Spurs’ Under 21 side faced League One side Stevenage, at their Lamex Stadium on Saturday afternoon in a pre-season friendly. Wayne Burnett’s side lost the game 4-0, to an experienced Stevenage side, who had some very experienced players playing for them. Spurs lined-up with Aaron Maguire in goal, while Max Robson, Alfie Dorrington, Charlie Sayers and Will Andiyapan started in defence. Captain Brooklyn Lyons-Foster and Harvey White started in central midfield, as Damola Ajayi and Yago Santiago started out on the flanks, either side of CAM Alfie Devine. Nile John would once again lead the line for Spurs, who got the match underway. Spurs started the game well, and after Nile John got on the ball in midfield, he went on a good forward run from midfield. He eventually passed the ball to Damola Ajayi on the right flank, who then passed the ball to Alfie Devine inside the Stevenage penalty area. However, Devine’s lofted effort went just over the Stevenage goal. A really good passing move from Spurs shortly after saw Harvey White pass the ball to Yago Santiago on the left side of the Stevenage box, but his resulting effort went in to the arms of the Stevenage goalkeeper Taye Ashby-Hammond.

Harvey White made an important clearance from inside the Spurs penalty area, before Jordan Roberts came inside with the ball from the right flank, before hitting a low effort which came off of Aaron Maguire’s left post. A cross from Jordan Roberts to Carl Piergianni in the centre of the Spurs box resulted in the defender heading the ball off of Maguire’s crossbar. After meeting a Stevenage corner-kick, Nick Freeman powerfully headed the ball past Maguire in the Spurs goal, 0-1. Ben Thompson hit an effort wide of the Spurs goal from the edge of their penalty area, with the home side now enjoying the better chances of the two sides. Josh March then saw his diving header from Kane Smith’s cross in to the Spurs penalty area, go just wide of Maguire’s goal. Not long before half-time Nick Freeman got his and Stevenage’s second goal of the game, scoring with a first time effort from inside the Spurs box, following Dan Butler’s low cross, 0-2. The referee sounded his whistle for half-time shortly after. For the beginning of the second half Spurs made some substitutions. Luca Gunter replaced Aaron Maguire in goal, with Jahziah Linton, Rio Kyerematen and Jude Soonsup-Bell replacing Will Andiyapan, Damola Ajayi and Alfie Dorrington respectively. 

The second half didn’t get off to a good start for Spurs, as after just two minutes of the second half starting, Stevenage made it 3-0. Carl Piergianni headed home Jake Forster-Caskey’s corner-kick, leaving Luca Gunter with no chance of saving it, 0-3. Not long after making it 3-0, Stevenage made it 4-0. Dan Butler’s cross in to the Spurs penalty area from the left flank, resulted in Jahziah Linton and Luca Gunter going for the ball, and unfortunately Jahziah Linton headed the ball in to his goal, 0-4. Jahziah Linton unfortunately picked up an injury and had to be replaced by Tyrell Ashscroft, who made his return from an injury that he sustained in a game last year. Luca Gunter managed to push away a headed effort on goal, before Tyrell Ashcroft hit an effort over from distance, at the other end of the pitch. Gunter saved Louis Thompson’s headed effort on goal, and then shortly afterwards Tyrese Hall and Dante Cassanova came on to replace Alfie Devine and Harvey White respectively. Luca Gunter saved Alex MacDonald’s effort from distance, before Josh March saw his effort from the edge of the Spurs penalty area go narrowly wide of Luca Gunter’s goal. 

Carl Piergianni hit an effort over from inside the Spurs box, and then a couple of minutes later Alex MacDonald hit a free-kick effort on to Luca Gunter’s crossbar. Stevenage continued to be the better team in the game, and after Alex MacDonald had an effort from close range saved by Luca Gunter, Jamie Reid went through on goal with the ball, only just putting the ball wide from inside the Spurs penalty area. Maksim Paskotši came on to replace Brooklyn Lyons-Foster in central defence, and soon after entering the pitch Maksim blocked a good effort from Theo Alexandrou. Rio Kyerematen hit a late effort over the Stevenage goal from distance, before the final chance of the game came the way of Stevenage. As Jamie Reid headed wide  a cross which came in to the Spurs box. This was a difficult game for Spurs against an experienced senior side. However, it was a good test ahead of the new Premier League 2 season, which starts very soon.