View: Tottenham Under-21s face nervous wait after EFL Trophy defeat to Cambridge United
Tottenham Under-21s will now have to hope Peterborough United can get the better of Colchester United in order for them to advance to the knockout stages of the EFL Trophy.
Following a 4-1 defeat to Cambridge United on Tuesday 7 November in their final group stage game, Spurs remain second with three points in Group L of the EFL Trophy.
Peterborough, who lead the way with six points, will travel to Colchester on Tuesday 21 November, who are currently last with three points, behind Spurs on goal difference, and anything but a Posh win will see Wayne Burnett’s side slip to third and out of the competition.
It leaves the players facing an anxious wait with their fate out of their hands, which will cause frustration, as a win in Cambridge would have all but secured qualification due to Spurs’ superior goal difference compared to Colchester.
Jamie Donley in particular will have walked away from the Abbey Stadium with his head in his hands after missing a late chance which, if converted, could have dramatically changed his side’s fate.
After an evenly contested opening 45 minutes, which was played out in front of a healthy crowd of 1,311 supporters, Cambridge’s Kai Yearn, who had been threatening throughout, finally got his reward four minutes before the break, volleying in from ten yards out after Tottenham’s youngsters had failed to clear their lines.
Will Lankshear had a goal ruled out on the stroke of half-time, which demonstrated that Spurs could still cause problems at the other end, but Saiko Janneh’s goal early into the second half left the visitors with a mountain to climb.
However, in the 72nd minute, in-form duo Lankshear and Donley linked up to halve the deficit, the former striking to start the climb up that mountain, and 11 minutes later, Spurs should have been at the peak.
After some neat play down the left, Charlie Sayers was released into the box and able to cut the ball back for Donley, although, with the goal gaping, the 18-year-old sent his strike wide.
It was a rare mistake from the marksman who has been so clinical this season, and a mistake which was punished moments later as Jack Lankester and Lewis Simper scored two late goals to secure the win for the Us.
Despite the defeat, the Tottenham Under-21s stars should take great comfort in knowing that once again it has taken a much more experienced side to hand them a loss, with the team still flying high in Premier League Two, seven points clear at the top.
In addition to their high-flying league form, their EFL Trophy journey might not be over just yet, but for now, they face an anxious wait to find out.
In other Tottenham news, ex-Spurs scout Bryan King has detailed three things that he learned during Spurs’ defeat to Chelsea in the Premier League.