Five-star Tottenham Under-18s learn from failure in FA Youth Cup victory v Brentford
Tottenham Under-18s made a strong case for themselves as FA Youth Cup contenders as they advanced to round four with ease, winning 5-1 away from home against Brentford on Tuesday 5 December.
The FA Youth Cup is regarded as one of the most prestigious competitions at academy level and offers young hopefuls at various clubs across the country a chance to make a name for themselves.
Having been eliminated during the third round of the competition last season, losing 3-1 at home against QPR Under-18s, Tottenham will be determined to make a better account of themselves this year and got off to the perfect start with their win against Brentford.
Spurs learnt from their past mistakes and avoided falling at the first hurdle this time around in some style. The north London outfit will now look to build on this foundation and marker which they have so emphatically laid down.
What was most impressive about the nature of this victory is that it came without star man Mikey Moore, who is currently sidelined after picking up an injury on international duty. Moore has been a standout performer for the Under-18s this season, and his absence would have been a concern going into the match.
Nonetheless, his teammates stepped up and proved that they could cope without the forward, showcasing Totteham’s strength in depth and the quality they possess throughout the squad, not just within a few select individuals.
This was further reinforced by the fact that five different players got themselves on the scoresheet, highlighting that this win really was a complete team effort.
With 500-plus watching on at Wheatsheaf Park on a cold Tuesday night, midfielder Tyrese Hall opened Spurs’ account in this season’s FA Youth Cup with a moment of magic, picking up the ball in midfield, driving forward and unleashing a fierce strike from 20 yards out which sailed high into the Brentford net.
Yusuf Akhamrich doubled the visitors’ lead just shy of the hour mark, but the hosts were able to cut the deficit in half a few minutes later through Iwan Morgan.
However, four minutes after this, Remy Bennison was shown a second yellow card and given his marching orders as Brentford were reduced to ten men for what remained of the match, something which Spurs took full advantage of.
Two goals in three minutes took the game away from Brentford as Kieran Morgan placed a low shot into the net from 18 yards out before setting up a teammate, playing Damola Ajayi in who made sure of the victory by blasting the ball past Evan Anderson in the Bees’ net.
Callum Olusesi added the icing on the cake with one of the last kicks of the game as Spurs sent a real message out to the various teams left in the competition that they are here to compete this season.
In other Tottenham news, Daniel Levy will be worried about missing out on a £13.4million payout after recent events.