| Arriving at Broadhall Way
fifteen minutes before kick off, the queue stretched the length of one
end of the ground and was a similar length when I got in just a couple
of minutes after kick off !! It seems as though no-one at
Stevenage has realised that a 7.00 p.m. kick off means that most people
are arriving from work and that means a lot of fans turning up in the
last fifteen minutes before kick-off. Which means needing more
than one turnstile open for more than ten minutes !!
On entering the ground, I discovered that
Sergei had failed to overcome his ankle injury and Sherwood had not been
included either. Despite this, the team looked familiar with more
than three quarters of the side having first team experience. The
Watford side had only one player - Panayi - who I recall had made the
first XI.
The early play saw Spurs stroking the
ball about, but without much purpose. Many moves broke down as the ball
ran away from a Spurs foot and then Watford would over-hit a pass on the
break.
The first, and best, chance of the half
fell to Kamanan, when a ball whipped in low from the right by Barnard
(incorrectly referred to all night as Snee) found the Frenchman coming
in around the penalty spot. I am not sure what happened, but under
challenge form a Hornets defender, he screwed the ball wide of the goal,
when it looked odds on a goal. Both Davies and Leonhardsen hit
shots that didn't trouble the keeper, but he did have to warm his hands
later in the half when Ciaran Toner hit a long range shot from outside
the box. His 40th minute shot was heading for the top corner, but
Lee tipped it around the post. The Irishman was then involved a
few minutes later, when he crossed for Kamanan to hit an instinctive
half-volley on the turn, which the keeper did well to reach and push
over the top.
Watford had rarely threatened in the
first half and Kelly in the Spurs goal was a virtual spectator.
Spurs started the second half brightly
and with only five minutes gone, a cross from Piercy on the right found
the head of Kamanan, who nodded the ball back into the box.
Barnard showed his predatory instinct and hit sharp shot, forcing the
keeper to a smart save. Unfortunately for the visitors, the ball
fell to Leo on the edge of the box and he calmly stroked the ball in for
the opener.
It was now all Spurs and Davies was
making the running in midfield. He was involved in the second
goal, when Barnard drilled a low shot in from the left and the keeper
produced another stop, but only sent the ball into the path of Yannick
Kamanan, who, from a similar position to Oyvind, slotted home.
Spurs were now opening up the Watford
side at will. Having lost a player to an accident, where his studs
got stuck in the turf and he had to be stretchered off, another player
was lost to injury. Panayi had got in the way of a Piercy drive
and took the ball full in the stomach. He needed quite a bit of
treatment and after trying to run it off had to leave the play. It
was this change that brought Watford back into the match.
The young, nippy forward McNamee ran at
players and caused some disquiet. Swonnell, a burly midfielder,
smacked the ball against the base of Kelley's left hand post and late in
injury time, the ball fell to McNamee on the penalty spot and a nice
turn around Bunjy left him with a shot past the Spurs keeper to pull one
back.
It was too late, but the crowd of around
500 saw a decent game and Tottenham maintaining their unbeaten home
record.
Kelly had little to do, despite pick the
ball out of the net, Thelwell was comfortable at the back, but looked a
little jumpy on the ball, whereas Gardner looked great in possession,
although dropped his concentration towards the end of the game.
Bunjy looked untroubled by his mask, but it was obvious that he is still
reticent to head the ball at the moment. Piercy made some good
marauding runs up the line, but occasionally his control let him down.
Toner did a lot of hard work in midfield,
while Thatcher ran the left flank without having to resort to too much
effort. Simon Davies was his usual all-action self and showed a
considerable amount of skill and awareness of other players.
Barnard worked hard and set up the majority of the Spurs chances and
looks as though he might break through at this level, although this was
a young Watford side put out tonight under the charge of Ray Lewington.
Kamanan looked good and bad. He took his goal well and held the
ball up reasonably well, but he did miss a sitter of a chance and he
must learn to put away the opportunities that come his way.
Altogether a good workout against a side
they should have beaten and did. Colin Claderwood's team seem to
be picking up good habits from the first team ... or is it the other way
around ??
Spurs :- Kelly; Thelwell, Bunjevcevic,
Gardner; Piercy,
Davies, Toner, Leonhardsen, Thatcher; Barnard (Consorti 68), Kamanan
Subs not used:- Jalal; Henry, Marney, Snee
Marco van Hip
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