his goal. His kick caught Sterling in the face to concede a penalty which Sterling took himself. He hit his shot down the middle and it hit the keeper's leg on the way in as he went to his right.

O'Keeffe had a free kick blocked for a corner before Birmingham drew level. Duncan slipped at the wrong moment which allowed Stirk to win the ball and advance, hitting a dipping volley from 30 yards which caught Austin off his line.

Duncan tried to make amends firing wide from the edge of the area. Roles laid the ball out to Tracey and made a run into the area for the return, but his header was saved by Breadmore. Edwards played in Oteh for a chance that went wide under pressure. Marsh laid the ball out to Edwards who came inside to fire home across the keeper to restore the lead.

Sterling played in Oteh for a shot that the keeper could not hold and Duncan was quickly in to net the loose ball for 3-1. City got down the right and gave a chance to Lakin but his effort was blocked and when Bailey got onto the rebound his shot was also blocked.

Bennetts' cross to the far post was met by the head of Oteh but went over for a corner. Roles took the corner and Maghoma saw his header cleared off the line. Popa headed wide from a corner and then drew a save from a free kick at the end of the half.

Birmingham made three changes for the start of the second half - all in attack - as they sought to get back into the game but the first chance fell to Duncan who fired wide. Austin saved a header from Martin at a corner before Sterling challenged Breadmore for a cross in the box at the other end. The ball fell for Oteh but the striker fired wide. Roles played in Sterling for a chance that was saved for a corner. Maghoma headed over Edwards' corner kick.

Spurs made four changes on the hour with Owens and Stylianides replacing Marsh and Roles in midfield, Golledge replaced Maghoma at the back while Tanganga came on to play at right back with Tracey moving to the left flank taking over from the departing Sterling.

Edwards hit a free kick wide before he shot wide again when played in by Duncan. Bailey fired wide when Timms played a free kick to him. Sterling came back on for Oteh and then Whiteman replaced Austin in goal and City brought back O'Keeffe. Spurs could have had another penalty when Breadmore caught Tracey in a race for the ball.

Spurs increased their lead when Mukena cleared a cross upfield which found Sterling with only the keeper to beat. Sterling succeeded and scored. Bailey fired wide as the game entered added time and then when there was a flare-up on the bye-line which saw most of the players get involved the referee blew for time.

      U-16 Showcase game 2.30pm – Birmingham 1 – 3 Tottenham

Birmingham City (Blue/White) (4-2-3-1) – Siviter; Simpson, Moore, Hart, Mayuba; Anderson, Concannon; Okoro, McClean, Clarke; Hamilton

Substitutions:– Bellingham 46(Clarke), Kinina, Campbell 71(Simpson), Chisholm

Unused Sub:- Landers

Scorer:– Mayuba 55

Tottenham Hotspur (White/Blue) (4-2-3-1) – Charlie Freeman; Royn Omolabi, TJ Eyoma, John Dinzeyi, Tyreik Hinds; Oliver Skipp, Jamie Reynolds; Nia Kirby, Tashan Oakley-Boothe, Phoenix Patterson; Rio Griffiths

Substitutions:– Armando Shashoua 41(Reynolds), Max Statham 41(Omolabi), Jeremy Mukendi 50(Patterson), Omolabi 61(Oakley-Boothe), Patterson 72(Kirby)

Scorers:– Patterson 40+2, Oakley-Boothe 59, Griffiths 75

Referee:– P. Maisey
Assistants – D. Bourne & T. Durono

Some of the Spurs youngsters have made appearances in the U-18 side during the season and are likely to be regulars next. They only play for 80 minutes at this level.

Spurs lined up with Freeman in goal behind Eyoma and Dinzeyi with Omolabi at right back and Hinds on the left. Skipp anchored the midfield with Reynolds while Oakley-Boothe was ahead of them flanked by Kirby on the right and Patterson on the left in support of Griffiths up front. There was only three subs on the bench which was not a great problem with rolling substitutions.

Spurs defended the East end in the first half which started with both sides having digs at each other before Griffiths drew the first save of the game. Reynolds had a weak effort saved before Anderson hit a free kick wide. Reynolds played in Griffiths for a chance that was wide. Skipp blocked a shot by Hamilton that went for a corner from which Freeman saved the header from Hart. Kirby saw his effort saved before Spurs went in front when Patterson was on hand to score when Sviter could not hold a cross from the left in added time at the end of the half.

Spurs made two changes for the start of the second half with Statham replacing Omolabi in the back four with Eyoma moving to right back. Shashoua came on for Reynolds to play on the left. Patterson moved to the right and Kirby dropped into midfield. Kirby had an early chance arriving late to fire wide. Hamilton won a corner when his effort was deflected wide. Griffiths had an effort blocked with the ball running to Kirby who played in Shashoua for a chance that was saved.

Birmingham attacked quickly and Mayuba fired in from the edge of the area to draw the home side level. Mukendi replaced Patterson on the right and was soon in the action getting down the right and crossing for Shashoua at the far post who fired wide. Spurs regained the lead when Oakley-Boothe picked up a loose ball in the middle. He advanced before driving home from 30 yards.

Freeman saved a header from a corner by Concannon before Omolabi came on for Oakley-Boothe in midfield. Anderson had an effort wide before Reynolds returned in place of Dinzeyi going to left back with Hinds moving inside. Kirby saw his effort fly wide before Eyoma saw his attempt cleared off the line by Hart. Patterson returned in place of Kirby before Bellingham fired wide. Shashoua dribbled his way into the area from the left before playing the ball in for Griffiths to tap in for 3-1.

Patterson played the ball out to Mukendi on the right to get to the line and cross for Omolabi to fire over. The last kick of the game fell to Anderson who drew a save from Freeman.

This was a good double by our Academy sides who showed some good one touch passing against the lower league outfits. Spurs' youngsters also showed their strong skill levels.

Ray

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