Our Under-21s’ Vertu Trophy campaign began in gripping fashion on Tuesday as our young side battled out a 4-4 draw at Bristol Rovers, playing the last 25 minutes with 10 men before losing the subsequent penalty shootout 5-4.
Leading 3-0 inside 16 minutes and playing some superb stuff at times, a key moment arrived mid-way through the second half when goalkeeper Sam Archer saw red for his challenge on Ryan Howley outside the box with the score at 4-2.
Isaac Hutchinson fired the resulting free-kick past substitute goalkeeper Aaron Maguire before Rovers substitute Fabrizio Cavegn levelled it up four minutes later. At that stage, the hosts were in the ascendancy but we dug in superbly to see out the game despite the disadvantage in numbers and earn a point in Southern Group B.
However, there was more drama in the subsequent shootout for an extra point – after we’d trailed early on, Maguire made a crucial save to give Calum Logan a chance to win it for us, but his deft effort was kept out by former Leicester City goalkeeper Brad Young, who subsequently pulled off a superb stop to deny James Rowswell and give his side the win.
It was an enthralling game and in truth, the share of the initial spoils was the least we deserved as well-taken goals from Luca Williams-Barnett and Yusuf Akhamrich were bookended by two equally clinical efforts from Tynan Thompson put us in the driving seat for much of the contest. Williams-Barnett pulled off two sublime pieces of individual skill to go close twice in the second period – either one could have proved decisive, but in the end we had to settle for a solitary point before suffering penalty shootout disappointment.
More to follow.
Bristol Rovers – Cavegn – scoredSpurs – Russell-Denny 53 – missedBristol Rovers – Thomas – scoredSpurs – Lehane – scoredBristol Rovers – Hutchinson – scoredSpurs – Cassanova – scoredBristol Rovers – Howley – missedSpurs – Olusesi – scoredBristol Rovers – Conteh – scoredSpurs – Akhamrich – scoredBristol Rovers – Dewsbury – savedSpurs – Logan – savedBristol Rovers – Moore – scored
Spurs – Rowswell – saved
Match data
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Goals: Bristol Rovers – Harrison 45+2, Cavegn 54, 73, Hutchinson 69; Spurs – T Thompson 10, 58, Williams-Barnett 14, Akhamrich 16.
Yellow cards: Bristol Rovers – Howley 25, Thomas 26, Hutchinson 34; Spurs – Olusesi 34, Byfield 76, Maguire 84.
Red card: Spurs – Archer 65.
Referee: Stephen Parkinson.
Venue: The Memorial Stadium, Bristol.
Weather: Partly cloudy, gentle breeze, 17 degrees.
Attendance: 1,067.