Our under-18s left with a hard-fought point after a 2-2 draw to Tottenham Hotspur in the U18 Premier League South on Saturday.
In the match at Tottenham Hotspur Academy Spurs Lodge, Cedeach O'Neill put us ahead early on before a Luca Williams-Barnett free-kick levelled the score ahead of the break.
Williams-Barnett put his side ahead from the spot until Teshaun Murisa got us back into the contest and ultimately earned us a point in a feisty affair that saw players from both sides receive red cards.
What Happened
We were quick off the whistle, and six minutes were all it took to strike first in the north London derby. Ife Ibrahim, one of a handful of under-21s regulars in the squad, won the ball deep in Spurs' half and found O'Neill in the perfect position to slot home to the bottom right of Dylan Thompson's net.
With our foot firm on the gas, Brando Bailey-Joseph was next to have a go, after he brushed off Tye Hall and unleashed a drive from distance, but the goalkeeper caught the effort.
We came close to a second when Bailey-Joseph broke Spurs' line to pick out Josh Ogunnaike down the left flank. He laid a timely cross into the centre of the box, but O'Neill was unable to steady and mishit his strike.
Missed chances allowed Tottenham to grow into the game, and they were level on 37 minutes through Williams-Barnett, who placed a clever free-kick under our defensive wall and into the bottom left of Jack Porter's goal.
We were behind immediately after the interval, when Oliver Boast was brought down inside our box. Williams-Barnett stepped up for his second of the game and sent Porter the wrong way, with an effort placed low and left.
We found a quick response, though, when the ball was cleared only to the edge of Tottenham's box and was picked up by Murisa, who fired the ball back goalwards, which was helped on by a deflection to wrong-foot Thompson and balance the tie at 2-2.
Derbies often provide heated moments, and both sides were down to ten players when Marli Salmon and George Feeney both saw red after tensions had flared between the pair.
With the game stretched, chances came at both ends, as Hall saw an effort smash off the crossbar, before substitute Louis Zecevic John watched his left-footed shot curl wide of the post.
Heavy rain created a slippery surface, and Josh King was sent off for his second bookable offence after he caught Armend Muslika, which saw us down to nine in stoppage time. The Spurs substitute then hit the upright with the last kick of the game, but the points were fairly shared at full-time.
What’s Next
Our under-18s continue their U18 Premier League South campaign when they host Crystal Palace on Saturday, December 6.
Kick-off at the Sobha Reality Training Centre is at 11am (UK time).
TEAM NEWS
Tottenham XI: Thompson, Sandiford, Byrne, Tingey, Hardy, Hall, Boast (Muslika 72), Feeney, Elliott-Parris (Upson 72), Williams-Barnett, Adewole.
Subs unused: Irow, Bangura, Beggs.
Arsenal XI: Porter, King, Ogunnaike, Salmon, Hamill, Ibrahim, Thompson (Owusu-Gyasi 64), Murisa (Zecevic John 64), O'Neill (Chapman 90+3), Julienne, Bailey-Joseph (Hashi 80).