Under-18s in Chelsea stalemate
Both sides hit the woodwork but there was to be no breakthrough as our Under-18s battled out a goalless draw with Chelsea at Hotspur Way on Saturday.
After a first half of few chances, the Blues twice hit the inside of the post through Reggie Walsh – who made his senior debut for Chelsea in their Europa Conference League win over Djurgarden on Thursday – and substitute Kobe Barbour in the second period, before Luca Williams-Barnett’s angled strike was tipped onto the crossbar by Jack Austin seven minutes from time in our best chance to scoop maximum points.
With neither side able to conjure up a winner, the match ended in our first 0-0 draw at this level since October, 2021, and our first in the league since December, 2020. The share of the spoils, along with results elsewhere, also mathematically ended our chances of winning the Under-18 Premier League southern division, although we still have two games to play over the coming week.
The first half was quiet in terms of real chances, although Tynan Thompson provided a spark five minutes before the break with a fierce angled drive from the left which forced Austin into a save. Samal Bangura fired over the bar moments later after some good build-up play, while Sol Gordon sent a volley spinning fractionally off-target for Chelsea in stoppage time at the end of that period.
Both teams traded chances after the break with Frankie Runham drilling across goal and wide for the visitors, while half-time substitute Williams-Barnett saw his shot from the edge of the box parried by Austin. Chelsea then hit the frame of the goal twice in the space of eight minutes, Walsh’s effort bouncing back off the far upright and into the arms of goalkeeper Sam Archer following a counter-attack before Barbour latched onto a long ball out from the back and saw his deflected shot hit the post and rebound across the face of goal on the hour mark.
Jun’ai Byfield cleared from virtually on our goal-line as Olutayo Subuloye threatened from a corner before we went close on the break in the 83rd minute. Williams-Barnett burst down the right and had substitute Leon Myrtaj up in support, but opted to go it alone and unleashed a superb angled shot, which Austin somehow tipped onto the bar. The ball bounced down on the line and Chelsea were able to get it away to safety. Williams-Barnett tested Austin again a few minutes later with a rasping shot from 20 yards, but it was close enough to the keeper for him to save it and that turned out to be the final chance of the contest.
‘Really positive to keep a clean sheet’
Under-18s Coach Stuart Lewis felt the 0-0 scoreline was probably a fair result and was pleased with the defensive performance of his side.
He told SPURSPLAY: “I thought it was a really high-level Under-18 game, both teams had opportunities to win it but from our point of view it was really positive to keep a clean sheet. We’ve had a tough week, a really good development week for the players and to come away with a point, probably on reflection it’s a fair result.
“There were some moments in the second half where we had to defend really well and I think we’ve really improved on that aspect of the game with the blocks and being first to the ball in our box. We hit the bar at the end through Luca Williams-Barnett – a brilliant save from their keeper – and they obviously hit the woodwork a couple of times too, but it was a really tight affair. We’ll reflect on it and review it and then finish off the season hopefully with two positive results. We’ll look forward to Wednesday here against Fulham and then away to West Brom but this was a really elite-level Under-18 game.”
