Barclays U21 : Spurs 3-2 Everton

Spurs :

Archer; Fredericks, Fryers, Hall, Stewart; Bentaleb, Carroll, Veljkovic; Pritchard, Obika, Ceballos

Subs : Miles, McEvoy, Gallifuoco, Barthram, Nicholson.


Everton :

Mucha, Stones, Garbutt, Lundstram, Browning, Duffy, Kennedy, Barkley, McAleny, Long, Grant

Subs : Duffus, Springthorpe, Green, Molyneux, Pennington.


- Goals

Spurs : Pritchard, Obika, Obika

Everton: McAleny, Long


The U21s came into this game as winners of the Elite group, and with a massive 70+ goals scored over the two group phases. Everton won the group 1/2 playoff, and with a 16 game unbeaten run.

Summary :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Cq3QfcJ95Y

The first half was the standard U21s, choking Everton in MF and creating all the chances. Fryers was particularly busy down the left in attack. The first goal came from an Everton mistake to head away a right to left cross-field pass by Carroll. The header fell to Pritchard, who surged on to shoot low into the right. This was the pattern of play for the half, with Obika having several chances but getting nothing on target.

Everton only had two significant chances. The first was saved comfortably by Archer. The second came right at the end of the half with a well-worked move and cross from the right, and struck by McAleny. 1-1.

The 2nd half started and Spurs were quickly 2-1 up. A ball towards the box was messed up by the Everton defence, and in the tussle Obika muscled thru to get his shot in. 2-1.

This woke Everton up, who started to attack with purpose.
More or less immediately they worked the left flank, and got a cross in that Spurs could not clear from the box. Long then hooked the ball over his shoulder and with Archer stranded, 2-2.

The game got more open, and Everton started to compete well in MF.
They started to work the flanks well, from the left in particular, and more menacing crosses came in. Spurs seemed to go stale in MF for most of the half, and then McEvoy was brought on for Pritchard. That immediately increased the threat with him steaming down the right and getting his crosses in.

With 2 mins to go, Ceballos got clear on the left and his surging run ended with a low cross. Obika timed his low stooping header perfectly. 3-2.

Everton rallied and had a couple more chances, one of which was well saved by Archer right at the end. But all to no avail.

The Spurs MF were their usual imposing selves in the 1st half.
And as often is the case, we got to see the best and meh from Obika. Everton were clinical with their chances, and their attacking play down the flanks was very good in the 2nd half. On another day they would have the rewards of their crosses, but not today.

Spurs will play the winner of Man Utd vs Liverpool in the final.
The venue draw means that Spurs will play away at the winner of that game.