Spurs under 21’s 1-2 Stade Rennais: (match report)

Our development sides opening game at the Tournoi Europeen got underway on Friday afternoon as Wayne Burnett’s side took on French club Stade Rennais in the first of three 50 minute group games. It was a hugely entertaining and competitive opening game on a warm summers day in Ploufragan, with both sides playing some attractive attacking football. However, it was the French club who managed to get the better of Spurs to win the game 2-1. And to be quite honest with you, they deserved to win the game. They hit the woodwork on four occasions and every time they entered our half they looked like scoring. However, Spurs were by no means bad and they too played some nice attacking football and created a number of good goal scoring chances. After starting the game well Spurs took the lead early on in the game through Kazaiah Sterling. However, Stade Rennais equalised early on in the second half to level the scores. Goalkeeper Joshua Oluwayemi was on hand to save a penalty kick from Brandon Soppy however, Stade Rennais fought back and they netted a late winner through Alan Kerouedan to secure all three points for the French club. Wayne Burnett’s side lined up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation. Joshua Oluwayemi started in goal while a back four consisting of Jubril Okedina, Jonathan Dinzeyi, Luis Binks and Tariq Hinds lined up in front of him. Tashan Oakley-Boothe and Armando Shashoua partnered up in central midfield, as Dilan Markanday and Rayan Clarke operated out on the flanks either side of CAM Paris Maghoma. Spurs striker and captain Kazaiah Sterling led the line for the ‘ Lilywhites ‘. Stade Rennais got the game underway out on the main pitch at the football centre, and it didn’t take long for the game to gather pace. Joshua Oluwayemi had to get down early to save Brandon Soppy’s low effort from the edge of the Spurs box as both sides started the game with a good intensity about them. Wayne Burnett’s side started the game well and they were keeping possession well during the opening stages of the game.

Dilan Markanday came inside from the right flank before curling an effort narrowly wide of Elias Damergy’s goal as the quick pace to the game continued. After the hard pressing Armando Shashoua gave the ball to Rayan Clarke down the left side of the Stade Rennais box Clarke looked like he might hit the back of the net however, instead he fired the ball well over Damergy’s crossbar. Stade Rennais then came desperately close to taking the lead. After Brandon Soppy passed the ball to Georgino Rutter in the Spurs penalty area, Rutter thumped Oluwayemi’s crossbar with a powerful early strike before, Armando Shashoua did well to close down and block Malamine Doumbouya’s resulting effort from long range. Georgino Rutter forced Joshua Oluwayemi into making a decent save after he powered a low effort on goal from out on the left flank. Shortly afterwards the lively Armando Shashoua played a free kick short to Paris Maghoma on the edge of the Stade Rennais box however, the Tottenham midfielder whipped an effort narrowly over Elias Damergy’s crossbar. Stade Rennais then attacked us down the other end of the pitch through Georgino Rutter who, after advancing forward down the left flank smashed an effort off of Oluwayemi’s right hand post. The Spurs goalkeeper had been busy during the opening stages of the game and he was called into action shortly afterwards. A nice passing move saw Armand Lauriente give the ball to Georgino Rutter, who passed the ball to Brandon Soppy in the Spurs box but his effort on the turn was held by Oluwayemi. Shortly afterwards Spurs took the lead against the run of play. After Shashoua had passed the ball to Jubril Okedina out on the right flank the right fullback gave the ball to Markanday who cut onto his left foot before sending a cross into the Stade Rennais box. Markanday’s cross was met by Kazaiah Sterling who after leaping up well to meet the ball, he sent a wonderful looping header up over Elias Damergy and into the bottom left hand corner of the goal, 1-0. Malamine Doumbouya sent a dangerous cross narrowly wide of Joshua Oluwayemi’s goal shortly after the restart. The Spurs goalkeeper was then put under severe pressure by a Jonathan Dinzeyi back pass but he was able to just clear the ball in time.

Armand Lauriente blazed an effort over Joshua Oluwayemi’s crossbar before Spurs went forward down the other end of the pitch. After Jubril Okedina passed the ball to Dilan Markanday down the right flank the tricky Spurs winger  whipped the ball across the face of the Stade Rennais goal with Rayan Clarke coming close to getting something on it at the near post. Brandon Soppy fired an effort over Oluwayemi’s crossbar after running down the right side of the Tottenham penalty area, in what turned out to be the final piece of action from the first half. Spurs got the second half underway. Armando Shashoua came close to slipping Kazaiah Sterling through on goal shortly after the restart, a couple of minutes before Joshua Oluwayemi was almost robbed of the ball inside his own box by Georgino Rutter. The impressive Luis Binks then made a good sliding challenge to win the ball off of the advancing Brandon Soppy down the right flank. The Spurs defender then handled Georgino Rutter’s cross inside his own box a matter of moments later. However, the referee consulted VAR before deciding not to award the penalty kick for Stade Rennais. From the following corner kick Stade Rennais levelled. Brandon Soppy’s corner kick was met by Lorenz Assigon at the near post and he quickly rounded the man closest to him (Paris Maghoma) before firing the ball into the top left hand corner of Joshua Oluwayemi’s goal, 1-1. Emilien Waflart had a shot blocked inside the Spurs box by Jonathan Dinzeyi a couple of minutes later. After receiving Dilan Markanday’s pass Armando Shashoua gave the ball to Rayan Clarke down the left side of the Stade Rennais box, but the 18 year old fired a low effort wide of Elias Damergy’s goal. Rayan Clarke was replaced by Shilow Tracey shortly afterwards. Stade Rennais continued to put pressure on the Spurs defence. Georgino Rutter surged past Jonathan Dinzeyi before entering the Spurs penalty area and attempting to slide the ball underneath the outrushing Spurs goalkeeper Joshua Oluwayemi who managed to do well to save his effort.

Tariq Hinds slipped the ball into Kazaiah Sterling down the left side of the Stade Rennais box but the Tottenham striker slammed the ball against Elias Damergy’s right hand post. Only a matter of minutes later Jonathan Dinzeyi conceded a penalty after Jonathan Dinzeyi tripped Brandon Soppy in the Spurs penalty area. However, Soppy’s weak resulting effort was saved relatively comfortably down to his left by penalty saving specialist Joshua Oluwayemi,  as Spurs escaped punishment. The French club continued to cause Spurs problems and after Armand Lauriente gave the ball to Brandon Soppy he passed it to Georgino Rutter on the edge of the Spurs box. Rutter’s resulting low effort somehow came off of Oluwayemi’s right hand post before coming back across goal as Spurs escaped once again. Spurs had a penalty shout waived away by the referee after Rayan Doucoure tackled substitute Shilow Tracey inside the Stade Rennais penalty area. Spurs then made a double substitution as Wayne Burnett brought on Elliot Thorpe and Rodel Richards for Paris Maghoma and Dilan Markanday. Jonathan Dinzeyi did well to intercept Alan Kerouedan on the edge of the Spurs box to break down another dangerous Stade Rennais attack. Emilien Waflart then cut inside from the right flank before firing an effort on goal however, his powerful effort was bravely nodded behind by Jonathan Dinzeyi. The Spurs central defender then managed to clear Armand Lauriente’s resulting corner kick. For all of Spurs’ good defensive work throughout the match they could do nothing to prevent Stade Rennais netting a dramatic late winner in second half stoppage time. After Georgino Rutter passed the ball to Alan Kerouedan down the right side of the Spurs penalty area the winger fired an unstoppable low effort against the bottom of Oluwayemi’s right hand post. The ball then bounced into the back of the net as Stade Rennais netted a deserved late winner, 1-2. The referee sounded his whistle for full time a couple of seconds later. Spurs now have it all to do if they want to top the group. Wayne Burnett’s sides next group game is against SM Caen, tomorrow morning (kick off is at 10pm CET).

Player reviews:

• Joshua Oluwayemi: The Spurs goalkeeper had a very good game in between the sticks for Wayne Burnett’s side on Saturday afternoon.  Oluwayemi made four saves in total (two of which were hugely important ones) and the 18 year old remained vocal throughout the game while also impressing me with his distribution. Once again the goalkeeper saved another penalty! Oluwayemi put in a good all round performance for Spurs and there was not a single aspect of his game which you could criticise. 
• Jubril Okedina: The 18 year old had a solid showing at right back and he went on some good overlapping runs down the right flank. Okedina was commanding and he was also very vocal.
• Jonathan Dinzeyi: Although he was often left quite exposed down the right hand side, RCB Jonathan Dinzeyi had a good game. Dinzeyi was dominant in the air and strong in the challenge and he made some important defensive interventions for Spurs. Furthermore, the 19 year old former England under 17 international played the ball out well from the back.
• Luis Binks: Carrying on from his fine performance against Dulwich Hamlet last Saturday 17 year old central defender Luis Binks once again impressed at LCB alongside Jonathan Dinzeyi. Binks had a very mature game and he read the danger well down the left side of the pitch. The Gillingham born centre half was probably Spurs’ second best player behind Shashoua. He was a towering presence at the back and he was always looking to lead the defence. Binks was quite often left exposed by the powerful break aways from the opponents.
• Tariq Hinds: Good at the back and promising going forwards down the left flank, the left back caught my eye against Stade Rennais with his many galavanting runs down the left flank.
• Tashan Oakley-Boothe: The central midfielder moved the ball well in the middle of the park and he used it intelligently. The forward thinking midfielder put in a decent performance for Spurs.
• Armando Shashoua: My man of the match, see below.
• Dilan Markanday: Tricky and positive down the right flank Dilan Markanday set up Spurs’ opening goal by whipping an inviting cross into the box for Kazaiah Sterling to connect with. Markanday went on some productive runs down that side of the pitch and he also made some intelligent decisions throughout his time on the pitch.
• Paris Maghoma: The CAM put in a positive performance during the first half and he came close to finding the back of the net. Maghoma made some well timed runs through the middle of the park which weren’t picked up by his teammates.
• Rayan Clarke: After a positive start which saw him go on some purposeful runs down the left flank the winger faded away a bit during the rest of the game due to the attacking nature of the opponents.
• Kazaiah Sterling: The Spurs captain led the line well and he made some good runs in behind the Stade Rennais defence. Sterling scored an excellent looping header in the first half and he would go onto hit the post during the latter stages of the second half. It was a good all round performance from the physical centre forward.
• Shilow Tracey: The 21 year old went on a couple of good attacking forays during his short time on the pitch.
• Rodel Richards The forward pressed well out on the right flank during his short time on the pitch. 
• Elliot Thorpe: The Wales under 19 international looked lively during his very short time on the pitch and he also had some nice touches of the ball.

My man of the match: Dynamic central midfielder Armando Shashoua put in an excellent shift in the middle of the park for Spurs against Stade Rennais. Shashoua was a real live wire in the midfield and he poached the ball really well from the Stade Rennais players while also breaking up play and tracking back well after him. The high pressing Shashoua also made some nice crisp passes and he was often the one pulling the strings from midfield. There was not one ball that the technically gifted midfielder didn’t scrap for!

Spurs: Oluwayemi, Okedina, Hinds, Oakley-Boothe, Dinzeyi, Binks, Markanday (Richards 47), A Shashoua, Sterling (c), Maghoma (Thorpe 47), R Clarke (Tracey 38).

My preview of Spurs under 21’s participation in the 2019 Tournoi Europeen:

Our development squad will be competing in the annual Tournoi Europeen which starts on Friday in Brittany, France. Regular participants in this tournament over the last couple of years Spurs who won the competition back in 2017 will be looking to retain their crown however, tough that objective may be. This prestigious pre-season tournament is celebrating its 22nd birthday this year and once again it includes a whole host of top clubs who are competing in it. The tournament is split into two groups and Wayne Burnett’s side have been in group B along with Stade Rennais, SM Caen and RC Strasbourg. Three good technical teams (in particular Stade Rennais) who Spurs will have to be at their best to beat and finish top of group B. The other group contains Standard De Liège, OGC Nice, EA Guingamp and Stade Brestois. If Spurs are to reach the final then they will have to top group B. I would expect that Wayne Burnett’s side will look similar to the ones which have been used in our pre-season friendlies against both Ebbsfleet United and Dulwich Hamlet however, there could of course be one or two surprises in there. Spurs will be without a number of important players to due injury for this tournament. They include Marcus Edwards and TJ Eyoma. Furthermore it is unknown whether or not Samuel Shashoua will return from his post season holiday in time to represent Spurs. Playing in this renowned tournament is a great way to start the 2019/20 season and I’m sure that there will be some fantastic football on display. I will be travelling to Brittany to report on the tournament and I shall have my in-depth match reports published on the day of the games.

My message of support to the team: This prestigious tournament provides our lads with the invaluable experience of playing in a different country and testing themselves against different footballing styles and cultures. The 2017 winners of this tournament, Spurs will be looking to retain their crown and I believe that this current development side have both the quality and the endurance to do exactly that. I would like to wish Wayne Burnett’s side all the very best of luck for the tournament and I hope that they enjoy the experience. 

The Spurs squad that I’m predicting will travel to France: Edward Smith (Tr), Joshua Oluwayemi, Maxwell Statham, Jubril Okedina, Jonathan Dinzeyi, Luis Binks, Tariq Hinds, Tashan Oakley-Boothe, Armando Shashoua, Paris Maghoma, Elliot Thorpe, Dilan Markanday, Maurizio Pochettino, Shilow Tracey, Rayan Clarke, Rodel Richards, Kazaiah Sterling, Enock Asante. 

Doubtful: Brandon Austin, Samuel Shashoua, Dennis Cirkin, Phoenix Patterson, Maximus Tainio, Marcus Edwards.

Injured/unavailable: TJ Eyoma, Malachi Walcott, J’Neil Bennett, Jeremie Mukendi.

Spurs’ schedule: 

Day 1 (26th of July): Spurs v Stade Rennais (kick off – 12:30 PM CET)

Day 2 (27th of July): Spurs v SM Caen (kick off – 10:AM CET) 

Spurs v RC Strasbourg (kick off – 18:00 PM CET) 

Day 3 (28th of July): TBC.

My interview with former Spurs man Robbie Brace:

Centre forward Robbie Brace (pictured in the front row, third from right) joined Spurs as a youth player in the late 1970’s and he would go onto sign apprentice forms with the Lilywhites. Edmonton born Brace who made one competitive appearance for the first team kindly agreed to doing an interview with me, so I caught up with the former Spurs player who now lives in Germany the country where he has lived ever since for FC Saarbrucken in 1986.

What are your earliest footballing memories?

Robbie: Playing in the kids team when I was about six or seven in Waltham Abbey and starting my football career. Also playing in international tournaments when I was a kid when we used to play teams from Wales who used to come over and that’s something I’ll never forget as a youngster as that was the start of my football career. My dad was a big influence on me when I was a kid, taking me over the park and teaching me how to kick with my left foot because I always used to kick with my right foot and in the end I was better with my left foot than I was with my right foot. My dad used to make time for me after he’d come home from a hard days work to go over to the park and play football with me. Years ago we never used to have computers, Gameboy or PlayStation or things like that, we just used to be out on the streets playing football all of the time and that was the way it was years and years ago. 

What are your earliest memories of your time at Spurs and how did you come about joining the club?

Robbie: There was a scout called Brian Casey who used to take four of us from Waltham Abbey up to Tottenham and we was like 13 or 14 years of age. He used to have a taxi cab and he would take Glen Alzapiedi, Gary Rudkin and Robert Secker in his cab up to Tottenham, and then we used to train in the ball courts. There used to be two ball courts at Tottenham in the old West stand with a small one downstairs and a big one upstairs. The small court was for players who were about 14 and they would train with Robbie Stepney, and then upstairs there used to be the year older players like Allan Cockram, Mark Bowen, Ian Crook and Tony Parks who would be getting trained by Ron Henry. Then a year later we were allowed to go up and train in the big ball court with Ron Henry and that was good to go up there but it was like training on concrete! I signed schoolboy forms (all four of us from Waltham Abbey did) so that meant that you weren’t allowed to go to another professional club and you belonged as a signed schoolboy to Tottenham Hotspur, so I signed that at 14 and then you have two years to see if you can make it as an apprentice professional footballer, and that was what I became when I was 16. I can remember when I was 16 going up to Waltham Cross on the bus and then there was Ian Culverhouse who used to get on the train from Harlow and I’d get on the same train as him. And then at Enfield Lock we’d meet up with Richard Cooke and we’d all go to Northumberland Park train station and walk up to Tottenham and start work. We always used to go into the cafe first at the front of the high street and have a breakfast and then at nine o’clock we would start work. And at work there used to be a top man and the first time I was there it was Simon Webster and he was in charge of the apprentices so he would tell us what to do such as getting kits ready for training for the professional players, and cleaning boots. I had Steve Archibald and Osvaldo Ardiles and some of them had sponsored boots like Glen Hoddle who had Le Coq Sportif and Steve Archibald who had Nike so they were like personal sponsored boots which the club were sponsored by. 

It was just a fantastic time of my life being an apprentice professional and it was a nine to five job. I’ll never forget that sometimes Keith Burkinshaw or Peter Shreeves used to ask us to mark a player and I never will forget this in my life, I was called over to the first team to mark Osvaldo Ardiles and my job was to mark Osvaldo and he was running rings around me and I couldn’t believe how good he was.

What was your time at the Lilywhites like on the whole?

Robert: I started at 14 as a schoolboy and I left when I was nearly 20 so just after the game where I made my debut against Southampton which at the time Spurs were playing in the UEFA cup final in 1984. I made my debut as a substitute against Southampton and that was it. In the end I got a free transfer from an agent who took me to Belgium where I played in the first division. My mum and dad did their nut after I said I’m going to Belgium tomorrow and they said what! However, I said that there was a football agent who wants to pick up young professional footballers and try and earn himself some money out of us and we’d earn ourselves a contract with a foreign team, and that’s what I did. And so I played in Genk in the Belgian first division and as a 19 year old that was a great experience. I can also remember signing my professional contract for Spurs and going into Keith Burkinshaw’s office just after my 18th birthday but there’s one memory I’ll never forget and that was the first ever game that I played for Tottenham Hotspur. As a 13/14 year old I scored seven goals and although I can’t tell you where or who it was against that was my first ever game I played in for Spurs.

Did you have any footballing heroes/inspirations and if so who were they?

Robbie: It was Glen Hoddle. Everyone loved Glenn Hoddle, he had eyes in the back of his head and he was unbelievable. I used to love to watch Glenn Hoddle play football because he was just brilliant.

Could you describe to me what type of player you were and what positions you played in for Spurs during your time there?

Robbie: I was a centre forward but sometimes I used to play at right back however, I was a centre forward all of the time and I did score a lot of goals in the juniors when I was at Spurs. But as I said I used to go on the right back position and I can remember when John Pratt took over as our trainer he used to put me at the right back position because I could run all day as I was really, really fit, but as I say I was a striker and I just loved scoring goals.

What was it like to brush shoulders with some of the legendary players that were around at Spurs at the time?

Robbie: You looked up to them, all of the professional players. When I was there at Spurs we’d just signed two Argentinian international players Ossie Ardiles and Ricardo Villa and you just looked up to them. However, they were so nice even though they couldn’t speak a lot of English at that time, they always shook your hand and that’s what it was like. Whereas Steve Perryman was always giving us tips and saying hello and you just used to look up to these players all of the time. I’ll tell you another story! When we were an apprentice we used to have to go to college one day a week and we went to a college in Kings Cross and we had to learn how to eat properly and we had a woman who was really high up in politics as our teacher and her name was Kate Hoey and she used to take us in this college with West Ham, Wimbledon and Arsenal and we used to have to learn how to cook and how to hold knives and forks and making sure it was the spoon to the mouth not the mouth to the spoon! I can also remember going on a survival course with West Ham, Wimbledon and Arsenal in Wales and that’s something I’ll never forget in my life. It was fantastic.

Who were your greatest influences at Spurs?

Robbie: Steve Perryman although he didn’t play in the national team for England he was the Spurs captain and he was a great influence who was always talking to the young players and he’d give you stick if you were doing anything wrong and he’d always give 100% in every training session and you just looked up to players like that. He was an out and out professional footballer along with Glen Hoddle who was just a fantastic person and you just loved watching them play.

Were there any players at Spurs who you would watch closely to try and improve your game or look to learn from?

Robbie: As a striker you used to watch the other strikers who used to play at Spurs and the way in which players like Garth Crooks and Steve Archibald used to finish but not only that, but also the finishing from Mark Falco who score loads of goals even though he didn’t play a lot in the first team at that time. You used to copy the way that those players finished and scored there goals and that’s what I did. At Spurs you had a lot of different strikers, you had Terry Gibson who was a speedy Gonzalez, you had Garry Brooke who used to have the best shot I’ve ever seen and then you had Ian Crook who used to have brilliant technique. You used to watch all of them in training and learn off of them because all of them had there own qualities and they weren’t big headed.  

What was the greatest moment of your footballing career?

Robbie: I think the greatest moment was when I came on as a sub against Southampton to play my debut in the premier league because it was an honour. The whole thing from going in the coach to going in the hotel and having some dinner and doing the pre-match routine was just incredible. And as an 18/19 year old it was just a fantastic experience to go with the first team and come on as a sub in the second half was a highlight of my career, playing for the team that I supported and the team that I loved as a kid. 

Could you describe to me what it was like to make your senior competitive debut for the Lilywhites?

Robbie: Well I don’t think that I would actually have made my debut to be honest with you if it wasn’t for the fact that Tottenham played a lot of reserve players from the football combination in the game against Southampton. I was lucky to have my debut at Tottenham because Tottenham played in the UEFA cup final and so they rested there players for the game against Southampton on the Saturday because on the Wednesday they were playing in the final. I was number 12 and I came on as a sub and I’ll never ever forget that in my life as it was the biggest thing that ever happened in my career.

Who was the greatest player that you had the pleasure of sharing a pitch with? 

Robbie: It was Glen Hoddle because he was my idol and he was just brilliant. The Spurs fans used to sing born is the king of White Hart Lane and he was the king. He had eyes at the back of his head and I used to idolise him.

Could you talk me through some of your favourite memories of your time in the Tottenham youth team?

Robbie: We won the Southern junior floodlit cup in the junior team against Cambridge United and I’ll always remember that. I also remember playing Arsenal which I used to love because I used to hate them!

What prompted you to leave Spurs and could you talk me through your career after you left the Lilywhites?

Robbie: I got a free transfer which I was really disappointed with but I could understand it because I never really had that chance because there were so many brilliant strikers at Tottenham with Garth Crooks, Steve Archibald, Mark Falco and Terry Gibson and I just didn’t have much chance against those brilliant players. When Tottenham told me that I could leave they introduced me to an agent who could help me. And this agent took me first of all to Germany where I trained with a few non league clubs to keep myself fit and he couldn’t believe how good I was so he arranged for me to have a sort of trial in this tournament for a team called K.Waterschei S.V. Thor Genk who played in the first division in Belgium. Anyway this man took me to Belgium and I signed for this team on a two year contract but I only stayed there a year because there was a team that wanted me badly in Holland so I went to a team called De Graafschap and I scored lots of goals there and it was a nice time. From there I went to a team in Germany called FC Saarbrucken where I had to learn the language and I’ve been in Germany now since 1986 and I’m married and I’ve got kids. I also have a fantastic job working at Mercedes-Benz and I’m also fifteen years a football manager. 

Who was the toughest player that you ever came up against?

Robbie: Simon Webster. I’ll never forget his tackles. Also Graham Roberts was unbelievable but Simon Webster used to really go in hard and they were really hard players.

Were there any players at Spurs who you were particularly close to?

Robbie: Ian Culverhouse was one of my best friends years ago however, I’ve lost a lot contact with him. We used to hang out a lot together because we used to play in the West Essex County football team when we were younger and we were also apprentices together at Spurs. Then you had the other players like Richard Cooke who I used to hang out with along with Ally Dick. However, the best friend I had was Ian Culverhouse.

What would your advice be to the young Spurs players of today as they look to break into the first team?

Robbie: Concentrate on your football career and be disciplined. Young players do meet up with girls and players do go out and want to go to discos and have a bit of a life but to be a professional you’ve got to be disciplined and you’ve got to say right ok the time for girls can be later and I’m going to make this step up. Don’t go out with your mates to pubs and don’t drink too much alcohol or smoke too many cigarettes. Your aim is to be in the first team and if you want to make it you’ve got to go for it 100% otherwise you’re not to going to have a chance.

After all these years how do you look back on your time at the Lilywhites and is Spurs a club who you still hold close to your heart?

Robbie: It was the best time of my life to be honest with you as I was a player at the team that I loved as a kid. My family were Tottenham Hotspur mad and I was born in Edmonton and to play for the team you supported and loved was the best time of my life as a footballer. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CUa3CcI8mBY

Spurs XI 1-1 Dulwich Hamlet: (match report)

Our development sides second test of pre-season took them across the Thames to face National league south side Dulwich Hamlet at their Champion Hill ground. Wayne Burnett’s side were involved in a very physical battle with the ‘ Hamlet ‘ on a gloriously sunny afternoon in South London in front of almost 3,000 spectators. It was a closely fought and highly competitive game and both sides managed to create plenty of good goal scoring chances. A similar side to the one in which Burnett fielded against Ebbsfleet the previous Saturday, Spurs started the game well and they managed to create a number of good early chances which they were unable to convert. However, it was the non league side who after growing into the game, took the lead after 24 minutes through Nyren Clunis. Spurs tried to respond but they were unable to do so during the remainder of the first half. The introduction of three players at halftime namely Luis Binks who helped to sure up the Tottenham defence, helped Spurs’ game. And after starting the second half strongly Spurs managed to draw level thanks to an emphatic finish from the impressive Tashan Oakley-Boothe on 66 minutes. Both sides scrapped hard for a late winner. After substitute goalkeeper Joshua Oluwayemi conceded a penalty during the latter stages of the game it looked like Dulwich Hamlet were going to net the winner. However, to Oluwayemi and Spurs’ relief Christian Smith blazed his penalty kick well over Oluwayemi’s crossbar. In the end both sides had to settle for a draw as an entertaining and highly competitive pre-season friendly with plenty of bite came to an end. Wayne Burnett’s side lined up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation for Saturday afternoons game. Trialist Edward Smith started in goal for the ‘ Lilywhites ‘ while a back four consisting of Maxwell Statham, Jubril Okedina, Jonathan Dinzeyi and Tariq Hinds lined up in front of him. Armando Shashoua and Tashan Oakley-Boothe partnered up in central midfield, as Shilow Tracey and Rayan Clarke operated out on the flanks, either side of CAM Paris Maghoma. Spurs captain Kazaiah Sterling led the line for Burnett’s side.

Spurs got the game underway at Champion Hill and Burnett’s side knocked the ball around the park well during the opening stages of the game. A good early move from Spurs saw Jonathan Dinzeyi pass the ball to Tariq Hinds who in turn gave it Rayan Clarke down the left wing. Clarke pulled the ball back across goal towards Paris Maghoma inside the Dulwich penalty area. However, Maghoma just narrowly missed making contact with the ball and hence couldn’t tap the ball past Preston Edwards in the Dulwich goal. Shortly afterwards Kieran Monlouis tried to beat Edward Smith with a speculative effort from the halfway line however, his ambitious effort went well wide of Smith’s goal. Then at the opposite end of the pitch the lively Rayan Clarke cut inside from the left flank before firing the ball well over Preston Edwards’ crossbar. High pressing Spurs were putting the ‘ Hamlet ‘ under some good early pressure as they looked to make their mark on the game. After receiving Shilow Tracey’s pass down the right hand side of the Dulwich Hamlet penalty area, Paris Maghoma crossed the ball for Rayan Clarke who made a run towards the near post however, he could only head the ball wide of Preston Edwards’ goal. Spurs found themselves in a spot of bother shortly afterwards, after Kieran Monlouis managed to dispossess Tashan Oakley-Boothe on the edge of the Tottenham penalty area. The attacking midfielder then surged forward into the Spurs box before he was heroically cut out by Jonathan Dinzeyi who made an excellent late challenge to put the ball behind for a corner kick. A couple of moments later Rayan Clarke conceded a dangerous free kick right on the edge of the Spurs box. Ben Chapman elected to take the free kick for Dulwich Hamlet and his pacy, curling effort was tipped over the bar by the alert Edward Smith. Jonathan Dinzeyi then managed to head away Ben Chapman’s resulting corner kick a couple of moments before he blocked a shot from Monlouis on the edge of the Spurs box. Spurs then came desperately close to taking the lead after a good run into the Dulwich box by Paris Maghoma was picked up by Maxwell Statham who sent in an inviting cross from the right flank to pick out Maghoma. The Spurs midfielder met Statham’s cross on the volley but his effort flew narrowly wide of Preston Edwards’ goal. 

Spurs would regret missing that chance as Dulwich Hamlet took the lead in the 24th minute of the game through Nyren Clunis. After Jeffrey Monakana whipped the ball into the Spurs box he managed to pick out striker Danny Mills who tried to just guide the ball into the goal. However, the ball came to Clunis who managed to tap the ball past Edward Smith and into the back of the net, 0-1. Spurs tried to respond, Tashan Oakley-Boothe passed the ball to Tariq Hinds on the left flank, the fullback cut inside onto his right foot before firing the ball straight at Dulwich defender Yannis Ambroisine. A couple of moments later Hinds gave the ball to Shashoua who then cut the ball back to Clarke in the Dulwich box but he fluffed the chance and couldn’t get the ball out of his feet. Spurs managed to create another good chance shortly afterwards. After Maghoma received Tracey’s pass he slipped the ball through to Kazaiah Sterling in the Dulwich box but Preston Edwards came out to close down Sterling’s angles and make a good save to prevent his low effort. Edwards then managed to gather a hopeful cross into the box from Armando Shashoua a couple of moments later. Jonathan Dinzeyi cleared a dangerous cross from Ben Chapman before Jeffrey Monakana cut inside from the left flank before curling an effort a fraction wide of Edward Smith’s goal. Dulwich continued to finish the half strongly, Danny Mills headed a cross from Jack Connors across Smith’s goal, but Okedina managed to clear the ball away from danger. The home side then hit the wood work after Nyren Clunis passed the ball to Kieran Monlouis on the edge of the Spurs box. Monlouis’ low side footed effort came off the inside of Edward Smith’s right hand post before coming back to Clunis on the right flank. Clunis attempted to chip the ball back across goal but Smith authoritatively claimed it. The final piece of action from the first half saw Jeffrey Monakana come in from the left flank before shooting an effort on goal however, he was closed down well by Maxwell Statham who managed to block his effort.

Spurs made three changes at half time as Wayne Burnett brought on Luis Binks, Dilan Markanday and Rodel Richards for Maxwell Statham, Rayan Clarke and Shilow Tracey. Dulwich Hamlet got the second half underway however, it was Spurs who managed to create the first chance of the half. A sharp and incisive passing move resulted in Hinds passing the ball to Oakley-Boothe on the left flank. He then squared the ball for the newly introduced Dilan Markanday on the edge of the Dulwich box but his low first time, side footed effort struck the base of Preston Edwards’ bottom right hand post. Rodel Richards came close to slipping Kazaiah Sterling through on goal shortly afterwards but Preston Edwards came out to smother the ball in time. Moments later Sterling received the ball from Oakley-Boothe on the edge of the Dulwich box. He shimmied his way past Dulwich defender Quade Taylor before entering the danger zone and trying to curl the ball around Preston Edwards who spread his body well and was able to make the save. Spurs were now dominating possession. After Jeffrey Monakana surged down the left side of the Tottenham penalty area Spurs looked like they were in trouble. However, the Dulwich winger cut inside onto his right foot before curling an effort narrowly wide of Edward Smith’s goal. Smith was replaced by Joshua Oluwayemi shortly afterwards before Elliot Thorpe and Enock Asante entered the frame. After Kieran Monlouis managed to send a cross into the Spurs box, Dulwich Hamlet striker Danny Mills managed to latch onto the ball and volley it over Oluwayemi’s crossbar however, he had been closed down well by Jonathan Dinzeyi. Nyren Clunis fired an effort wide of the Spurs goal from long range before a coming together between Danny Mills and Paris Maghoma caused a brief pause in the game. Spurs’ strong start to the second half was rewarded when Tashan Oakley-Boothe levelled for the ‘ Lilywhites ‘ on 66 minutes. After Armando Shashoua had passed the ball to Dilan Markanday on the edge of the Dulwich Hamlet box the tricky winger had a pop on goal but it was straight at Quade Taylor. The ball was then picked up by the alert Tashan Oakley-Boothe and he emphatically fired the ball into the roof of Preston Edwards’ goal, 1-1.

Rodel Richards had a deflected effort saved by Preston Edwards before the dominant Luis Binks cleared a cross from Jack Connors at the opposite end of the pitch. Spurs then went straight down the other end of the pitch, Thorpe passed the ball to Markanday down the right wing and he managed to trick his way past Jack Connors before cutting the ball back to Thorpe who had made a run into the penalty area however, the young Welshman was unable to trap the ball and it ran out to Shashoua on the edge of the box. Shashoua’s low, first time effort was heroically cleared on the line by Dulwich Hamlet defender Quade Taylor. Spurs continued to come at Dulwich, after Dilan Markanday was given the ball by Elliot Thorpe down the right side of the oppositions danger zone the winger cut inside onto his left foot before curling an effort wide of the mark, Spurs were now on top of the game. Substitute Rodel Richards received a yellow card for a late challenge on Aaron Barnes before a big moment occurred in the game. Quade Taylor’s long kick up field caused bother for the Spurs defence as it entered the Spurs box, goalkeeper Joshua Oluwayemi came rushing out to get to the ball before the advancing Ade Yusuff but he missed the ball and clipped the feet of Yusuff leaving the referee Paul Howard with no other choice than to point to the spot. However, fortunately for both Spurs and Oluwayemi Christian Smith blazed his resulting spot kick over the crossbar. Luis Binks was on hand shortly afterwards to make an important sliding challenge to rob the ball off of Christian Smith inside the Spurs box. Some fine skill from Dilan Markanday down the right flank resulted in the 17 year old whipping the ball across the face of the Dulwich Hamlet goal, but goalkeeper Preston Edwards was on hand to gather the ball. Dulwich continued to finish the game well, substitute Belo’s late cross to pick out Ade Yusuff in the Spurs box forced Dinzeyi into shielding his man. However, Yusuff managed to turn and shoot but his low effort was saved by the diving Oluwayemi. Spurs then went forward down the other end of the pitch. Oakley-Boothe passed the ball to Shashoua on the edge of the Dulwich Hamlet box but the 18 year olds powerful low effort on goal was saved by the diving Preston Edwards. Luis Binks made a good clearance to divert Lewis White’s late pass before Christian Smith nodded Jack Connors cross over Joshua Oluwayemi’s crossbar.

Substitute striker Enock Asante’s late cross was fumbled by Preston Edwards but a Dulwich defender managed to clear the ball. A great bit of tracking back and an excellent sliding challenge from Elliot Thorpe on Lewis White in additional time caught the eye as both teams had to settle for a draw in the end. Wayne Burnett’s development side will now get ready to prepare for next weeks Tournoi Europeen out in Brittany, in France. The tournament starts next Friday and I am delighted to say that I will be in attendance for the second consecutive year.

Player reviews: 

• Edward Smith: The trialist goalkeeper didn’t have an awful lot to do on Saturday afternoon if the truth be told. Smith only had to make one save and that was a fairly routine one. The 23 year olds distribution was good and he dealt fairly well with crosses and set pieces.
• Maxwell Statham: It was a solid showing at right back from 18 year old Maxwell Statham who managed to keep pacy Dulwich Hamlet winger Jeffrey Monakana in check for large periods of the first half. Statham who, came off at half time in yesterday’s 1-1 draw, whipped some good crosses into the oppositions danger zone and he made a couple of good and important interceptions. He was very assured in his defending.
• Jubril Okedina: After putting in a solid performance at RCB during the first half alongside Jonathan Dinzeyi the 18 year old moved to right back for the second half. At right back Okedina had a decent game and he did a good job at protecting the right flank along with Dilan Markanday who tracked back well throughout his time on the pitch. 
• Jonathan Dinzeyi: My man of the match, see below.
• Tariq Hinds: Operating at left back for this game, Tariq Hinds put in a fairly solid performance and he managed to get up and down the left flank well throughout the match.
• Tashan Oakley-Boothe: It was a very impressive performance from the deep lying central midfielder on Saturday afternoon. Oakley-Boothe dictated the tempo of the game from central midfield, he moved the ball around well in the centre of the park and he also helped us attack by going on some excellent surging forward runs through the middle of the park. The 19 year old who took his second half goal extremely well posed a constant threat throughout the match. He was always on the move and his eye for a pass and his positioning was very impressive. It was a very good all round performance from the former England youth international who played in  a much more advanced role during the second half.
• Armando Shashoua: Alongside Tashan Oakley-Boothe in central midfield the technically very good midfielder had a good game for Spurs. Shashoua moved the ball around well and his passing was nice and crisp. Furthermore he initiated some good Spurs chances and he managed to have a couple of fine attempts on goal while also getting himself into good goal scoring positions.
• Shilow Tracey: Apart from being involved in a couple of Spurs attacks early on in the first half Shilow Tracey didn’t really manage to get into the game during his time on the pitch and he didn’t see much of the ball.
• Paris Maghoma: The CAM completed 66 minutes of Saturday’s game and once again the 18 year old managed to put in a very positive performance. Maghoma came close to finding the back of the net on two occasions yesterday and he made countless well timed runs into the danger zone. He held his own and was mature throughout his time on the pitch, he also used the ball intelligently and made some fine passes.
• Rayan Clarke: The left winger started the game well and although he should have opened the scoring for Spurs early on in game Clarke did go on some good purposeful runs. He would often look to cut inside onto his right foot and test the Dulwich Hamlet goalkeeper Preston Edwards.
• Kazaiah Sterling: The Spurs captain worked hard and made some good runs during his time on the pitch. However, the 20 year old missed a number of good chances which he would have hoped to have found the back of the net with. Sterling did however hold the ball up well during his time on the pitch. 
• Dilan Markanday: The 17 year olds introduction at half time influenced the Spurs attack massively. Apart from hitting the woodwork early on in the second half Markanday went on a number of sublime attacking forays down the right flank, often weaving his way into dangerous positions.  
• Rodel Richards: The second half substitute worked hard out on the left flank but he struggled to make much of an impact out wide.
• Luis Binks: Binks’ introduction at halftime helped to really sure up the Tottenham defence, and during his time on the pitch the second year scholar didn’t put a foot wrong alongside Jonathan Dinzeyi. Binks made some good defensive interventions and he managed to keep impeccable positioning. In addition he was dominant in the air and he brought the ball out well from the back.
• Elliot Thorpe: It was a very positive second half cameo from Thorpe who brought great energy to the game. The Wales under 19 international went on some really good runs through the middle of the park and he linked up very well with right winger Dilan Markanday who he had a good understanding with. Thorpe travelled with the ball well and was often looking to play one and two touch football. He also showed great desire when he was on the pitch. It was a very Lamela-esque performance from the 18 year old.
• Joshua Oluwayemi: The substitute goalkeeper only had to make one save during his time on the pitch and it must be said that he was slightly unlucky to concede a late penalty kick. 
• Enock Asante: The second half substitute led the line well and he pressed the Dulwich Hamlet defence well. It was great to see him back in action after he missed virtually all of last season through injury.

My man of the match: Towering centre half Jonathan Dinzeyi virtually didn’t put a foot wrong during yesterday’s game where he operated both at RCB and LCB. Dinzeyi made some crucial interventions including an excellent last ditch challenge on Kieran Monlouis during the opening stages of the game. He was good in the air, he shielded the ball well but most importantly of all he read the game to perfection and he brought the ball out well from the back. It was a very  mature performance from the 19 year old Londoner.

Dulwich Hamlet: Edwards, Barnes, Connors, Ijaha (Smith 65), Ambroisine, Taylor, Clunis (White 78), Chapman (Morris 78), Mills (c) (Yusuff 65), Monlouis (Tajbakhsh 78), Monakana (Belo 65). Substitutes (not used): Grainger, Case, Chambers.

Spurs: Smith (Tr) (Oluwayemi 59), Statham (Binks 46), Hinds, Oakley-Boothe, Okedina, Dinzeyi, Tracey (Markanday 46), A Shashoua, Sterling (c) (Asante 66), Maghoma (Thorpe 66), R Clarke (Richards 46).

Goals: Dulwich Hamlet – Clunis 24; Spurs – Oakley-Boothe 66.

Yellow card: Spurs – Richards 77.

Referee: Paul Howard.

Venue: Champion Hill, East Dulwich.

Attendance: 2,931.

Spurs XI versus Dulwich Hamlet: (match preview)

Our development sides second test of pre-season takes them south of the river to Champion Hill, where Wayne Burnett’s side will face National league south side Dulwich Hamlet. After putting in a highly competitive performance last weekend to draw 2-2 with Ebbsfleet, Spurs’ development side minus Brooklyn Lyons-Foster who was called up to the senior side for their tour of Asia will be looking to go one better when they take on the ‘ Hamlet ‘ in tomorrow afternoons game. Dulwich Hamlet are an interesting club and they finished in 14th place in the National league south last season with 49 points. The ‘ Hamlet ‘ have a number of connections with Spurs although they have never played one another, of which includes former players Peter Crouch, Peter Garland and Dave McEwen all of whom have represented both clubs. Dulwich Hamlet manager Gavin Rose has a number of players on his books who the young Spurs players will need to be wary of tomorrow. Last seasons top scorer and centre forward Dipo Akineymi is the National league south sides main danger man however, other players of note include goalkeeper Preston Edwards, wing back Nyren Clunis and defensive midfielder Quade Taylor.  Other players to look out for are Caio Guimaraes, Maggie Porter, Dominic Vose and Aryan Tajbkahsh. I am expecting another very physical test similar to the one in which we had against Ebbsfleet last week however, the quality of tomorrow’s opposition obviously won’t be as good. Just like in the Ebbsfleet game fitness levels could also be a big factor in deciding which way the game goes. In front of an almost sold out Champion Hill, Burnett’s side will be looking to overcome the ‘ Hamlet ‘ by playing their usual passing game. Once again it will provide the Tottenham youngsters with some invaluable experience and as games go this promises to be an intriguing affair. Burnett will be unable to choose a whole host of under 18’s for Saturday’s game as they are currently participating in the Eurofoot tournament out in Belgium. I would expect to see a similar Spurs side to the one which took on Ebbsfleet last week with the exception of maybe one or two changes. I shall be reporting on tomorrow’s game and I will have my in-depth match report out on Sunday afternoon. I would like to wish Wayne Burnett’s side all the very best of luck for the game. This is their last match they have before they travel out to France to compete in the annual Tournoi Europeen.

My predicted lineup: (4-2-3-1) Smith (Tr), Statham, Okedina, Dinzeyi, Cirkin, A.Shashoua, Oakley-Boothe, Markanday, Maghoma, Clarke, Sterling (c).

Subs from: Oluwayemi, Binks, Reynolds (Tr), Hinds, Thorpe, Tracey, Richards.

Injured/unavailable: J’Neil Bennett, Jeremie Mukendi, Malachi Walcott.

Doubtful: Brandon Austin, TJ Eyoma. 

My score prediction: Spurs 4-2.

Previous meeting: N/A.

My one to watch: Dulwich Hamlet’s top scorer last season Dipo Akinyemi who scored 13 goals in the Vanarama National league south during the 2018/19 campaign. 

My interview with former Spurs youth player Aron Sharpe:

Aron Sharpe (pictured above on the far left) was a flashy midfielder who although he would never make the grade at the Lilywhites, would go onto enjoy a fine career in the game. The current chairman of non league club Wingate and Finchley who spent six months as a youth player at Spurs in the early 1980’s kindly agreed to doing an interview with me about his time at the club. 

What are your earliest footballing memories?

Aron: My earliest footballing memory was my first competitive game playing for the cub scouts on a pitch which is now Finchley power league on the north circular. And then playing in the Regent’s Park league where I can distinctly remember playing against John Barnes.

What are your earliest memories of your time at Spurs and how did you come about joining the club?

Aron: I was invited for trials in Derby by a guy called Jimmy Burton who was Dave Mackay’s partner, and I didn’t even know where Derby was so I told them I wasn’t interested in going up there, but because of his connections with Mackay at Tottenham he invited me to go there. My first recollection there was going inside the ground (White Hart Lane) and feeling very apprehensive and nervous and if I can remember correctly there were two floors of football pitches and I can remember walking in and thinking bloody hell there all massive and I asked the question to Ron Henry who was one of the youth coaches whether this was my age group and he said yes. My other memories of that particular night are Keith Burkinshaw coming in and pointing at me, asking if I’ve got any ability, Peter Shreeves taking a session, and the other thing I remember was my first game which I think was against Hornchurch in a friendly.

What was your time at the Lilywhites like on the whole?

Aron: My biggest memory was how difficult it was particularly the fitness levels, I can remember my father picking me up and I was just so exhausted that I wasn’t able to walk for a couple of days after. My biggest memory of it which I don’t know if it’s pleasant or unpleasant was doing shuttle runs where you jogged across the pitch and then had to sprint down the side of the pitch at White Hart Lane. However, it was the first professional football club that I went into and it was a huge honour as somebody who supports the club. Another memory is traveling home and meeting two of my friends in Wood Green who were British schoolboy boxing champions. Overall it was a happy time and a fantastic time but I just wasn’t at that level and that’s the reality but it was an interesting time. I had a lot of technical ability but I hated training!

Did you have any footballing heroes/inspirations and if so who were they?

Aron: All Spurs players. I actually started as a goalkeeper so my superhero was Pat Jennings, always was and always will be. Then there was three or four midfield players as I was a flashy, creative midfield player. Alfie Conn and Neil McNab I loved in the early 1970’s, while Micky Hazard and Glen Hoddle were on another planet. Those players never got the recognition that they needed. I always liked that creative midfielder who was capable of changing a game with a pass.

Could you describe to me what type of player you were and what positions you played in for Spurs during your time there?

Aron: I was a central midfield player who usually got pushed out to the right because I had a lot of technical ability and vision however, I was a slight player so the physical side of my game was practically non existent if I’m honest with you. The biggest criticism of me while I was at Spurs and when I went to Luton was stamina however, I was lazy at recovering and two things I learnt as I got older as I went into the retail sector are that work rate and endeavour are two of the most important principles of being a football player and I lacked them in abundance.

Who were your greatest influences at Spurs?

Aron: That’s a tricky question. I went to one of the top grammar schools in the country and it was very difficult for me because my PE teacher was a funny guy who wasn’t supportive of what I was doing, nor were the school. So I had to play for the school rather than the football club. I actually sit on the Football Association and I’m quite heavily involved in youth development and so since the academy system came in school couldn’t really interfere with you. So for me the biggest influence on my football career was a guy called Roy Dunn who was a chief scout for Watford, he found Lloyd Doyley and other players like that. But this was just after Spurs really and at Spurs it was a little bit stand offish and you had to work your way into the circle so there was no one who really influenced me there which is the truth. 

Were there any players at Spurs who you would watch closely to try and improve your game or look to learn from?

Aron: I remember playing with one of the best players I’d ever seen and Johnny Moncur although he was two or three years younger than me was on a different level because he was just naturally brilliant and I expected him to be an England international football player.

What was the greatest moment of your footballing career?

Aron: My honest opinion as a Tottenham fan it was walking into the ground to train for the first time and possibly also my first appearance for them. It was a surreal experience to put the Spurs shirt on. 

Who was the greatest player that you had the pleasure of sharing a pitch with?

Aron: Neil Webb, Gary McAllister and Graham Roberts are all names which come into my head but the most talented one of all was Gary McAllister. 

Could you talk me through some of your favourite memories of your time in the Tottenham youth team?

Aron: What I do remember about them (the matches) was the sheer difference from stepping up from one level to another, and the pace and the physicality of game. It was fantastic pulling on the shirt but the reality for me was the purpose, was I good enough to play at that level? For the games that I did play for Spurs I was trying to get used to the pace so there wasn’t an awful lot of time to enjoy it.

What prompted you to leave Spurs and could you talk me through your career after you left the Lilywhites?

Aron: I wasn’t getting picked and I wasn’t playing so I sort of just fell away even though Spurs didn’t release me. I was offered the opportunity to go to Luton Town and I sort of just jumped ship for want of a better word because I wasn’t getting a look in. I didn’t realise what opportunity I had at Spurs and I’m not sure that I took it that seriously. I just wasn’t as determined or as fit as the other boys who were there.

Who was the toughest player that you ever came up against?

Aron: I didn’t play against him but Glen Alzapiedi was a really really tough boy however, the toughest boy was a boy from our age called Dougie McClure who ended up being the England schoolboys captain, and he was like playing against a man. 

Were there any players at Spurs who you were particularly close to?

Aron: No not really, you lose contact with most of them and in those days the majority of the boys were from a little group called Enfield Rangers who were the top club at the time, I came from Finchley so all of my pals were at QPR. And I wasn’t there long enough to get involved in a camaraderie situation.

What would your advice be to the young Spurs players of today as they look to break into the first team?

Aron: Attitude and understanding it. I tell all of my youngsters and the boys that I’ve coached over the years that it took me until I was 35-40 years of age until I understood what attitude was. So you need to understand what attitude is and you need to make sure that all facets of your game are in place. If you’re abilities there and you happen to have all of those other facets then there is no reason why you can’t break through. When the opportunities there make sure that you grasp it. 

After all these years how do you look back on your time at the Lilywhites and is Spurs a club who you still hold close to your heart?

Aron: Listen I’ve supported Spurs since I was a young man, I used to walk there on my own at seven years of age and watch the games. The interesting thing was watching last seasons Champions league final when I’m telling my kid to turn the television off because we’ve got no chance of winning so there you go! I’ve seen all ends of it but retrospectively I made a lot of stupid mistakes as a youngster and I was possibly too immature to understand the opportunity that I had there at Spurs to really get my head down and show some determination and there are huge regrets.

My interview with former Spurs player Ally Dick:

Ally Dick is a name in which Spurs supporters will remember fondly, the Scottish former professional footballer who was and still is the youngster ever Spurs player to play in a league game, featured on 17 occasions for Spurs scoring two goals. Dick would go onto have a fascinating career, linking up with Johan Cruyff’s Ajax before playing football in Australia for Heidelberg United. Alistair’s story is a fascinating one and I was privileged enough to get to interview the former Tottenham man talk about his time at the ‘ Lilywhites ‘ in the early 1980’s.

What are your earliest footballing memories?

Ally: My earliest footballing memory I had would of been when I was on holiday with my mum and dad in Mallorca when I was about 11. And I was playing keepy uppies with a wee plastic ball on my own and this guy was watching me. As I went back to my mum and dad, he came up to them and he said I’ve been watching your wee son and he’s going to be a football player. He’s got one of the best touches ever. And although I can’t remember who he was, he was a professional footballer player who I think played for Stoke but I can’t remember his name. That was the first time that it was ever brought to my attention that I was decent at football.

What are your earliest memories of your time at Spurs?

Ally: Ever since I was 14 I used to come down in the school holidays and play with the Tottenham youth team and normally be under an assumed name as you weren’t allowed to play if you were Scottish and under age. I would maybe play half a game with the youth team so I got to know the boys pretty well. So maybe once or twice a year during the school holidays I’d go down to Tottenham to train with them for a couple of days. One of the strongest memories I have was just before the 1981 FA cup final when they (Spurs) flew me my father and my brother down to the game against Manchester City which was 1-1. And in the evening we had tickets for the big fancy celebration banquet which was held at the Hilton hotel in Park Lane but obviously the game went onto a replay so the celebration turned into a muted celebration but I can remember that very well and I was only 15 at the time. I can also remember being sat down next to a guy called Danny Blanchflower so I was only 15 not really knowing who Danny Blanchflower was at the time but I was sat down next to him, and he spoke to me for 20 minutes and I remember that pretty well. So that Spurs and Man City game was one of my first Spurs games so that was a great way to start.

How did you come about joining the club?

Ally: Up here in Scotland I was pretty much the most sought after player, I was doing well with my local club and my school team and the Scotland youth team, so there was plenty of people after me. However, the thing I done which really set me apart was that I never signed an S form because my youth team manager told me that it didn’t mean anything and he was 100% right. I used to train with Celtic on a Tuesday, Hibs on a Thursday and on the weekend I’d fly down to Tottenham to play with their youth team. And then the following week I’d fly down to Aston Villa to play with their youth team and train with the squad, the following week I’d then go to Man City and train with their squad and they’d take me out and wine and dine me, so I had the best of both worlds. However, when I turned 15 which was the clincher I played in a Scotland schoolboys international at Wembley where Scotland beat England 5-4 and we had Paul McStay and John Robertson and Paul Ryder who scored a hat trick, and that was one of the most famous schoolboy internationals ever and it was live on tv with a 70,000 crowd and as I say was only just turned 15. I played really well and scored a goal but when they were talking about all the English players on that field, they’d signed with West Ham and Swindon and this club and that club while all the Scotland guys were signed with Celtic while Ally Dick was unattached and that was through choice. After that game the phone rang off the hook, honestly I was getting four of five calls a day from clubs asking me to train with them. 

What was your time at the Lilywhites like on the whole?

Ally: I enjoyed it but I was only a kid, I was only 16 and if you look into players who are breaking into any first team now I’d been their since I was 14 and I was only just turned 21 when I left, I was still a young guy. I was lucky to play the games that I had played when I was such a young guy and to this day I’m still the youngest person ever to start a game in a league game for Spurs. John Bostock came on as a sub in a European game and beat my record by about five days but it was easier then to get games for the first team. It was a very homely club, very close knit and it was all good. 

Did you have any footballing heroes/inspirations and if so who were they?

Ally: I was always a Celtic supporter so when I was growing up I used to watch Celtic play as a youngster, and Kenny Dalglish was the main man which was kind of funny because my second game that I played with Tottenham (I was only 17) was against Liverpool. And Dalglish was playing along with Souness and Hansen who were all from my area, and to think only a couple of years before that I was going to watch them play and two years later as a 17 year old I was playing against them.

Could you describe to me what type of player you were and what positions you played in for Spurs during your time there?

Ally: When I first arrived at Tottenham I was very much an out and out left sided midfield player. In my first season at Spurs I went from scoring 40 goals a season to ten goals a season because I was playing with much better guys.

You made your Spurs debut on the 20th of February 1982 in a 2-0 win over Manchester City. Could you talk me through your memories of that day and how it came about?

Ally: I was still living in digs in Edmonton at the time and on a Friday morning I thought it would be a usual weekend, maybe playing with the youth team or maybe play with the reserve team. That morning my landlady came up to me as I sat down for breakfast and she said look at this and it was a newspaper saying youngster makes his debut for Tottenham, and I thought that can’t be true! And then I went into training that day and on a Friday we always had an eleven v eleven and it was the first team practicing their free kicks and their corners for the next day and right enough I was in the first team that day and I was fine about it. However, I remember on the day of the game I went out for a warmup and Stevie Perryman took me aside and took me out for a wee warm up and so we kicked a ball at each other, but my feet felt like two big marshmallows, the ball felt like a ping pong ball and I could hardly hit it. However, as soon as the game started I was fine and I felt right at home and the game seemed to whiz by very quickly and it was actually easier than playing with the reserves because you were playing with better players. So I enjoyed it and I wasn’t too nervous either, but my biggest memory was with me and Stevie Perryman before the game.

Who were you biggest influences at Spurs?

Ally: When I first went there the youth team manager was Robbie Stepney and he was one of the main guys who had brought me down from Scotland. He looked after me and kept in touch with my family and I always liked to do well for Robbie because he was probably the closest to me when it came to the coaches. I also got on well with Keith Burkinshaw who would always give me opportunities with the first team even when I wasn’t playing that great, but when it came to the players Stevie Perryman would always have time for you and he’d give you little bits of information to take into the next game which would stick with you.

Were there any players at Spurs who you would watch closely to try and improve your game or look to learn from?

Ally: At the time probably it would be Tony Galvin who was playing in the position that I hoped to break into and things Tony was good at, I wasn’t too great at. Tony used to work very hard and he used to track back very well and he was a good tackler which were all things that I wasn’t. I was still slight of build and I wasn’t as fit as these guys so I had to do what Tony did. 

Could you talk me through some of your favourite memories of your time at Spurs or ones which particularly standout within your memory?

Ally: Obviously my debut was very memorable but at the time I don’t think I realised that I was the youngest ever person to play for Spurs, because there was no internet or facts or figures flying about in those days and I can’t actually remember when I found out. I also remember in the youth team we had a lot of international tournaments where we’d go out to places like Switzerland and play a tournament and spend a week away with the guys. And I’ll always remember those weeks because they were such a laugh! 

What was the greatest moment of your footballing career?

Ally: If I think about it now it has to be making my debut as a 16 year old kid for a club like Tottenham Hotspur because that doesn’t happen every day. Also the game at Wembley as a schoolboy in front of 70,000 people was a really strong memory, and I played really well. To this day I still bump into people and they remember that game which for a schoolboy game is very unusual. Also playing in the UEFA cup final at White Hart Lane was also a great thing. 

Who was the greatest player that you had the pleasure of sharing a pitch with? 

Ally: There’s a couple! If I had to pick a midfield player I’d say Glen Hoddle every day of the week and to play and train with him every day was a pleasure. He was such nice a guy. The first game I played with Ajax I played with Marco Van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Ronald Koeman but of that lot Marco Van Basten was the standout player and he was also a nice guy. So Glen Hoddle and Marco Van Basten are the two stand outs.

Could you talk me through some of your favourite memories of your time in the Tottenham youth team?

Ally: The things I remember most about that was the trips that we used to have,  I can remember going to Switzerland one time and another place which I can’t remember where but you always got to play against teams from Holland, Germany and Italy. I used to enjoy playing against foreign opposition more than domestic teams. We were given a lot of freedom when we went abroad and we all used to have a laugh. I never actually played that many games with the youth team at Spurs because I was put in the reserves straight away, so what I would do I’d play half a game for the youth team in the morning and then I’d change and go and play for the reserves who were kicking off at 3pm, so I’d double up. I can remember Ron Henry who was the manager of the youth team the first year that I was there and he was a very funny man. I think when I first went there I wasn’t quite sure who he was and I didn’t realise that he was a famous old Tottenham player, but he liked me and I’ll always remember his funny team talks. So they are probably my biggest memories.

What prompted you to leave Spurs and could you talk me through your career after you left the Lilywhites?

Ally: I remember that I had not that long signed a new contract (I was only about 19) and Keith Burkinshaw had just left the club so I knew that it was going to be a little bit more difficult for me without Keith there because as I’ve said Keith was very good to me. He’d give me a lot of chances even when I probably didn’t deserve them, so I knew that it would be a bit more difficult without him. However, I can remember waking up one Sunday morning in Enfield and the back pages of the newspaper read that Spurs were going to sign Chris Waddle for a couple of million of pounds. As a kid at Tottenham you knew that regardless whether you played well players like Waddle were going to be playing in front of you, so I knew that my chances were getting tougher and tougher. Rather than being one of two guys who might have got a chance, I was going backwards and I was now the third or fourth choice. However, I was still only 19 and there weren’t many 19 year olds at that time who were playing in first teams but it was kind of the start of the end for me at Spurs because I knew that I wasn’t going to play much with Chris Waddle there. So about a year and a half later things hadn’t quite planned out how I’d hoped they would and so I left the club. I can remember then getting a phone call from Graeme Souness who was still playing at the time for Sampdoria and he said to me that a mate of his had just become the manager of Glasgow Rangers and he asked if I would be interested in signing with Rangers. I’m a catholic and up until that point Rangers had never ever signed a catholic and I told him that. I said to him do you know what school I went to? Anyway he explained to me that he was going to come to Rangers and change all the policy and he said he didn’t care about all of that. So I said that I didn’t care about all that either and that I’d sign with any club that was right with me. However, the newspapers managed to get hold of the story and it was a big thing up in Scotland and it all got a little bit too hot to handle and they phoned me back to say we’re going to leave it right now because it’s got a bit too political. And then about two days after that I got a phone call from Johan Cruyff which you don’t get everyday. At first I thought it was my mate winding me up. It was only later that I found at that Ajax had tried to sign Davey Cooper from Rangers but they didn’t want to sell.

Ajax then wanted to sign somebody who was very similar and played in the same position and it was Rangers who actually recommended me. I was invited to Amsterdam by Johan and I played in a couple of amateur friendly matches in Holland and my first game there was with Frank Rijkaard, Ronald Koeman and Marco Van Basten, so it was a very good team. I played really well and after a couple of days I was asked by Johan to sign for Ajax so it kind of happened very quickly and right away I was in the first team squad. I went from training once a day with Tottenham to three times a day with Ajax so I got very very fit. Soon into it however, in a game against Olympiakos I did my cruciate ligaments!  I was never the same after that.

Who was the toughest player that you ever came up against?

Ally: I used to hate playing against Graham Roberts in training because he was very tough. He was also great at tackling as well! So he’s the toughest player that I can remember.

Were there any players at Spurs who you were particularly close to?

When I was young the players I was close to were Allan Cockram, Mark Bowen and Micky McCabe. 

What would your advice be to the young Spurs players of today as they look to break into the first team?

Ally: Soak up every piece of information. If I had my time again I’d go up and ask people things and I would try and retain it because things just whiz past you. So my advice would be to try and learn as much as you can off of everybody. Also you should never give up. 

After all these years how do you look back on your time at the Lilywhites and is Spurs a club who you still hold close to your heart?

Ally: They will always be my favourite club because they were my first club and I was going there for seven years even though I was only signed there for five. Tottenham is and always will be my team.

Spurs XI 2-2 Ebbsfleet United: (match report)

Our development side returned to action after a summer break when they took on National League side Ebbsfleet United in their first friendly of pre-season, on Saturday afternoon. Wayne Burnett’s side competed well on a warm summers day in County Kent, and they did well against a very physical Ebbsfleet side. It was a close end to end game for large periods of the match although the first half was tough for Spurs, a number of second half changes made the game a lot more even. In particular midfielders Paris Maghoma and Armando Shashoua helped to energise the Tottenham midfield and move the ball about a lot quicker. The game was started well by the home side and after threatening the Spurs defence during the early stages of the game, the ‘ Fleet ‘ took the lead through towering centre half Ayo Obileye from a corner kick in the 15th minute of the game. Ebbsfleet continued to test the Spurs defence for the remainder of the first half but they were unable to extend their lead before halftime. Spurs started the second half well and a rather comical own goal from Ebbsfleet’s James Grimes put them level at the beginning of the half. However, an absolute pile-driver from Ebbsfleet’s Aswad Thomas saw the ‘ Fleet ‘ regain their lead less than a minute later. Spurs improved considerably during the second half and the game became a very even one, with chances aplenty at both ends of the pitch. Wayne Burnett’s side pushed for an equaliser and they finally got it in the 83rd minute of time through Elliot Thorpe. Spurs came close to finding dramatic a later winner through Paris Maghoma however, in the end both sides had to settle for a draw in what was a highly competitive pre-season friendly. Burnett’s side lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation on Saturday afternoon. In goal was trialist and former Southend United goalkeeper Edward Smith. A back four of Jubril Okedina, Maxwell Statham, Jonathan Dinzeyi and Dennis Cirkin lined up in front of him. Tariq Hinds and captain Brooklyn Lyons-Foster teamed up in central midfield, while Dilan Markanday and Shilow Tracey operated out on the flanks either side of CAM Tashan Oakley-Boothe. 18 year old centre forward Rodel Richards led the line for Spurs.

Spurs got the game underway at the Kuflink Stadium but it was Ebbsfleet who managed the first goal attempt of the game. The ‘ Fleet’s ‘ centre forward Gozie Ugwu forced an early albeit comfortable save out of Edward Smith with a speculative effort on the turn from about 20 yards out from goal. A mix up between Maxwell Statham and Jonathan Dinzeyi on the edge of the Spurs box shortly afterwards allowed Ugwu the space and time to test Smith however, he fired the ball over the goalkeepers crossbar. Ebbsfleet continued their strong start to the game after Myles Weston robbed Dennis Cirkin of the ball down the right flank but his resulting whipped cross was cleared away by Maxwell Statham in the Spurs box. Ebbsfleet were seeing a lot more of the ball during the early periods of the game. Ayo Obileye fired an effort wide of the Spurs goal from long range before a slip from Jonathan Dinzeyi on the edge of the Spurs box allowed Myles Weston to shoot. The Antigua and Barbuda internationals effort was parried by Smith before he smothered the ball. A couple of moments later makeshift central midfielder Tariq Hinds lost the ball to Alex Lawless who surged forward down the right side of the Spurs penalty area before dragging an effort across the face of the Spurs goal courtesy of a vital touch from Smith who then did well to hold Lawrie Wilson’s cross. At the other end of the pitch Dilan Markanday had an effort on goal deflected wide by James Grimes, after he had latched onto an excellent cross field pass from Lyons-Foster. Spurs were now enjoying a decent spell of possession in the game. Some good pressing from Shilow Tracey saw him come close to robbing Ebbsfleet goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore of the ball inside his own penalty area but the goalkeeper managed to clear the ball in time. Then in the 15th minute of the game the home side took the lead through Ayo Obileye after the central defender connected with an Ebbsfleet trialist’s corner kick. Smith was hesitant to try and claim the ball and Obileye powered an unstoppable header past the Spurs goalkeeper and into the middle of the goal, despite the best efforts of Lyons-Foster to prevent it on the line, 0-1.

Shortly after the restart Maxwell Statham blocked a shot from Gozie Ugwu inside the Spurs box. After Myles Weston had slipped the ball into the feet of an Ebbsfleet trialist (number 18) down the right side of the Spurs box, he fired an effort wide of Smith’s goal. Shortly afterwards Gozie Ugwu managed to find trialist A in the Spurs box, but the alert Edward Smith rushed out to make an important save. Shilow Tracey then went on an excellent galavanting run down the left flank before firing the ball into Nathan Ashmore’s side netting after entering the Ebbsfleet box. A good move from the ‘ Fleet ‘ at the opposite end of the pitch saw Weston pass the ball to Wilson, he gave the ball to trialist A but his shot was blocked by Jubril Okedina inside the Spurs box. Jonathan Dinzeyi cleared trialist A’s resulting corner kick. Another Ebbsfleet attack, this time resulted in Lawrie Wilson’s cross being headed back across the Spurs goal by trialist A for Gozie Ugwu in the middle of the Spurs box, but he headed the ball over Edward Smith’s crossbar. Dennis Cirkin did well to clear Aswad Thomas’ cross before Jonathan Dinzeyi glanced Tashan Oakley-Boothe’s cross wide of the Ebbsfleet goal. Then at the opposite end of the pitch Smith was called into action to catch a whipped cross from trialist A. After Jubril Okedina conceded a free kick out on the left flank, trialist A’s pacy free kick was punched away well by Smith. Spurs continued to try and see more of the ball. After receiving Jonathan Dinzeyi’s pass, Rodel Richards sublimely turned Ebbsfleet captain Jack King before testing Nathan Ashmore with a low effort which the ‘ Fleet ‘ goalkeeper dealt with relatively comfortably. Tariq Hinds then tested Ashmore long from range. Ebbsfleet then attacked Spurs. After Gozie Ugwu darted into the Spurs box he had a shot blocked by Dinzeyi, a couple of moments before Lyons-Foster cleared a cross from Myles Weston. Gozie Ugwu then headed trialist B’s cross late wide of Edward Smith’s goal in what turned out to be the final piece of action from what had been a lively first half of football.

Spurs made a number of changes at halftime as Wayne Burnett brought on Paris Maghoma, Armando Shashoua, Kazaiah Sterling and Rayan Clarke. Ebbsfleet got the half underway and it got off to the best possible start for Spurs who drew level less than three minutes in. After being put under pressure by the tigerish Armando Shashoua, Ebbsfleet defender James Grimes turned before passing the ball back to Nathan Ashmore. However, his pass had far too much pace on it, and it ended up rolling past the helpless Ashmore and into the back of the Ebbsfleet goal, 1-1. However, the home side regained their lead less than one minute later through Aswad Thomas. After the left back powered an unstoppable effort past the helpless Edward Smith from 25 yards out and into the top right hand corner of the goal. Spurs tried to respond, the lively Rayan Clarke tried to thread a pass through to Kazaiah Sterling inside the Ebbsfleet box but the Spurs striker slipped at the vital moment and Nathan Ashmore was able to gather the ball. A good passing move from Spurs resulted in Cirkin giving the ball to Maghoma out on the left flank. He passed it to Sterling in the middle of the Ebbsfleet box and the 20 year olds resulting effort appeared to strike the arm of James Grimes. However, the referee Alan Dale didn’t spot anything wrong and Dennis Cirkin ended up volleying the loose ball wide of Nathan Ashmore’s goal. A couple of minutes later Paris Maghoma connected with a cross from Shilow Tracey inside the Ebbsfleet box before shooting the ball over Nathan Ashmore’s crossbar on the half volley. Kazaiah Sterling dragged a shot wide of goal a couple of minutes later from long range before Rayan Clarke came close to finding a leveller. After receiving Paris Maghoma’s pass on the edge of the Ebbsfleet penalty area Clarke drilled a low effort narrowly wide of Ashmore’s right hand post. Spurs were now seeing a lot more of the ball and Wayne Burnett’s side were growing in confidence. The ever involved Paris Maghoma sent a powerful dipping effort narrowly over Nathan Ashmore’s crossbar before an Ebbsfleet trialist tested Edward Smith after he had gone down the left side of the Spurs penalty area, before Myles Weston forced a save out of the 23 year old from the edge of the box.

Spurs made a triple substitution when Wayne Burnett brought on Jamie Reynolds, Elliot Thorpe and goalkeeper Joshua Oluwayemi. Myles Weston’s cross managed to pick out number 17 in the Spurs box but his resulting header was cleared on the line by Jubril Okedina. Spurs then attacked the Ebbsfleet defence, Sterling brought the ball forward well before shifting it out to Clarke on the right wing. Instead of shooting, the Spurs winger whipped the ball across the face of Nathan Ashmore’s goal. An intelligent piece of play from Maghoma shortly afterwards saw him spot the good run of Armando Shashoua into the Ebbsfleet penalty area. Maghoma picked out Shashoua with a nice lofted pass, but the Tottenham midfielder who was at full stretch could only volley the ball over Nathan Ashmore’s crossbar. A dangerous cross from Rayan Clarke a couple of moments later was cleared away by James Grimes, as Burnett’s side continued to push for an equaliser. A menacing cross from number 17 at the other end of the pitch was spilt by Oluwayemi before being headed over the crossbar by Tahjae Anderson. Spurs managed to draw level for the second time in the game on 83 minutes through substitute Elliot Thorpe. A good attacking move resulted in Rayan Clarke passing the ball to Oakley-Boothe down the right flank. Oakley-Boothe surged forward into the Ebbsfleet penalty area before squaring the ball for Elliot Thorpe who had made a run into the middle of the box. And the Wales under 19 international managed to turn Oakley-Boothe’s pass into the back of the net despite the best efforts of Ebbsfleet defender James Grimes on the line. The Ebbsfleet players had tired and Spurs’ good high energy levels were getting the better of them. Kazaiah Sterling fired an effort wide from distance before Jubril Okedina headed behind a potentially dangerous cross from number 17. Spurs came desperately close to netting a dramatic late winner in second half stoppage time after Kazaiah Sterling managed to latch onto a badly misjudged back pass from James Grimes to Ebbsfleet’s substitute goalkeeper Harry Palmer. Sterling shot early but it was saved by the chest of Palmer. The ball then ran out to Maghoma whose subsequent curling effort from over 30 yards out from goal, squirmed a fraction wide of the mark.

It was a very competitive friendly and it was a good test for Wayne Burnett’s young side who managed to give a good account of themselves against a very physical Ebbsfleet side. Next Saturday Burnett’s side will take on National league south side Dulwich Hamlet in their second friendly of pre-season. 

Player reviews: 

• Edward Smith: The trialist and former Southend United goalkeeper (23) made six saves in total in what was an impressive performance from him. Smith who has formerly represented England at youth level was good at dealing with crosses and his distribution was also good. Although he could have done slightly better to prevent Ebbsfleet’s opening goal Smith made a number of very smart stops and I was impressed with how he played.
• Jubril Okedina: A player who I thought had a very solid game both at RB and at RCB during the second half. Okedina was good in the air (he made an important clearance on the line) and he was effective in the way in which he protected the right flank. However, I thought that after transitioning to RCB he looked a lot more comfortable, and he made some important defensive interventions in that position. 
• Jonathan Dinzeyi: It was a good all round performance from the 19 year old at LCB. Dinzeyi looked composed in defence and he wasn’t bullied by Ebbsfleet’s physical centre forward Gozie Ugwu. Dinzeyi made a number of important interceptions and blocks throughout the game, and he was also strong in the air. 
• Maxwell Statham: The 18 year old completed the the first half of yesterday’s 2-2 draw where he operated at RCB. Statham teamed up well with Dinzeyi in defence and he made a number of good headed clearances. Statham read the game well and like Dinzeyi he wasn’t fazed by physical Ebbsfleet centre forward Gozie Ugwu.
• Dennis Cirkin: It was a solid showing at left back from young Dennis Cirkin (17) who dealt well with the pacy and experienced Ebbsfleet winger Myles Weston. Cirkin went on some good attacking forays and he also managed to defend tightly during his 68 minutes on the pitch. 
• Brooklyn Lyons-Foster: The Spurs captain completed the first half of yesterday’s match at CDM. Lyons-Foster did a sterling job alongside the energetic Tariq Hinds and he recycled possession well. He also made some nice forward passes, and he read the game to great effect and made some rather timely interceptions. Hopefully Lyons-Foster will play the whole of next Saturday’s game against Dulwich Hamlet.
• Tariq Hinds: It was a very tidy performance from the energetic Tariq Hinds (19) in central midfield during the first half. Constantly on the move, Hinds was a real force to be reckoned with in central midfield which he patrolled around well. Hinds broke up play successfully and he also went on some nice surging forward runs. Furthermore, after reverting to RB for the second half he put in another very solid performance.
• Dilan Markanday: The 17 year old put in a decent first half performance out on the right wing. Markanday managed one goal attempt and he did look tidy whenever he received the ball. 
• Tashan Oakley-Boothe: Impressing both as a CAM and as a CM Oakley-Boothe had a really positive influence on the game. Apart from setting up Elliot Thorpe’s second half goal, the 19 year old who has been linked with a loan move to Swansea City was, like Hinds a real force in central midfield, he used the ball well and he also moved about the park with real purpose. In addition Oakley-Boothe managed to get himself into some good goal scoring positions.
• Shilow Tracey: Operating both on the right wing and the left wing, I thought that Tracey had a good game against his former club. The 21 year old went on a couple of good galavanting runs down the flanks, and he constantly made himself available to receive the ball. There was a lot of purposefulness about Tracey’s performance. 
• Rodel Richards: I was really impressed with Rodel Richards’ first half performance as a number nine. The 19 year old led the line well and he worked tremendously hard to try and impact the game. Richards would often come deep to receive the ball and with his tricky and quick feet he did caused the Ebbsfleet players problems during his time on the field.
• Paris Maghoma: The 18 year old helped to change the game in Spurs’ favour after he entered the field at halftime. Maghoma put in an industrious performance as a CAM, making some really intelligent passes and runs towards the danger zone. The energetic Maghoma came close to finding the back of the net on two separate occasions yesterday. And I really liked how he linked up with central midfielder Armando Shashoua. The 18 year old was one of Spurs’ main danger men during the second half. 
• Armando Shashoua: My man of the match, see below.
• Rayan Clarke: I was impressed with the second half substitutes directness and skill yesterday. He also came close to finding the back of the net on one occasion, and he was involved in the build up to Elliot Thorpe’s late goal. 
• Kazaiah Sterling: The 20 year old led the line well during the second half and he made himself a handful. Sterling carried the ball well, made some intelligent forward runs and also linked up well with the wide men. 
• Elliot Thorpe: It was an impressive cameo performance from the Wales under 19 international who operated out on the left wing. Thorpe made a good, intelligent run and he took his late goal well. 
• Jamie Reynolds: The Spurs trialist who was released by the club last month, put in a commendable performance at left back during the latter stages of Saturday’s game. Reynolds looked very solid at left back during his time on the pitch. 
• Joshua Oluwayemi: The substitute goalkeeper didn’t have to make a single save during his short time on the pitch.

My man of the match: After coming on at halftime 18 year old Armando Shashoua helped to energise the Tottenham midfield with his sharp movement, low centre of gravity and quick feet, and it helped to change the game. Shashoua’s darting forward runs and link up play with the forwards made him difficult to defend against. That along with his clever one and two touch football made him a real threat going forwards. Shashoua’s aggressive pressing led to James Grimes’ own goal at the start of the second half. Overall it was a very positive day for the young midfielder who certainly didn’t let the physical Ebbsfleet players bully him. He is such an intelligent player who has such a great understanding of the game.

Ebbsfleet United: Ashmore (Palmer 77), King (c), Thomas (Trialist 71), Lawless, Obileye (Dainkeh 52), Grimes, Weston, Ugwu (Anderson 77), Wilson, Trialist (Trialist 71), Trialist.

Spurs: Smith (Tr) (Oluwayemi 68), Okedina, Cirkin (Thorpe 68), Lyons-Foster (c) (A Shashoua 46), Statham (R Clarke 46), Dinzeyi, Markanday (Maghoma 46), Hinds, Richards (Sterling 46), Oakley-Boothe, Tracey (Reynolds (Tr) 68).

Goals: Ebbsfleet – Obileye 15, Thomas 48; Spurs – Grimes (OG) 47, Thorpe 83.

Referee: Alan Dale.

Venue: Kufflink Stadium, Ebbsfleet.

Spurs XI versus Ebbsfleet United: (match preview)

Our development sides first game of the 2019/20 pre-season takes place tomorrow afternoon at the Kuflink Stadium, when Wayne Burnett’s team take on National League side and former nursery club Ebbsfleet United. A Spurs XI as it has been described in the run up to the game, will be taking on the Kent based club for the third time in recent years, the previous two friendlies being part of the transfer of Shilow Tracey to Spurs back in January 2016. This will be a good first test of the new season for Burnett’s young side, who could be without a number of their more experienced players due to the forthcoming ICC cup tour of the Far East. This could mean that we see a lot of first year pros and second year scholars in action tomorrow, with the likes of Troy Parrott, Anthony Georgiou and Jack Roles unlikely to play. This could however, also be seen as a trial game for those who will be looking make the cut for Mauricio Pochettino’s pre-season squad. Ebbsfleet finished in eighth place in the National League last season, just outside the play offs and Garry Hill’s side will be hoping for another strong season this campaign. A solid and experienced side, the ‘ Fleet ‘ gave us a really good game the last time these teams met back in the summer of 2017. And although they ran out deserved 3-1 winners on that day, Burnett’s side held their own, played some attractive football and they weren’t fazed by the physicality of the non league team. Tomorrow’s game will present the young Spurs lads with an important opportunity to test themselves against some fine players, while also getting the invaluable experience of playing in front of a fairly big crowd. Burnett’s side will come up against some good players tomorrow, of which include solid and experienced goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore (he played in this fixture in 2017), central defender Ayo Obileye, experienced winger Myles Weston and left back Aswad Thomas. It will be a fascinating contest tomorrow and I am intrigued to see how we will fare. Tomorrow afternoons match kicks off at 3pm and tickets will be available on the gate. My in-depth match report of the game shall be out on Sunday. Finally I would like to wish Wayne Burnett’s side all the very best of luck, and I hope that they enjoy the experience.

My predicted lineup: (4-2-3-1) De Bie, Hinds, Lyons-Foster, Dinzeyi, Cirkin, White, Bowden (c), Markanday, Maghoma, Tracey, Sterling.

Subs from: Oluwayemi, Kurylowicz, Statham, Okedina, Binks, A.Shashoua, Clarke, Pochettino, Patterson, Richards.

Injured/unavailable: J’Neil Bennett, Jeremie Mukendi.

Doubtful: Malachi Walcott, TJ Eyoma, Marcus Edwards, Samuel Shashoua, Shayon Harrison.

My score prediction: 2-2.

Previous meeting: Ebbsfleet 3-1.

My one to watch: Ebbsfleet’s experienced left winger/midfielder Myles Weston is a player who could cause the Spurs defence bother tomorrow afternoon. The Antigua and Barbuda international has good pace and skill about him and he could potentially cause problems for whoever’s playing in the right back position for Spurs. Weston (31) made 40 league appearances for the ‘ Fleet ‘ last season.