Boast bags four as Under-18s record another big win

The forward netted twice inside the opening quarter-of-an-hour of the contest, with Armend Muslika also getting on the scoresheet in between his double with a 35-yard stunner, before Boast completed his treble on 23 minutes with a composed header from close range.

An own goal from the visitors' Tyrell Hutchinson ensured we had our fifth before the break and then two minutes after the restart, Boast netted his fourth of the afternoon with another clinical finish from inside the box.

There will be some disappointment that we were unable to preserve a clean sheet when Frazer Billings fired home a consolation goal 14 minutes from the end but, in the third minute of stoppage time, Phoenix Offiah rounded off the scoring with our seventh - now 33 goals in six league games - to maintain our unbeaten start to the Under-18 Premier League campaign.

We needed just five minutes to take the lead on a blustery afternoon at our Enfield training base, Muslika with a lovely ball over the top to send Joel Vidal-Philbert in behind who then fizzed a low ball across the box for Boast to slot home. Having played a key role in the opening goal, Muslika then got on the scoresheet himself and added to his catalogue of wonderful strikes so far this season. William Rutter raced off his line to intercept a through ball, but his clearance only found the feet of Muslika, who took one touch and, from around 35 yards out, sent a lofted effort over the retreating keeper and into the back of the net to make it 2-0 after just 12 minutes.

Three minutes later we had our third, Oscar Sandiford and Courtney Coffi Smith linking up on the right with the latter fizzing a low ball across the box to Boast at the back post to tap home his second. The visitors’ Alfie Round was close to pulling a goal back but his attempted chipped effort from a tight angle went narrowly wide while, at the other end, Muslika’s first-time curling shot from 25 yards out struck the outside of the post.

However, on the 23-minute mark, we had our fourth when Vidal-Philbert’s cross from the left was met by the rising Boast inside the middle of the box and he guided his header past Rutter. Vidal-Philbert was then hugely influential in the fifth goal as a short corner from the right was worked out to him on the far edge of the box and his left-footed cross flicked off the head of Hutchinson and into his own net, rounding off an excellent first-half display.

We picked up where we left off after the restart as just two minutes in, Boast grabbed his fourth and our sixth of the afternoon, getting to Sandiford’s cross from the right first and with the deftest of first touches, he looped the ball over Rutter and into the back of the net. With a six-goal advantage by the 47th minute, there was no surprise of a tempo change from this point onwards although Muslika, Vidal-Philbert and new signing Kwasi Senyah - making his first appearance for our Under-18s - all fired over from the edge of the box. The Baggies managed to find a consolation goal 16 minutes from time as a corner found its way to Billing on the edge of the box and his low strike went through a sea of bodies and into the bottom corner, evading the outstretched hand of Mikel Jack.

Muslika struck the woodwork once again five minutes from time, hitting the near post after an excellent run into the box from the far left-hand side before we completed the scoring in the third minute of stoppage time. It was Vidal-Philbert with another lovely assist, this time playing a perfect ball to send substitute Offiah through one-on-one and he showed composure to take it around Rutter and slot home into the empty net.

'A pleasing first-half performance'

Under-18s Coach Jamie Carr was particularly pleased with the first-half display from his side: “We went into the game knowing that West Brom were going to be tough to play against,” he told SPURSPLAY. “They play a back five, have some physical players, so we thought it was going to be a challenge and there were times throughout the first half when it was tough, although the scoreline was quite convincing.

“In transitions, they were quite good, definitely posed a threat and were unlucky not score a couple. But, overall, I think in the first half, what pleased me the most was the in-possession stuff. We looked a threat all the time, particularly down the left-hand side and we scored a number of good goals down that side. It was a pleasing first-half performance and you could say the game was almost done at that stage.”

Line-up

Spurs: Jack, Sandiford, Jobling (Agyekum 69), Hanson, Evans, Wellspring (Senyah 61), Coffi Smith, Glancy (c) (Salter 69), Boast (Offiah 61), Muslika, Vidal-Philbert. Substitutes (not used): Doran, Olajide.