A challenging Premier League International Cup campaign for our Under-21s continued with a heavy defeat to AFC Ajax on Wednesday night.
Three first-half goals in 11 minutes - two from Jaydon Banel and one from Rayane Bounida - put the Dutch outfit in firm control, although that felt a little harsh after our young side had competed well in spells, and despite Oli Irow pulling one back from the penalty spot at the start of the second period, the visitors extended their lead through a freak own goal from the unfortunate Aaron Maguire before Damian van der Vaart rounded off a 5-1 final scoreline.
With only the top two sides from our eight-team group progressing to the knockout stages, we were already eliminated prior to kick-off at Stevenage following losses to Valencia and Monaco in our opening two fixtures, with a number of young players given opportunities in a much-changed side. There were starts for Under-18s players Miracle Adewole and Tynan Thompson, with fellow first-year scholars Harry Byrne, Jamel Beggs and Reiss Elliott-Parris stepping off the bench in the second half.
Adewole and Thompson - the latter making his debut at this level - were threats for us early on, respectively firing just wide and forcing a near-post stop from Ajax's England youth international goalkeeper Charlie Setford but with their first real attack of note, it was the visitors who hit the front as Banel drove into the right channel and fired across goal and into the bottom corner via a slight deflection with 13 minutes gone.
Bounida produced a moment of quality to double his side's lead 10 minutes later, turning away from danger and hammering a right-footed shot home as he came into the box from the left side, and in a flash it was 3-0 as David Kalokoh squared for Banel to tap in from close range.
Tyrese Hall conjured up a couple of trademark solo runs, flashing an effort just wide at the end of one surge forward while Tyrell Ashcroft found space for a shot, only to see his effort charged down. Maguire saved brilliantly down to his left from Kalokoh's drive towards the end of the first period and our continued efforts to get off the mark were rewarded five minutes after half-time when Irow was tripped in the box by Ryan van de Pavert and the forward dusted himself down to score the resulting penalty, his second goal in as many games.
Irow fired straight at Setford as he looked for a second while Bounida went close for Ajax, but even in spite of a raft of changes we couldn't trouble the visitors enough and after good Maguire saves from Luca Messori and Banel, the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international custodian had a moment to forget with 15 minutes to go as Ryan van de Pavert's high cross from the byline on the right swirled in the air and the keeper could only help it over the line as he tried to tip the falling ball over his own crossbar.
Substitute van der Vaart completed the scoring with six minutes left, heading home unchallenged from a couple of yards out after Jan Faberski had strolled between defenders and stood up a cross towards the near post. There was still time for Ajax's Lasse Abildgaard to fire over the bar when well placed, while substitute Jaden Williams swept an effort straight at Setford at the other end following another good run from Hall. Banel was denied his hat-trick in stoppage time as he tried to finish off a slick move by rounding Maguire and rolling the ball towards the empty net, but captain Max Robson slid back to clear off the line as our games programme at this level for 2024 came to a disappointing end.
Goals: Spurs - Irow 50 (pen); AJC Ajax - Banel 13, 24, Bounida 23, Maguire (OG) 75, Van der Vaart 84.
Yellow cards: Spurs - Akhamrich 90+4; AFC Ajax - Van de Pavert 21.
Referee: Wayne Cartmel.
Venue: Lamex Stadium, Stevenage.
Weather: Rain, moderate breeze, 11 degrees.
Attendance: 362.