Spurs’ Under 21 side played their first friendly game of pre-season on Tuesday evening, against local non-League side Enfield Town, at their Queen Elizabeth II Stadium. The game ended in a 0-0 draw, but it was a competitive game of football, although I’d say that Spurs had much the better chances of the two sides. Wayne Burnett’s Spurs side started with Aaron Maguire in goal, as Will Andiyapan, Alfie Dorrington, Charlie Sayers and Max Robson started in defence. Captain Brooklyn Lyons-Foster started as the most defensive of the three Spurs midfielders who started the match, with Dante Cassanova and Rio Kyerematen starting higher up the pitch in midfield. Max McKnight and Yago Santiago started out wide on the flanks, and Nile John started as the centre-forward for Spurs, who got the game underway. Spurs saw more of the ball during the early stages of the match, and after Enfield Town captain Mickey Parcell had headed away an early effort from the edge of the Enfield box by Rio Kyerematen, Dante Cassanova had an effort cleared away shortly after. Yago Santiago came very close to meeting Brooklyn Lyons-Foster’s low cross in to the middle of the Enfield penalty area, before Santiago had an effort on the edge of the penalty area blocked.
A Nile John cross was met by Dante Cassanova in the middle of the Enfield penalty area, as Spurs continued to start the game well, and Cassanova’s headed effort on goal was tipped over the goal well by goalkeeper Rhys Forster. A header from an Enfield throw-in was bravely gathered by Spurs’ goalkeeper Aaron Maguire, in what was the first real chance for Enfield. A low effort from distance by Nile John went wide of the Enfield goal, before Alfie Dorrington headed over a corner-kick from Yago Santiago. After Lyons-Foster had received McKnight’s pass, the Spurs captain hit an effort over from distance. Then in what was the final chance in the first half, after Nile John had won a free-kick, he curled an effort narrowly over the Enfield goal, with the referee sounding his whistle for half-time shortly after. Luca Gunter replaced Aaron Maguire in the Spurs goal for the beginning of the second half, which Enfield got underway. Will Andiyapan made an important early defensive intervention for Spurs, who then went forward with the ball. A good run from the very fast Yago Santiago ended with his effort on the edge of the Enfield box being blocked.
After receiving the ball, Brooklyn Lyons-Foster hit a good first time effort which from a decent distance was deflected on to Enfield substitute goalkeeper Adi Connolly’s right post, via a save from the Enfield goalkeeper, before he then saved well from Rio Kyerematen’s close range header on goal. Kyerematen received a pass from Robson shortly after his fine chance, but this time his effort was deflected comfortably in to the arms of the Enfield goalkeeper, from the edge of the Enfield box. Will Andiyapan made an important defensive header inside the Spurs box, with the ball then going to Lyons-Foster, who passed it to Santiago, who took it really well his stride. The 20 year old winger sprinted forward down the left side of the pitch with the ball, before eventually crossing the ball to Rio Kyerematen in the Enfield box, but he volleyed the ball wide of the goal. Kieran Morgan, Damola Ajayi, Archie Chaplin and Yusuf Akhamrich all came on to replace Charlie Sayers, Brooklyn Lyons-Foster, Will Andiyapan and Max Robson. After the game resumed, Alfie Dorrington had a header saved from a Rio Kyerematen free-kick. The 18 year old Spurs midfielder then received a yellow card, for a challenge that he had made. Jude Soonsup-Bell made his return from injury to replace Yago Santiago on 69 minutes.
After Nile John had latched on to a loose pass, he passed the ball to Rio Kyerematen inside the Enfield penalty area however, his effort from close range was well saved. A good cross on his left foot by Max McKnight found Soonsup-Bell in the centre of the Enfield box, but his headed effort was well tipped over by the impressive Adi Connolly. Kieran Morgan then headed over an effort, via a deflection inside the Enfield box from Damola Ajayi’s corner-kick. Brooklyn Lyons-Foster returned to the pitch shortly after, to replace Dante Cassanova (there were rolling substitutions in this game). Luca Gunter rushed out of his goal impressively to clear the ball before an Enfield forward could get to it, as Spurs went forward with the move ending with Lyons-Foster seeing his effort from distance deflected behind for a corner-kick. A good move and pass from the composed Kieran Morgan found Damola Ajayi on the right flank, but Ajayi went on to his left foot before testing Adi Connolly, who saved his powerful effort, with Nile John’s follow-up effort going wide. Max Robson returned to replace Rio Kyerematen shortly after.
Luca Gunter impressed by getting to a lofted forward pass quicker than an Enfield trialist, before then clearing the ball. At the other end of the pitch Lyons-Foster hit an effort with swerve and dip from distance, which was saved well by the Enfield goalkeeper, before Robson headed over a corner-kick from Kieran Morgan. Luca Gunter saved a late curling effort on goal from Enfield’s Lewis Taaffe, well. Then in the final minutes of the game the impressive Damola Ajayi found Jude Soonsup-Bell with a lofted pass, but the former Chelsea player had his effort saved by the Enfield goalkeeper, after he had drifted inside on to his left foot inside the penalty area. That was the final chance of the game, for either side. The Spurs Under 21 side will face League One side Stevenage, in their next pre-season friendly, on Saturday the 29th of July.
My player reviews:
- Aaron Maguire: The Spurs goalkeeper didn’t have a lot to do, while he was on the pitch during the first half of the game. Maguire did gather the ball well on one occasion from a headed effort towards goal.
- Will Andiyapan: I thought that Will Andiyapan had a solid defensive game at right-back for Spurs. He made an important header during the second half, and he also made a timely defensive intervention to win the ball and stop an Enfield Town player from being through on goal.
- Alfie Dorrington: I thought that the 18 year old central defender did well, and he looked comfortable and very capable of dealing with the physicality of the Enfield players. He also used the ball well.
- Charlie Sayers: Always looking to pass the ball forward out of defence, I thought that Charlie Sayers looked comfortable in his defending against Enfield, during his time on the pitch.
- Max Robson: My man of the match, see below.
- Brooklyn Lyons-Foster: The Spurs captain started the game in the most defensive position of the three Spurs midfielders. Lyons-Foster had a calming influence on the game. He liked to get on the ball and he looked to be creative with it, and the very versatile player had a couple of good efforts on goal, which were well saved. The very consistent player had a good game.
- Dante Cassanova: Dante was involved in the midfield against Enfield Town, and he got some good minutes for the Spurs Under 21 side, and it was a game that I thought he did well in. He was unlucky not to score a goal against Enfield, with his fine headed effort in the first half being well saved.
- Max McKnight: The player who started the game on the right flank as a winger, would complete the entirety of the match for Spurs. Max pressed really well off the ball, and he worked very hard against Enfield, going in to defence when he needed to. He was unlucky not to have got an assist from the chance that he set-up for Jude Soonsup-Bell, late on in the game.
- Rio Kyerematen: Rio played as the furthest forward of the three midfielders, and he was involved well in the final third, and on another day he could have scored a couple of goals.
- Yago Santiago: Once again showing his excellent pace when travelling forward with the ball, Yago Santiago was also creative out on the left flank, where he played as a winger. He went on a really good run with the ball during the second half.
- Nile John: Starting at centre-forward against Enfield Town, Nile John moved well off the ball and he dropped deep to get on the ball, to make things happen.
- Luca Gunter: The first year professional and goalkeeper came on for the start of the second half, to replace Aaron Maguire. Luca did well as a sweeper-keeper on two occasions against Enfield.
- Kieran Morgan: A midfield player who does remind me of former Spurs Academy player Jamie Bowden in his style of play, I thought that second year scholar Kieran Morgan did well after entering the pitch in the second half, against Enfield. Morgan used the ball well and he also kept it moving well in the central areas of the pitch.
- Damola Ajayi: Moving out to the right flank as a winger after being introduced to the game, second year scholar Damola Ajayi showed good skill on the ball, and he was another player who was unlucky not to score for Spurs.
- Archie Chaplin: The second half substitute, like Charlie Sayers and Alfie Dorrington, looked assured in his defending in central defence.
- Yusuf Akhamrich: The second year scholar stayed out on the flank, after being substituted on to the game.
- Jude Soonsup-Bell: Returning from an injury which saw him miss the end of last season, 19 year old centre-forward Jude Soonsup-Bell went to the centre-forward position after being introduced during the second half. He had a good headed effort on goal, which was well saved.
My man of the match – Max Robson. Although I personally don’t think that there was a real standout performer from the Spurs Under 21’s first friendly match of pre-season on Tuesday evening, I was impressed with the intensity that Max Robson played the game with, from the left-back position. He was involved a lot, linked-up well with Yago Santiago on the left flank and Max made some clever overlapping runs down that side of the pitch, as he impressed with his link-up play and off the ball movement. Robson was always looking to make good forward runs, and he also liked to step in to midfield to receive the ball and try and be inventive with it, as well as pressing well off the ball. I really hope that Max gets a really good run of games this season for the Spurs Under 21 side, as he continues to adapt to playing at full-back.
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