UNDER 23S78
TOTTENHAMHOTSPUR.COM
Two poor errors at the back cost our Under-21s
victory in our final Checkatrade Trophy outing
of the season at Barnet last Tuesday night.
Leading 1-0 at the break, we were competing
well against the League Two side until two lapses
in concentration gifted the home side a couple
of goals to turn the game on its head.
Shayon Harrison tested Bees goalkeeper
Craig Ross from distance before emphatically
finishing off a good move to put us in front in
the 16th minute.
Marcus Edwards did well to skip over a
challenge in midfield before sending Keanan
Bennetts speeding into space down the left and
his cross was swept into the top of the net by
Harrison at the first time of asking.
Michael Nelson had already hit the post for
Barnet by that stage and they were denied by
the woodwork again on 35 minutes when Ryan
Watson’s effort from 30 yards came back off thecrossbar. Just three minutes into the second
half the scores were level as Christian Maghoma
inadvertently poked a cross from the left past
Alfie Whiteman.
The goalkeeper was then at fault shortly
before the hour mark as he received a pass from
Japhet Tanganga under no pressure whatsoever
but took a little too long in taking his kick and
by the time he came to strike it, Alex Nicholls
came steaming in to send the ball spinning
back into the net.
We continued to play some nice football
against a tough senior team that included
our former striker Shaq Coulthirst but the
closest we came to a leveller was when Kazaiah
Sterling was denied by a combination of
goalkeeper Ross and Andre Blackman in the
90th minute.
Neither side was able to progress from
Group F even before the game, but it was anotheruseful test against Football League opposition
for our development side.
"We've come up against two League Two
teams and one from League One in this
competition and at times we've competed
well, we've played some decent football but
we've come up short,” said coach Wayne Burnett.
“Yes, the players are still developing but part
of their development is understanding how
to win and we haven't done that again. We've
very disappointed in the goals conceded. We
understand mistakes might happen but we
have to learn and that's the key thing for these
young players.
“You can't legislate for mistakes sometimes,
even with all the work that you do on the training
field. I was pleased with the way we competed
at times but I expect that – that's a given. I felt
that we held our own and we did ourselves some
good at times."CHECKATRADE TROPHY • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 • THE HIVEMaghoma (og) 48, Nicholls 57Ross, Taylor, Blackman, Watson, Santos, Nelson, Nicholls, Fonguck
(Coker 82), Coulthirst (Amaluzor 78), Vilhete, Kyei (Tutonda 78).
Substitutes (not used): McKenzie-Lyle, Payne, Aghadiuno, Pascal.Harrison 16Whiteman, Eyoma, Bennetts, Marsh, C Maghoma, Tanganga, Roles,
Amos (S Shashoua 72), Harrison, Edwards (Sterling 81), Loft (Tracey
63). Substitutes (not used): O'Reilly, Skipp, Pritchard.BARNET 2-1 SPURS
Shayon Harrison opens the scoring against Barnet