Four-midable Under-21s see off Newcastle
Our Under-21s continued their excellent start to the season with a 4-1 home victory over Newcastle United at Stevenage on Saturday lunchtime.
Comprehensive 5-0 winners at reigning champions Manchester City last weekend, we produced another fine performance to see off the Magpies with Yago Santiago and Jude Soonsup-Bell again on the scoresheet, the latter's well-taken brace making it four goals in two games on an individual level, with Nile John also on target as we pressed home the advantage in the second period, James Huntley's late strike merely a consolation for the visitors.
There was also a Spurs debut for summer signing Ashley Phillips, who partnered Alfie Dorrington in the heart of our defence.
We had to be brave and composed in the face of Newcastle's early high press, goalkeeper Josh Keeley with a great reaction save to deny Remi Savage at close quarters in the box, but once we broke free and started to play out, there was no stopping us as we breezed forward at will to make it an uncomfortable afternoon for the visitors.
Santiago latched onto Soonsup-Bell's pass and finished off a superb solo run by dragging the ball deftly past goalkeeper Jude Smith and slotting home from the left angle in the 13th minute - and he might have scored again after Alfie Devine and Amadou Diallo fired just wide at either end, but Smith made a good save after initailly miscuing a clearance to the Spanish forward.
We doubled our tally on 35 minutes after another excellent flowing move, Jamie Donley's cross from the left converted from close range by the sliding Soonsup-Bell, before Santiago effectively finished the game as a contest with the third on 53 minutes, this time receiving Devine's pass and again finishing well from the left angle.
Newcastle struggled to impose themselves much after that and after Devine's shot following White's short free-kick was saved by Smith, we added a fourth on 63 minutes when Soonsup-Bell was tackled at the edge of the box and the ball fell kindly for John to run onto and sweep a fierce shot home.
The Magpies did manage a reply 12 minutes from time, substitute Huntley arriving at the far post to convert Ben Parkinson's cross from close to the byline on the right, but we saw out the game without fuss to put another three points on the board.
Match data
Goals: Spurs - Santiago 13, 53, Soonsup-Bell 35, John 63; Newcastle - Huntley 78.
Yellow cards: Spurs - Devine 83, Ashcroft 90+4; Newcastle - L Miley 33, Wiggett 69.
Referee: Greg Rollason.
Venue: Lamex Stadium, Stevenage.
Weather: Sunny, 22 degrees.
Attendance: 320.