Under-18s put seven past Norwich

Top versus bottom in the Under-18 Premier League followed the form book as our Under-18s notched up an impressive 7-0 victory against Norwich City at Hotspur Way on Saturday to maintain their unbeaten start to the season going into the international break.

With high-scoring wins against the likes of Brighton, Swansea, Southampton and West Ham already under our belts during our early-season surge to the summit, Harvey White’s excellent free-kick sparked another dominant attacking display against the division’s basement side – and it could have been an even bigger win had it not been for Norwich goalkeeper Daniel Barden making several excellent second-half saves, including one to deny Phoenix Patterson from the penalty spot shortly after winger Rayan Clarke had doubled his tally for our sixth goal just past the hour mark.

Midfielder White curled in a beauty from 20 yards to get us started in the 12th minute, picking out the top corner with his set-piece after Norwich left-back Matt Richardson handled Luis Binks’ diagonal ball forward from the back.

With the rain coming down, centre-back Maxwell Statham slid across to keep out Isak Thorvaldsson’s shot after he’d latched onto a clever curling ball forward and rounded goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi, but that turned out to be Norwich’s best chance of the game as we started to turn our dominance of the play into goals.

Captain Armando Shashoua hit the bar before White picked out Clarke in space on the left side and he cut in before curling right-footed into the far top corner on the half-hour mark. After a routine low stop from Oluwayemi to deny Anis Mehmeti, it was 3-0 six minutes before the break as Shashoua converted Clarke’s cross at the back post, his effort taking a slight deflection on its way in.

Clarke’s touch had let him down a couple of times in the early exchanges but he and his attacking colleagues came out flying in the second half, the winger hitting the post just 15 seconds after the resumption before Patterson cut back for Dilan Markanday to fire home at the second time of asking in the 47th minute, Barden having saved his initial effort.

Striker Troy Parrott also needed two bites of the cherry for number five on the hour, nudging White’s cross onto the post before converting the rebound and, 60 seconds later, Shashoua played in Clarke to score from a tight angle on the left.

Patterson’s spot kick on 64 minutes was saved by Barden down to his left after Dennis Cirkin had been clattered into by Denzelle Olopade while Markanday hit the bar as we mounted wave after wave of attack. Barden denied Shashoua and Parrott either side of Elliot Thorpe hitting the post before fellow substitute Maurizio Pochettino completed the scoring with 11 minutes remaining, starting a move inside our own half and then making a lung-bursting run into the box to receive Parrott’s pass and lash high into the net from the right angle. Barden made one final stand to deny Parrott in the 90th minute but we were worthy winners overall.

Key moment

The first few moments of the game saw both sides cancel each other out in midfield, even though we were already seeing more of the ball, but White’s pinpoint free-kick after 12 minutes broke the deadlock and opened the floodgates at a rain-drenched Hotspur Way.

Coach’s view

“The intensity and the effort with which we played was very impressive,” reflected Under-18s Coach Matt Wells. “Harvey White kicked it off with a tremendous free-kick and from there we turned the screw. I was still a little bit disappointed at half-time – I just thought there was more to give in every respect. We spoke at half-time about the details, about the centre-halves being more dominant – I didn’t think we were dominant enough in the air – about the full-backs protecting the channel more, the midfielders winning more duels and tackles but, that said, some of the play in possession was outstanding and we knew if we kept that up in the second half we’d be able to go and create and score more goals.

“I’m equally pleased with the clean sheet today as I am with the goals that we’ve scored, though. It’s important that while we’re attacking we’re organised behind our attacks and ready to press when we first lose the ball. Obviously in the end we’re pleased with the scoreline and the performance.”