Boast brace secures quarter-final spot for Under-18s

After a quiet start on a personal level, the striker exploded into life with two deadly finishes, picking out the bottom corner with precision on 25 minutes before again clinically firing home after latching onto Cayon Hanson’s excellent ball forward with virtually the last action of the first period.

We’d travelled to the north east only needing a point to be sure of our place in the knockout stages – Newcastle would have leapfrogged us into top spot in Group G with a win and advanced at our expense – but we never looked in any serious danger as we stood up well to the physical battle presented to us and probably should have scored more, although goalkeeper Mikel Jack was required to make a couple of fine saves to preserve our first clean sheet of the season at this level.

Captain Tyler Tingey laid a poppy wreath on the centre circle on behalf of the club as both teams observed a minute’s silence prior to kick-off during this period of Remembrance but we were soon into the thick of the action, Kwasi Senyah coaxing a flying save out of Magpies goalkeeper George Mair, Joel Vidal-Philbert seeing a shot deflected agonisingly wide and Boast just unable to connect with Courtney Coffi Smith’s cross from six yards out in the middle of the box.

Vidal-Philbert was a lively influence on the left flank, sending in a number of dangerous deliveries, but we couldn’t take advantage and Newcastle nearly punished us when Michael Mills drilled just wide at the other end. Boast, though, found his rhythm and fired clinically across Mair and into the far corner on his right foot to give us a 25th-minute lead and we continued to push from there, two Newcastle players going into the book as they struggled to deal with our advances. Armend Muslika crashed a free-kick into the side-netting and Vidal-Philbert went close again before Boast latched onto Hanson’s ball forward and held off Lesecond Yeutembip to double our advantage in the second minute of first-half added time.

Newcastle upped their game after the restart and it was only a superb flying save from Jack that prevented substitute Jack Patterson from bringing them level, the keeper subsequently diving bravely at the feet of Jack Callaghan to deny the Magpies’ midfielder in our box.

Muslika had a loud penalty appeal waved away by the referee after going down in the box while substitute Harry Hughes looked bright on his first competitive appearance for our Under-18s after recovering from injury, the midfielder sending Boast through on goal with a clever pass, only for the striker to fire over the bar. Vidal-Philbert continued his supply line in from the left but neither Oliver Salter nor Phoenix Offiah could take advantage of separate deliveries, with the winger subsequently trying his luck himself with a rasping right-footed effort that forced another save from Mair seven minutes from time.

Some committed defending from Oscar Sandiford prevented the Magpies from finding a route to goal in the latter stages, although they did manage to muster one big chance a minute from time when centre-forward Alfie Hutchinson had a free header in the box, but Jack saved it sharply on his line and we went marching on into the last eight with maximum points from our three group stage games.

Line-up

Spurs: Jack, Sandiford, Jobling, Hanson, Tingey (c), Senyah, Coffi Smith (Salter 62), Glancy (Thomas 79), Boast (Offiah 79), Muslika (Hughes 72), Vidal-Philbert. Substitutes (not used): Cherifi, Philogene-Bidace, Olajide.