History repeated itself in remarkable fashion as our Under-18s snatched a 95th-minute equaliser to draw 2-2 with Reading at Hotspur Way for the second time in less than two weeks on Wednesday – although there was a distinctly different feeling among the players and staff this time around following a below-par showing over the course of the game.
After Armend Muslika memorably struck in the fifth added minute to rescue a deserved point in our season curtain-raiser a week ago on Saturday, it was captain Elijah Upson who netted late on in this Under-18 Premier League Cup opener – incredibly, also with 95 on the watch – as we again recovered to secure a share of the spoils.
But the manner of the performance on this occasion left everyone with a sense of frustration at the final whistle. We’d found ourselves under pressure for long periods in the wake of Oliver Salter’s first Under-18s goal, with two strikes in two minutes from Reading substitute Ainsley Covus turning the tie around after the break.
You could sense that coming, although to our credit we found some renewed impetus in the last few moments, new signing Conall Glancy impressive on his debut with fellow substitute Toju Wellspring making a distinct impact in the middle. Indeed, it was his superb cross that saw Upson power home a header in the last couple of minutes to put our first point on the board in Group H – the defender earning redemption in the process after being sent off in the previous match against the Royals – but with further matches against Burnley and Derby County still to come, we’re likely to need maximum points from here on in if we’re to reach the knockout phase.
More to follow...