PL2 Match Report: Tottenham win the Premier League 2 title against Fulham
Tottenham’s Academy travelled to Motspur Park on Friday evening to take on a Fulham side who were only five points away from themselves, knowing a victory would secure the title of the PL2 League phase.
Manager, Wayne Burnett, appeared to have been forced into a change as Nile John was introduced to the starting XI with Jude Soonsup-Bell absent from the squad completely.
There was also a welcome return for 19-year-old centre-back, Alfie Dorrington, who hadn’t been in either of Spurs U21’s last two games. Tottenham’s third change was the young Maeson King who made his U21 debut in place of Tyrell Ashcroft.
Fulham started sprightly and capitalised on perhaps what was an adjustment period from the Spurs team to the various changes throughout the team since their last game. Lemar Gordan and Callum Osmond, two forwards who recently progressed from Fulham’s U18’s were, in particular, giving Spurs a headache.
Burnett’s side then started to work their way into the game, with Tyrese Hall and Alfie Dorrington frequently helping their side progress up the pitch with their impressive solo runs. Spurs did make a breakthrough as a result of their improvements.
Jamie Donley collected a cleared corner on the edge of the box, helping the ball towards Maeson King, only for the ball to be deflected by Delano McCoy-Splatt into the path of the lethal Will Lankshear who guided his shot into the bottom right corner.
Shortly after the opener, Lankshear thought he had his second of the game, and he perhaps should have as he was deemed to have gone offside in his attempts to convert what was a great low cross by Dorrington who once again had driven his way all the way into the opposition box.
Tottenham win the Premier League 2 title
Tottenham took the lead into halftime and continued their control of the game in the second 45. Jamie Donley consistently tried to unpick the Fulham lock for Spurs and was perhaps unlucky to not have a few assists to his name by the hour mark.
Fulham’s threat on the break was noticeable, however, with Callum Osmand’s blistering pace being a real weapon for the hosts. Luca Gunter in between the Tottenham posts did seal the team’s first clean sheet in ten games in this fixture, but he had to work with it, making three or four very impressive saves.
Lankshear and Tottenham did double their lead in the 78th minute, through once again, you guessed it, Will Lankshear. The Spurs striker netted his sixth goal in his last five games, running onto Rio Kyerematen’s perfectly weighted through ball and slamming the pass into the bottom corner.
Spurs then saw out a very impressive, and yet again, dominant victory against one of the best sides in the division. As Tottenham knew before the game, the win also meant that Tottenham would be crowned the PL2 league phase champions.
The U21’s campaign isn’t done yet though, as they still have Crystal Palace away on Monday the 29th of April, the last league format game until the table is split, leaving the top 16 in a knockout cup competition. A competition that Spurs will be a strong favourite for after being such clear winners of the league phase.
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