Tough Night for Tottenham against Strikers at Milk Cup

The young Tottenham team had a difficult evening against South Coast Strikers in their second match in the NI Milk Cup at Limavady. They lost 7- 1 to a very well prepareded Strikers team as Spurs struggled to cope with the pace, movement and strength of the older team.

Tottenham Hotspur 1 South Coast Strikers 7

Tottenham Scorer: Campbell-Young

Team: Voss (Priestly): Campbell-Young, Magbadelo (Lyons-Foster) Ogilvie, Pritchard; Sonupe, Winks, Goddard, Amos, Georgiou; Harrison (Miller)

Spurs made a number of changes to the team which had opened the Milk Cup with a 1 – 1 draw against Co. Armagh. Harry Voss played in goal with Channing Campbell-Young at right back and Jon Magbadelo in central defence with Connor Ogilvie. Joe Pritchard moved from midfield to play at left back. In midfield Emmanuel Sonupe and Anthony Georgiou took up the wide positions with the three young players in central midfield – Harry Winks, Cy Goddard and Luke Amos. Shayon Harrison was the lone striker.

South Coast Strikers showed their intent from the opening minutes with Voss called upon to make two good saves to keep out early strikes. On seven minutes Spurs were caught with a ball over their defence and Voss produced two good saves as danger threatened. Spurs were chasing the game trying to cope with Strikers movement and were having little time with the ball. Ogilvie cleared another dangerous situation and then Spurs managed their first threat with a through ball by Goddard but were caught offside.

Strikers made the breakthrough their early play deserved after twelve minutes when they picked up a Tottenham clearance and made their way into the penalty area, beat the defender, Ogilvie, to give Voss no chance. Tottenham had a period of possession but every time they tried to put any passing movement together, Strikers stepped in quickly to stop them. After seventeen minutes, Spurs got away on the left and  a cross from Georgiou went across goal and the Spurs player furthest forward was right back Campbell-Young who shot powerfully from the edge of the box. Then followed an exhuberant celebration of flips and handstands. Spurs had done well to draw level but that was as good as it was to get for them.

The older South Coast Strikers team immediately stepped up the pace and were ahead again within a few minutes. They broke up a Spurs attack on the right and with the full back upfield they broke on the right and cut in to score a second. At this point Spurs played with ten men for about five minutes with Campbell-Young off the field. Strikers again exploited the space on the right, in the absence of the full back, to score their third.

Spurs were struggling to cope with the speed and movement as Strikers continued to play the ball behind the their defence either with a direct pass or a midfield player flicking it on for the striker to run on to. As half-time approached Georgiou did some good work on the left and put in a cross to the back post where Sonupe shot over. Strikers then made it 4 – 1 with another goal where the ball was flicked past the defender to get in on goal to score, Danladi having completed  a first half hat-trick.

Throughout the half, Spurs’ natural instinct was to attack and try to put men forward without a thought of how they were going to cope with the threat posed by the very quick Strikers attack.

At the start of the second half a Tottenham, free-kick from distance was straight at  the goalkeeper who took it comfortably. On five minutes Strikers broke forward from the right touchline after beating Magbadelo and cutting in on goal to score. They added a sixth quickly after when the striker collected a ball over the top and headed in on goal with the ball going through Voss’ legs. Danladi had scored his fourth

Spurs created a good chance when Georgiou took on the defence and played Goddard in but he was offside. Kodi Lyons-Foster replaced Magbadelo to play at right back and Campbell-Young moved into central defence. Harry Winks had a good strike from distance which went over. Goddard was playing further forward in the second half as Spurs persisted in playing passing football from the back. The pace and movement of the Strikers team continued to torment Spurs as Harrison was replaced by William Miller.

A misplaced pass by Amos gave the Strikers attack another  opportunity but Voss blocked well. Georgiuo had a good run for Spurs but then with fifteen minutes remaining another move by Strikers saw Voss dive bravely at the feet to deny and got hurt in the process. After lengthy attention he was carried off on a stretch and Liam Priestly replaced him. Strikers welcomed the new goalkeeper with a shot that passed just wide and then with only minutes remaining Strikers got their seventh after good work on the left, Priestly having no chance.

South Coast Strikers made up for their defeat on Saturday and thoroughly deserved their win and the scoreline. They played quick, passing football which the Spurs team were simply unable to deal with. To give credit to the Tottenham players, they kept on playing throughout, never letting their heads drop and gave their all and always tried to play passing football. They accepted the defeat in a very gracious and very sporting manner – and as one spectator said to me, “The young boys all accept the referee’s decisions.”

The trio of Goddard, Winks and Amos in central midfield showed their ability but the older, taller, stronger Strikers players made it very difficult for them. A parent of a Strikers player in their Junior squad, questioned how Spurs could ‘throw’ the game with so many young boys playing – all the Strikers squad being Under-17s. I explained that for Tottenham the Milk Cup was all about giving these younger boys experience but we both agreed it was a very difficult experience when you’re losing 7 – 1.

Tonight, it’s Otago from New Zealand at the Coleraine Showgrounds at 7 pm. They drew with Co. Fermanagh in their second match having lost 0 – 4 to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.