Spurs’ Under 21 side faced League Two side Leyton Orient, at The Breyer Group Stadium, in the JE3 Foundation Trophy match, on Saturday afternoon. Wayne Burnett’s Spurs side lost the game 3-1, as Leyton Orient won the trophy. Spurs lined-up with Aaron Maguire in goal, as Kallum Cesay, Alfie Dorrington, Maksim Paskotši and Danny Rose started in defence. Captain Jamie Bowden and Matthew Craig started in midfield, as Yago Santiago and Romaine Mundle started the match out wide on the flanks, either side of CAM Nile John. Kion Etete would lead the line for Spurs, who got the match underway on a nice summer afternoon. Early on in the match Maksim Paskotši came close to meeting a free-kick from Romaine Mundle, which was delivered towards the back post, inside the Leyton Orient box. After receiving a pass from Danny Rose, Romaine Mundle went forward with the ball to the edge of the Leyton Orient box. However, his curling effort was tipped over the goal well by Leyton Orient goalkeeper Sam Sargeant. Darren Pratley hit an effort towards the Spurs goal, which was headed away by Kion Etete, a couple of minutes later.

After receiving the ball on the edge of the Leyton Orient penalty area, Spurs’ captain Jamie Bowden hit a good effort on goal, which seemed to be tipped onto his near post by goalkeeper Sam Sargeant. However, the ball then came to the alert Kion Etete, who managed to score a goal, with it deflecting in off of Sam Sargeant, 1-0. Spurs were playing well during this stage of the match, and after receiving a pass from Danny Rose down the left side of the pitch, Kion Etete went into the Leyton Orient penalty area after turning well with the ball, before hitting a low effort just wide of the goal. Matthew Craig received a yellow card, before Daniel Nkrumah hit a low effort wide of Aaron Maguire’s goal from the edge of the Spurs box. Leyton Orient equalised soon after, as Adam Thompson’s lofted pass into the Spurs box, was headed across goal by Connor Wood, with the ball hitting off the back post of Maguire’s goal. Spurs were unable to clear the ball though, and Ruel Sotiriou was also to find the back of the net, from the centre of the Spurs box, 1-1.

George Moncur hit an effort across the Spurs goal, from the right side of the Spurs box, before the same player took the lead, soon after. After Leyton Orient had been awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Spurs box, George Moncur stepped up to curl a very good effort into the top right hand corner of Aaron Maguire’s goal, 1-2. The referee sounded his whistle for half-time not long after that Leyton Orient goal. Luca Gunter replaced Aaron Maguire in goal for the second half, which Leyton Orient got underway. Sonny Fish hit an effort wide of Luca Gunter’s goal, from the left side of the Spurs box, before at the other end of the pitch Yago Santiago went forward with the ball down the right side of the Leyton Orient box, before then hitting an effort wide of the goal. Marcel Lavinier and Tyrell Ashcroft replaced Alfie Dorrington and Maksim Paskotši respectively in defence. Nile John hit an effort on goal from the edge of the Leyton Orient box, which was saved by Sam Sargeant. George Moncur then hit an effort over the Spurs goal, after receiving Ruel Sotiriou’s cross. 

Tyrell Ashcroft received a yellow card, before Spurs made two changes. Roshaun Mathurin replaced Yago Santiago, and Brooklyn Lyons-Foster replaced Romaine Mundle, as he returned following a long time out because of injury. From a throw-in on the right side of Spurs’ side of the pitch, the ball came to Adam Thompson inside the Spurs box. And the Leyton Orient player hit an effort past Luca Gunter in the Spurs goal, although it did take a deflection on its way into the goal, 1-3. From the edge of the Spurs box, former Spurs player Anthony Georgiou hit a low effort on goal which was well saved to his left by Luca Gunter. After Kion Etete had been brought down inside the Leyton Orient penalty area, Spurs were awarded a penalty. Kion stepped up to take it, but he ended up hitting the ball wide of the goal. Max Robson came on late on in the match, to replace Kion Etete, before Omar Beckles hit an excellent free-kick effort from inside the Leyton Orient half against one of Luca Gunter’s posts. Harrison Sodje headed a late Leyton Orient corner-kick over the Spurs goal, just before the referee sounded his whistle for full-time. Wayne Burnett’s Spurs side face Bromley (away), in their next pre-season friendly, on Tuesday evening. 

My Spurs player of the match – Kion Etete. I thought that the centre-forward was probably Spurs’ best player today, against Leyton Orient. I thought that the 20 year old worked hard off the ball and impressed in the way that he led the line (particularly during the first half). He also scored a goal during the first half to give Spurs the lead, and he won a penalty which he was unable to score from during the second half.