Premier U-18 League South, 2018-19
   Hotspur Way, Whitewebbs Lane, Enfield
         24th November 2018, 11am

            SPURS    v   ARSENAL
         (White/Blue)  (Red/White)
           4-1-4-1       4-2-3-1

             3(1)          2(1)

   Joshua Oluwayemi  1  Karl Hein
       Rayan Clarke  2  Vontae Daley-Campbell
      Dennis Cirkin  3  Joel Lopez
       Harvey White  4  Matthew Smith(C)
     Jibril Okedina  5  Bayli Spencer-Adams
         Luis Binks  6  Mark McGuinness
    Dilan Markanday  7  Ben Cotterill
 Armando Shashoua(C) 8  Zak Swanson
       Troy Parrott  9  Folarin Balogun
        Chay Cooper 10  Sam Greenwood
     J'Neil Bennett 11  Yunus Musah

    Maxwell Statham 12  Ryan Alebiousu
          (7)89Mins
  Kacper Kurylowicz 13  Arthur Okonkwo
     Elliott Thorpe 14  Stan Flaherty
                        (7)79Mins
Maurizio Pochettino 15  Matthew Dennis
         (10)81Mins     (11)74Mins
    Jeremie Mukendi 16  Alfie Matthews
         (11)19Mins

Scorers:-
      Okedina 42        Balogun 2
      Clarke 53         Cirkin 77 o.g.
      White 67           
      

Booked:-  
  Oluwayemi 56(Foul)    Daley-Campbell 41(Obstruction)
  Okedina 60(Holding)   McGuinness 46(Late)
  Binks 79(Trip)        Smith 51(Late)
                        Greenwood 57(Foul)
                        Swanson 67(Late)

Coach:-
        Matt Wells      Ken Gillard

Referee:– Kirsty Dowie

It was a chilly overcast morning for this top of the table clash of the Southern group which was also a North London derby. Arsenal's win over Swansea allowed them to leapfrog Spurs as they were held by Fulham last time out. It was seven months to the day that the two teams last met in the last game of last season. Spurs trounced their rivals 9-0 to finish two places behind the "Gunners" in fourth. Spurs continued that form into this season and went into the game unbeaten having scored 42 goals in nine games well ahead of the leaders in terms of goals scored.

Spurs lined up with Oluwayemi in goal behind Okedina and Binks with Clarke at right back and Cirkin on the left. White anchored the midfield with Shashoua and Cooper, making his first start, ahead of him they were flanked by Markanday on the right and Bennett on the left in support of Parrott up front. Both sides had six players from the previous meeting. The most notable exception was the keeper who had conceded those nine goals who had moved on to Norwich.

Spurs kicked off the first half attacking the North end and found the visitors pressing very strongly to turn over the ball and counter quickly. When Spurs lost the ball in the middle Greenwood got down the left behind Clarke pulling the ball back for Balogun to turn and fire. His effort went in off the underside of the bar.

Unusually for Arsenal they seemed to concentrate on pressing and not the passing football of previous years. Being a derby they were very strong in their challenges and it was surprising that they did not pick up more than one booking in the first half. Spurs were moving the ball around and Parrott fired wide having been played in by Shashoua minutes after going behind. Greenwood drew a save from Oluwayemi before Cooper drove over with Parrott hitting a post, again from a Shashoua ball in.

Daley-Campbell fouled Bennett twice, the first going in late and the second by obstructing him, which as he was built like the proverbial brickhouse saw the Spurs wideman having to depart the game. He was replaced by Mukendi who went to right back allowing Clarke to take up his more favoured left flank position and he soon drew a save from Hein.

Parrott missed another good chance from a Shashoua knockdown. Oluwayemi saved from Balogun before a volley by Shashoua was blocked by Spencer-Adams with his hands protecting his face. The referee turned down the Spurs penalty appeals giving a corner. Another break saw Balogun fire wide from a Lopez cross. Oluwayemi saved a Greenwood free kick that was deflected going through the wall. Daley-Campbell blocked Clarke on the left as he had done to Bennett which finally saw the referee produce her yellow card. The punishment continued with the free kick by White headed powerfully in by Okedina for the equaliser to allow Spurs to go in level at half-time having had most of the play.

There were no changes for the start of the second half which saw a change in attitude by the referee. McGuinness was quickly booked for knocking over Parrott. White took the free kick and hit the crossbar. Daley-Campbell got forward to fire over before Smith was booked for going in on Markanday.

Spurs took the lead when Mukendi came out with the ball and hit a lovely crossfield pass to Clarke who advanced and drilled the ball in.

Balogun got through on another of his quick breaks and was caught by Oluwayemi to win a penalty. Smith stepped up and hit the ball to his left but the Spurs keeper made ammends by going the right way and saving it. Oluwayemi had been booked for the foul and he was followed quickly into the ref's book by Greenwood for a cynical tackle from behind on White.

Okedina was next to be booked as he stopped Balogun getting through on another run. Arsenal began to get forward more in search of a goal with Greenwood firing over and Balogun drawing a save but fell further behind when Swanson brought down Markanday on the right. White flighted his free kick towards the far post and with no player getting a touch it went in to give Spurs a two goal cushion.

Hein saved from Shashoua at the expense of a corner before Swanson played in Balogun to fire over. The game was more open now and Balogun appeared on the left to shoot. The ball went in off Cirkin to reduce the arrears.

Balogun drew a save from a Dennis cross before Spurs made their second change. Pochettino came on for Cooper going to the left flank with Clarke moving back to his starting position and Mukendi going into midfield. Arsenal won another penalty when Binks tried to pull back Balogun as he got through again. This time Greenwood stepped up to take the kick. He hit it with power to the right but Oluwayemi again guessed right to saved his second penalty of the match.

With both centre backs and the keeper on yellows Spurs sent on Statham in place of Markanday to see out the game. The last chance went to the visitors with Oluwayemi saving a header by Spencer-Adams from a free kick.

With better finishing the game could have been safe by half-time and the problems caused by the pace of Balogun would not have been such a danger in the second period. I wonder if someone had a word with the referee at half-time as she did not let as much go unpunished in the second half that she had done in the first. Spurs continue to get forward in attack and while it produces many chances they are still open to counter-attacks. They are learning to cope with that danger but today it cost three yellow cards and two penalties because of the dangerous Balogun. The win puts them back on top with the trip to Leicester City next week which is usually another tough game. Before that there is the visit of Inter Milan in the Champions Youth League.

Ray

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