Under-18s reach Premier League Next Generation Cup final
Sat 03 August 2024, 22:04|
Tottenham Hotspur
Our Under-18s have finished top of the group stage at the Premier League’s Next Generation Cup and will now face South African side Stellenbosch in Sunday’s final.
Stuart Lewis’ troops have produced some good performances so far at the four-day event, which sees youth teams from England, India and South Africa come together for a fiercely-competitive pre-season tournament.
Saturday’s 4-0 victory over Indian side Muthoot FA saw us claim top spot in the standings, meaning we’ll now face the highest-placed overseas club – Stellenbosch, winners in 2022, runners-up last year and victorious against us in the opening game of this tournament on Thursday – for the trophy.
The competition up to this point has been staged at Aston Villa’s training ground, with the final to be held at Loughborough University. Ourselves and Villa are two of four Premier League Academies taking part, along with Crystal Palace and Everton. Games are 50 minutes long – 25 minutes per half – and each match features a penalty shootout at the end for a bonus point, regardless of the result in normal time.
Our young squad came into the tournament in good form having won three behind-closed-doors friendlies since returning from the summer break, scoring 18 goals and conceding just once.
We suffered a 1-0 defeat to Stellenbosch in Thursday’s opener after an own goal following a corner in the 13th minute but picked up a point with a 5-4 victory in the resulting shootout, in which Ellis Lehane, Tynan Thompson, Ronny Moncur, Leon Myrtaj and Calum Logan all successfully converted their spot-kicks.
A first-half goal from Moncur followed by a brace from Lehane after the break secured a 3-0 triumph over Punjab FC in game two on Friday, while Lehane, Miracle Adewole, Thompson, Luca Williams-Barnett, George Feeney and Jun’ai Byfield all netted in a 6-5 win on penalties to leave us on five points heading into matchday three on Saturday, where a comprehensive 4-0 victory and 3-2 shootout win over Muthoot FA saw us secure top spot with nine points overall. Herbie James netted in the first half before an own goal and further strikes from Reiss Elliott-Parris and Williams-Barnett completed the scoring. Lehane, Williams-Barnett and Dexter Oliver scored our penalties.
The tournament, which we hosted at Hotspur Way two years ago, provides a further opportunity for coach Stuart to prepare his side for the new Under-18 Premier League season, which begins on Saturday 17 August with a home game against Palace.
The squad also enjoyed a training camp in York last month.
