Spurs’ Under 18 side traveled to Surrey on Tuesday, to face Chelsea at their Cobham training ground, in a Premier League South fixture. Spurs lost the match 3-2, but it was a game that they deserved at least a draw from. Adam Hayton started in goal for Spurs, while a back four of George Abbott, Alfie Dorrington, Charlie Sayers and Jordan Hackett started in front of him. Rio Kyerematen and Jez Davies started in central midfield, and Maxwell McKnight and Billy Heaps started out on the flanks, either side of captain Jamie Donley. Jaden Williams led the line for Spurs. It was Spurs who got the game underway, but it didn’t start how they would have wanted it to, with Chelsea taking the lead inside the first minute of the match. After Rio Kyerematen slipped, the ball was taken off of him by Chelsea player Louis Flower, who then passed the ball to Ronnie Stutter inside the Spurs box, and he then finished past Adam Hayton in the Spurs goal, 0-1. Adam Hayton then saved Edwin Andersson’s effort from the left side of the Spurs box shortly after, after he had received a pass from Zain Silcott.

Jamie Donley had an effort well blocked inside the Spurs box, before Spurs got an equaliser through Maxwell McKnight. After Chelsea goalkeeper Max Merrick had accidentally passed the ball to McKnight on the edge of the Chelsea box, the Spurs player powerfully finished into the empty goal, 1-1. Charlie Sayers blocked Ronnie Stutter’s effort on goal, and then a couple of minutes later a good Spurs move came to an end with Maxwell McKnight receiving the ball on the right side of the Chelsea box. He then passed the ball to Rio Kyerematen, who was in the centre of the box. However Kyerematen’s effort was saved by Max Merrick. Kyerematen had a good effort saved by Merrick, a couple of minutes afterwards. At the other end of the pitch Adam Hayton saved Ronnie Stutter’s effort, before then saving Louis Flower’s headed effort from a cross. Chelsea regained their lead in the 22nd minute of the match. After Sam Rak-Sakyi passed the ball to Edwin Andersson down the left flank, Andersson brought the ball into the Spurs box, where he finished into the bottom right hand corner of the goal, 1-2.

Charlie Sayers received a yellow card shortly after the game got started again, before Brodi Hughes hit an effort wide of the Spurs goal. Jamie Donley had an effort blocked inside the Chelsea box by Luke Badley-Morgan, and then Chelsea goalkeeper Max Merrick made a really good save to stop Billy Heaps’ powerful dipping effort from distance, before Jaden Williams could tap the ball into the goal. Jez Davies received a yellow card, and then after Jamie Donley received a pass from Davies, the Spurs forward hit an effort over the Chelsea goal. Spurs managed to draw level soon after, as from a Billy Heaps corner-kick, the ball was headed over goalkeeper Max Merrick by a Chelsea player and into the path of Jamie Donley at the back post, and the England youth international was able to find the back of the goal from his first time effort, 2-2. Billy Heaps hit an effort wide from the edge of the Chelsea box, before a good defensive intervention was made by Jordan Hackett to stop a good Chelsea cross from being met at the far post. The referee sounded his whistle for half-time a couple of minutes later.

Chelsea got the second half underway. After Donley managed to find Rio Kyerematen down the left side of the Chelsea box, the Spurs midfielder hit an effort wide of the goal. Harrison Murray-Campbell then blocked an effort from Kyerematen inside the Chelsea box, before the unmarked Jaden Williams just missed connecting with a Jamie Donley cross at the back post of the Chelsea box. After the impressive Malik Mothersille received a pass from Jimi Tauriainen on the right side of the Spurs box, Adam Hayton made an impressive save with his feet to stop Tauriainen’s low effort from going in. Alfie Dorrington glanced a Billy Heaps free-kick wide, before Adam Hayton saved a low effort from Ronnie Stutter inside the Spurs box. Jaden Williams then curled an effort wide from the edge of the Chelsea box, as the game continued to see chances missed at both ends of the pitch. Chelsea substitute Leo Castledine then hit an effort wide from inside the Spurs box, after getting onto a loose ball. 

After being unable to volley a cross how he would have hoped to, Jaden Williams saw his effort from inside the Chelsea box go to Rio Kyerematen, and with only the goalkeeper to beat, he looked likely to score from close range. However, Chelsea goalkeeper Max Merrick somehow managed to save Kyerematen’s effort. The impressive Jez Davies had a deflected effort saved by the Chelsea goalkeeper, after going past a player with ease. Then Leo Castledine hit an effort over from the edge of the Spurs box, in what was a good chance for the home side. Riley Owen replaced Billy Heaps, before the Spurs substitute delivered a corner kick into the Chelsea box, which was nodded just wide of the goal by Charlie Sayers. Sayers then impressively blocked an effort from Ronnie Stutter inside the Spurs box. However, Chelsea took the lead again not long after, in what turned out to be the wining goal. Leo Castledine heading home Edwin Andersson’s corner kick into the centre of the Spurs goal, 2-3.

Late substitutes for Spurs saw Will Andiyapan and Leo Black replace Jordan Hackett and Rio Kyerematen respectively. Unable to create any further chances before the referee sounded his final whistle, Spurs’ winning league run came to an end. Their next Premier League South game is at home to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. 

Player reviews:

• Adam Hayton: The Spurs goalkeeper had another good game in goal for Spurs. He commanded his box really well again today and he made some impressive saves as well. 
• George Abbott: From looking at the result and the fact that Spurs let in three goals, some might think that this couldn’t have been the greatest defensive performance from Spurs, but the Spurs back four did do well today. And midfielder George Abbott had a good game at right-back, making some good decisions and also bringing the ball forward well at times.
• Alfie Dorrington: The right sided centre-half again showed a good understanding with left sided centre-half Charlie Sayers, and he made some good defensive interventions during the match.
• Charlie Sayers: The left sided centre-half got better and better as the match went on, and his decision making and reading of the game was at times excellent. Sayers was also good in the air. He does at times remind me of former Spurs Academy player and defender Luis Binks.
• Jordan Hackett: The left-back got up and down the left flank well, and he made some good blocks and clearances during his time on the pitch. 
• Rio Kyerematen: Unlucky not to score a goal today, central midfielder Rio Kyerematen got forward well and into some good goalscoring positions.
• Jez Davies: My man of the match, see below.
• Maxwell McKnight: The right-back started the match as a winger and he scored an early well taken goal. McKnight was always looking to receive the ball out on the right flank.
• Jamie Donley: The Spurs captain again showed his class this afternoon, as he worked really well off the ball, dropping deep to receive it and looking to create chances for teammates. Scoring his 15th goal of the season for Spurs’ Under 18 side against Chelsea in the first half, Donley worked really hard for the team.
• Billy Heaps: This was another strong performance from the versatile midfielder. Heaps started the match on the left flank as a winger, where he showed some good skill on the ball. He got another assist, this time from a corner-kick, and his all-round performance was a good one.
• Jaden Williams: The Spurs centre-forward worked really hard once again today, even though he didn’t have any real chances to score from.
• Riley Owen: The second half substitute went out to the left flank where he played as a winger.
• Will Andiyapan: The late substitute went to left-back following his introduction tothe game.
• Leo Black: The late substitute went into central-midfield for the final minutes of the game.

My man of the match: Jez Davies. The central midfielder was really classy on the ball against Chelsea today, and he was always looking to receive the ball, bring it forward and try and go past Chelsea players for skill. Davies was really good on the ball and his many very good surging forward runs from midfield really helped Spurs out against Chelsea.