Brighton 3-6 Spurs (U18s) - match report

Our youngsters were the toast of the south coast for the second time in four days as they hit Brighton & Hove Albion for six in the Under-18 Premier League.

After seeing off AFC Bournemouth 3-0 in the FA Youth Cup in midweek, Scott Parker’s young side took full advantage of their numerous chances to rack up a 6-3 victory at the Seagulls’ Amex Elite Football Performance Centre on Saturday.

Phoenix Patterson led the way with a hat-trick while two clinical strikes from Reo Griffiths and a well-worked opener finished off by Rodel Richards all contributed, although there were some questions marks at the other end as Brighton snatched three goals of their own, with goalkeeper Brandon Austin also making a couple of crucial stops.

Action summary

Tariq Hinds picked out Patterson and he in turn fed Richards to give us an 18th-minute lead from a tight angle on the left, but Brighton replied four minutes later with a fine strike, Ryan Longman curling inside the far post on his right foot from just outside the area.

However, Patterson produced an even more spectacular effort on the half-hour mark when he curled a free-kick up and over the wall and into the far top corner. Seagulls stopper Tom McGill got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out.

In spite of our good movement and willingness to attack through all avenues, we allowed the home side back into the game once more on 39 minutes when Hayden Roberts crossed from the left and Stefan Ljubicic got in front of the defending pack to steer a simple header past Austin.

Richards and Jeremie Mukendi – one of five players to come into the starting line-up following the midweek triumph at Bournemouth – both just failed to connect with Max Statham’s teasing delivery shortly before the break, while Jon Dinzeyi’s header from a corner was straight at McGill on the resumption.

 
Above: Armando Shashoua under pressure.

However, two sharp finishes from Griffiths effectively put the game beyond Brighton soon afterwards. A perfectly-weighted pass from Patterson played him through to clip home for 3-2 on 50 minutes before the striker latched onto a short back-pass from defender Ben Clark-Eden to double his tally nine minutes later.

The chances were only increasing in frequency and after Austin got in the way of Ljubicic’s shot, Griffiths looked on for his hat-trick on 62 minutes but after shifting the ball to the right and drilling at goal, McGill repelled it into the path of Patterson, who gratefully hammered home.

Longman found another response for Brighton on 69 minutes as he stepped through our defence to convert while Ljubicic missed an open goal as the home side threatened a comeback.

But Patterson had the final say when he was first to another McGill parry from Griffiths’ effort to complete his treble 12 minutes from time. Hamish Morrison, lively on the right in patches for the hosts, did have an opening late on but Austin made another good save.

Coach Scott Parker said

“We played some really lovely stuff, moved the ball really well but the only disappointing side of it was a couple of sloppy goals conceded on our behalf. Overall, though, it was a pleasing and positive result.

“I thought Phoenix was very good. He’s going in the right direction and he’s improved – with a lot of others – since the start of the season. It’s always hard when you come into the building full-time but he’s going from strength to strength. Technically he’s very good, out of possession he’s improving a lot as well so I was pleased for him today. I thought everyone to a man did well. There were little bits that were disappointing individually but when you’re young, that’s what happens. The majority of the play was good and the boys who came in handled themselves really well.”

Team line-up

Spurs U18s: Austin (c), Statham, Reynolds, Hinds, Dinzeyi (Lock 63), Lyons-Foster, Mukendi (Okedina 83), A Shashoua, Griffiths (Thorpe 83), Patterson, Richards. Substitute (not used): Lo-Tutala (GK).

Up next

Some of the younger members of Parker’s squad will now head off to Qatar to take part in the Under-17 Alkass International Cup over the next week or so, with Under-18 Premier League football back on the agenda in a fortnight when Southampton come to Hotspur Way on Saturday 3 February.