View: Tottenham Under 21s learn a tough lesson during thrashing at Stevenage
It was a tricky test for the Tottenham youngsters as they were beaten 4-0 by League One side Stevenage on Saturday 29 July.
Just over 2,000 fans attended the fixture at the Lamex Stadium as the hosts taught the club’s youngsters some valuable lessons during the pre-season friendly, with the scoreline suggesting that Stevenage weren’t in such a friendly mood themselves.
Many of Spurs’ brightest prospects were on display in the defeat with Alfie Devine and Harvey White both featuring, despite only returning from the first team’s Asia-Pacific tour two days prior.
Forward Damola Ajayi and defender Alfie Dorrington also made the starting 11, with full-back Tyrell Ashcroft returning to action during the second half for the first team since September, after the 19-year-old had been kept out of action due to a knee injury.
Yet none of the players in Lillywhite were able to make a real impact as two goals either side of half-time allowed Stevenage to control the game.
The Hertfordshire opposition also hit the woodwork on three occasions and, in the end, the 4-0 result perhaps flattered Wayne Burnett’s Under 21 side.
As tough as the loss might be to take, the opportunity to play against a senior EFL team brings with it plenty of positives for the academy stars that cannot be ignored. However, on this occasion, there were more moments of teaching rather than joy.
It was Tottenham who got off to the quicker start on the afternoon as Devine showed no early signs of jetlag, lifting his chance wide as he went through down the right-hand channel just two minutes in. Yago Santiago also had an early opportunity to open the scoring, firing straight at goalkeeper Taye Ashby-Hammond after being played in by White.
From this moment onwards Stevenage were in control and never looked back, which perhaps offered the youngsters one of the most valuable lessons of all, if you don’t take your chances at the top level, you will be made to pay.
Crosses into the box seemed to be Tottenham’s undoing on the day as Nick Freeman headed home a corner midway through the first half after Carl Piergianni had struck the crossbar from his headed chance earlier on.
Freeman scored once again before half time and three minutes into the second half it was 3-0 when Piergianni this time got his header right as Stevenage once again scored from a corner. It was all rounded off in the 51st minute when Luca Gunter tried to swipe a cross clear under pressure and the ball deflected in off Jahziah Linton.
Some extra training on preventing crosses will perhaps be on the agenda come Monday morning with the match certainly giving the Spurs academy coaching team a lot to think about as a new season quickly approaches.
In other Tottenham News, the club are eyeing up making a move for a talented youngster from abroad.