A deflected Roman Pavlyuchenko goal on the hour mark was enough to give a Tottenham XI a 1-0 victory over a young Town team at Portman Road. The Blues were second best for the most part against a Spurs side including Ledley King for the first 45 minutes.
Town named very much a second string side with Chris Kiwomya in charge and Roy Keane in the stands. Arran Lee-Barrett was in goal with Jack Ainsley skippering from right-back, Shane O’Connor on the left and Troy Brown and Tom Eastman in the centre.
Conor Hourihane took up the holding midfield role with Colin Healy and David Cawley ahead of him and Lee Martin on the left and Reggie Lambe on the right. Ronan Murray was the lone frontman.
Pablo Couñago and Jon Stead were named amongst the substitutes, while Gareth McAuley and Jon Walters were spotted chatting to Ben Thatcher by the Britannia Stand.
Tottenham’s similarly young side included three big names England man King, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Younes Kaboul. Former Town loanee Giovani Dos Santos was with the senior squad in Portugal.
The game’s first chance fell to Spurs in the fifth minute, Tom Carroll’s cross from the left flying just behind Jon Obika at the far post.
Pavlyuchenko forced Lee-Barrett into the first save of the match on nine, the ex-Hartlepool man coming off his line quickly to block. From the corner, Paul-Jose M’Poku’s header deflected out off his own player.
Three minutes later, Lee-Barrett parried Pavluychenko’s shot from the edge of the area with the visitors continuing to dominate the game.
Town’s first chance came in the 22nd but Lee Martin’s 20-yard freekick deflected harmlessly into Ben Alnwick’s arms with Troy Brown looking for any slip-up.
The Blues were coming more and more into it with Colin Healy increasingly influential in midfield and in the 26th minute Cawley was unlucky to get too much on a pass which would have put Lambe in on goal.
Just after the half hour, Arran Lee-Barrett saved Shane O’Connor’s blushes after the full-back’s scuffed backpass had put Pavlyuchenko through on goal. Lee-Barrett was again quick to react and came off his line to toe the ball away. Soon after, Dean Parrett’s shot from the right was deflected behind.
On 34 Ronan Murray struck a strong shot from the right, which Alnwick pushed behind.
The impetus moved back towards the visitors as half-time approached and Parrett struck an effort which Lee-Barrett grabbed at the second attempt. At the other end, Jack Ainsley’s cross-shot flew over.
The Premier League side had had the better of the half and the opportunities, but the largely young Blues had done well to keep the game goalless and had created one or two half chances on the break.
Town switched Colin Healy for Billy Clark at the break, while Ledley King made way for the visitors.
Tottenham’s Ryan Mason shot into the sidenetting in the 55th minute, then soon after Obika won a corner, which Kaboul headed over.
N’Poku tried a cheeky effort from wide on the right but Lee-Barrett was alert and tipped the ball wide.
The visitors went ahead right on the hour mark when Pavlyuchenko struck a low shot which was easy for Lee-Barrett until it struck a Hourihane, completely wrong-footing him. Prior to the restart, the Blues swapped Hourihane, Murray and Martin for Dunbar, Couñago and Stead.
On 65 Spurs striker Ryan Mason unleashed a powerful strike, which Lee-Barrett parried away, Brown reaching the loose ball ahead of Obika.
Jamie Griffiths replaced O’Connor, who had moved to left midfield after the earlier subs, before Parrett forced a save from Lee-Barrett. Then at the other end Reggie Lambe’s strike from the edge of the area was pushed wide by Alnwick.
Lambe went close again on 77 when a corner from the right reached him at the back of the box but his shot flew well wide.
Couñago almost threaded in Stead, then almost immediately played in Lambe on the left, Alnwick saving the Bermudian’s low strike with his foot. Town were coming back into the game in the latter stages after half largely run by the Premier League side.
It was Spurs who spent the final minutes pushing for a second, although Couñago had the chance to play Stead through on goal but the Spaniard took too long over his pass.
Town’s youngsters were second best for the most part but kept going and might have grabbed an equaliser, particularly once Couñago’s guile was introduced late on. Colin Healy was the most impressive of the senior players with Lee Martin continuing to look very short on confidence.
The standout performer for the Blues was centre-half Troy Brown, who made vital challenge after vital challenge, but overall Chris Kiwomya will be pleased with the most of his young players and the experience of facing the likes of King, who coolly strode through his 45 minutes, and Pavlyuchenko will have benefited them.
Town: Lee-Barrett, Ainsley, O’Connor (Griffiths 72), Hourihane (Dunbar 60), Brown, Eastman, Lambe, Cawley, Murray (Couñago 60), Healy (Clark 46), Martin (Stead 60). Unused: McLoughlin, Griffiths. Att: 5,770.