Spurs 2-0 Reading U18s - report from the Training Centre

First half goals from Nathan Oduwa and Shayon Harrison saw our Under-18s keep Reading at arm’s length on Wednesday afternoon.

The Royals were restricted to the occasional opening, as we overcame a fierce wind and driving rain to register a 2-0 victory in the Barclays Under-18 Premier League.

An early free-kick from Will Miller caused Reading goalkeeper Lewis Ward a few problems, before we seized an 11th minute advantage. After some fine build-up play from Joe Pritchard and Emmanuel Sonupe on the right, Josh Onomah cut into the box and clipped the ball out to the unmarked Oduwa who finished well.

Seven minutes later Reading striker Harry Cardwell turned away from Connor Ogilvie and struck the far post from an acute angle. Germaine Ofori stretched to try and tuck home the rebound but a courageous diving challenge from Kane Vincent-Young kept our goal intact. The full-back, however, got injured in the process of clearing the ball and was substituted after a lengthy stoppage.

Visiting captain Rob Dickie saw his diving header from Noor Husin’s in-swinger fly wide, while Ogilvie tested keeper Ward with a 35-yard rising drive at the other end. The defender’s shot was too hot to handle, but an early linesman’s flag meant Harrison’s effort from the rebound didn’t count.

There was no denying Harrison in the 36th minute though, the striker clipping the ball over the committed Ward and into the net after being sprung in behind the Royals’ defence by Miller.

Oduwa had the ball in the net for what he thought was a third goal three minutes before the interval but again the linesman’s flag denied him, while the same player pulled a shot across the face of goal shortly afterwards.

The second half yielded few chances with the swirling wind making attacking football difficult to produce. Conor Shaughnessy shot wide early on, while Ogilvie got to the byline at the other end – only for his cross to be smothered at the near post by the Reading defence.

Onomah skewed a shot over the top just after the hour mark, while Oduwa missed the target after he and Harrison went through with only the keeper to beat.

A low shot-on-the-turn from substitute Anthony Georgiou was comfortable for Ward while Shaughnessy blasted a free-kick just wide for Reading after Cy Goddard impeded Ofori. Ogilvie then made a fine last-ditch tackle to prevent Ofori from going clean through in the box.

In the last few minutes, Harrison couldn’t quite connect at the near post after a barnstorming right-sided run from Sonupe led to a cross, while another Sonupe ball in saw Ward gather under pressure from Georgiou.

Spurs: Voss, Pritchard, Vincent-Young (Campbell-Young 23), Lesniak, Walkes, Ogilvie, Sonupe, Onomah (Goddard 69), Harrison, Miller, Oduwa (Georgiou 66). Subs (not used): Winks, McGee (GK).