Premier Academy League 
        Chelsea Training ground,
          Stokes Rd., Cobham  

    Saturday 21st March 2009, 11am

       CHELSEA    v     SPURS 
     (All Blue)      (White/Blue)
        4-4-2           4-4-2

         0(0)            5(2)

     Nick Heimann 1 Oscar Jansson
     Nikki Ahamed 2 Adam Smith
       Rohan Ince 3 Sam Cox
     Jack Saville 4 Dean Parrett
       Ben Gordon 5 Steven Caulker
Connor Clifford(C)6 Calum Butcher
        Tom Taiwo 7 Nathan Byrne
     Jacob Mellis 8 Yaser Kasim
       acopo Sala 9 Kudos Oyenuga
    Adam Phillip 10 Ryan Mason
     Gorkan Tore 11 David Hutton

    Jordan Tabor 12 Jamie Butler
       (5)46Mins. 
                 13 Coskun Ekim 
                    (4)85Mins
  Milan Lalkovic 14 Harry Kane
      (11)56Mins.   (10)78Mins.
      Tom Hayden 15 Paul-Jose M’Poku
       (9)74Mins.   (9)74Mins.
                 16 Jake Nicholson

Scorers:-
                    Oyenuga 17
                    Mason 32,55(pen)  
                    Parrett 68
                    M’Poku 90   

Booked:-
 Ahamed 43(Late)    Oyenuga 69(2 Footed)
 Ince 55(Trip)   
 Sala 57(Late)
 Taiwo 72(Late) 

Coaches:-
     D. Drummy      A. Inglethorpe

Referee:- P. Georgiou

Spurs lined up with Butcher and Caulker at the back with Smith on the right and Cox on the left side. Parrett and Kasim started in the centre of midfield with Byrne on the right and Hutton on the left. Mason supported Oyenuga up front.

Spurs defended the south end to our left in the first half and were put under pressure by the home side who closed down quickly, turning over the ball and preventing Spurs from getting their passing game going. Mellis fired into the side netting early on but most of the play was in a congested midfield as both sides fought to get control of the ball.

Spurs first chance fell to Mason who saw his effort saved by Heimann for a corner which he took and Oyenuga headed wide at the far post. Spurs broke the deadlock two minutes later when Oyenuga won the ball and advanced on the keeper hitting a rising drive. Heimann got his hands to the shot but it still found the net.

The Blues responded and Jansson saved from Taiwo's drive. Byrne provided a good cross for Oyenuga, but he could not get his effort on target. Jansson saved from Sala and Ahamed drove wide before Spurs increased their lead when Mason was played in by Kasim and fired the ball past Heimann. The keeper saved Mason’s next effort and Kasim fired over minutes later.

Chelsea had a chance to get back into the game when Taiwo and Gordon combined on the left to put in a cross that Clifford put over the bar from less than 6 yards. Ahamed fouled Mason just outside the area to be shown a yellow card but Mason fired the free kick wide of the goal. Oyenuga got through in the last minute of the half but the keeper saved his effort at the second attempt.

The home side started the second half strongly with Jansson saving from Sala and Taiwo drove wide coming in from the left and followed that by skewing the ball wide from the right side. After Mason hit the post, Spurs put the result beyond Chelsea reach by getting a third. Hutton dribbled into the area and was tripped by Ince to win a penalty. Mason took the kick and placed it to the keeper's right.

It had been a tough battle for most of the game and the ref began clamping down more as a frustrated Sala got booked for a challenge on Mason. Saville jumped highest to head wide from a free kick before the visitors increased their lead. Hutton got down the left and pulled the ball back for Parrett to drive low into the net from 25yards.

Oyenuga went into the book for a two footed tackle on Sala who then kicked him where it hurts! Taiwo followed him into the book when he stopped Smith’s run from deep. Smith did go down the flank and provide a good deep cross that Hutton failed to connect with at the far post.

Inglethorpe replaced Oyenuga with fit again M’Poku as he took a knock and also replaced Mason for the same reason with Kane. Parrett drove wide from distance before he gave way to Ekim. Phillip saw his effort saved by Jansson before Spurs put the icing on the cake with a fifth goal on 90 minutes. Kane supplied M’Poku who slipped a challenge and poked the ball passed the advancing keeper. Heimann still had to save from Hutton before the final whistle.

This was a good result after a shaky start as sides now try to knock Spurs out of their stride with a more physical approach that in the past would have seen them cave in. (Not this side though!) It may take them a little time, but they will continue to play a passing game. This was the second of a triple header against the Blues in a week and I had to get my skates on to see the last part at White Hart Lane. Next week the Academy side return to south London when they visit Fulham at Motspur Park. It will be interesting to see what side Clive puts out at the Hawthorns on Monday evening as only Bostock was missing from the academy line-up. He may continue to use players from the first team squad if they are not away on international duty.

Ray