Tue 10 November 2009, 12:00
Tottenham HotspurJon Obika hit four as a young Spurs side defeated Crystal Palace 7-1 in a friendly match held at Spurs Lodge on Tuesday.
Jon Obika hit four as a young Spurs side defeated Crystal Palace 7-1 in a friendly match held at Spurs Lodge on Tuesday.
The striker, currently on-loan at League One side Yeovil Town, is clearly benefitting from regular senior football and looked in unstoppable form in front of goal.
He was joined by in the side by Troy Archibald-Henville (Exeter City), Jake Livermore (Derby County), Steven Caulker and Ryan Mason (both Yeovil also) - all returning to the club from respective loan spells to feature in the game.
Michael Dawson captained the side as he kept up his match fitness during international break.
Visitors Palace, meanwhile, fielded a number of first team players, including Nick Carle, Matt Lawrence, Victor Moses, Sean Scannell and Ryan Smith.
But they were no match for the hosts, who took a first minute lead through a superb Mason volley - the result never looked in doubt from that point on.
John Bostock, playing against his former club, then played in Obika for his first after 10 minutes, and the 19-year-old doubled his tally on the half-hour mark after great work from Mason.
Ben Alnwick was between the sticks after appearing on the first team bench for the first time this season on Saturday, and he made a crucial penalty save just after half-time, enabling us to put the game well beyond the South Londoners.
On 64 minutes, Bostock made it four after a throughball from Paul-Jose M'Poku. Troy Archibald-Henville's towering header from a corner made it five on 71 minutes.
Harry Kane's inch-perfect ball was converted by Obika for his hat-trick on 77 minutes and, after a direct run from pacy winger Ryan Fredericks, last season's Young Player of the Year rounded off our scoring with his fourth nine minutes from time.
There still was time for Alnwick to be beaten from the penalty spot late on, but it was scant consolation for the visitors.
Team:
Alnwick; Smith, Dawson, Caulker, Archibald-Henville; Cox, Livermore, Bostock, M'Poku; Mason; Obika
Subs: C Butcher, Fredericks, Kane
