Under-19s battle through in Europe

Brooklyn Lyons-Foster's first-half header proved decisive as our Academy side ground out a 1-0 victory over 10-man PAOK in the UEFA Youth League in Thessaloniki, Greece, on Tuesday.

The defender guided Harvey White's corner into the net inside 12 minutes for his first goal since the opening day of the season but, after our bright start, it would be a very different story for the last hour of the game as the hosts, roared on by a huge crowd and the constant pounding of a drum at Toumba Stadium, seemed galvanised when they went down to 10 men.

Midfielder Theocharis Tsiggaras was shown a straight red card for fouling J'Neil Bennett on the counter in the 33rd minute but from that point on, rather than the numbers game working to our advantage, it was all hands to the pump to contain a resurgent home side that's gone unbeaten in the youth section of the Greek Super League this season. In truth, as well as some backs-to-the-wall defending at times, we benefitted from some wayward finishing and were unlucky on the two occasions we had to put the play-off round tie to bed - Jack Roles hitting both posts in the space of eight second-half minutes with goalkeeper Symeon Papadopoulos beaten.

It was breathless, demanding stuff in a tough European arena - but ultimately our young lads passed the test to book their place in the round of 16.

A full moon shone over the stadium but with the colossal home crowd in full voice for every PAOK attack, it was a real test of our Under-19s' character. The overall number of fans in attendance was later confirmed to have been 8,958. They were silenced, though, when we took a 12th-minute lead, having begun the game very much on the front foot. Bennett, who started at centre-forward before Roles assumed that position later, saw a shot-on-the-turn deflected behind and White delivered the resulting corner perfectly for Lyons-Foster to angle his header into the net. Central midfielder White was causing PAOK real problems with his set-pieces into the area while Bennett's pace was too much for the home defence to handle, his angled drive saved as we sought a second.

Three minutes after the half-hour mark, though, the game changed. Tsiggaras caught Bennett with a challenge from behind as he raced away through the middle and was shown a straight red card, but the enforced change of tactics from the home side to cope with the numerical disadvantage, rather than benefitting us, aided them instead. Marios Tsaousis shot over after his own free-kick was cleared back to him, while Antonis Gaitanidis raced clean through the middle but took his shot on early and blazed high over the top as PAOK ended the first period with a spell of pressure.

That trend continued after the break as the hosts had two good chances in as many minutes shortly before the hour mark, Eleftharios Lyratzis - who has played a handful of first team games for PAOK - dragging a shot across goal and wide and substitute Giorgos Tzovaras denied at the back post by a last-ditch defensive header from Tariq Hinds. Roles might have eased the pressure on a couple of rare attacks for us but hit the keeper's left-hand post with a half-volley from Dennis Cirkin's cut-back before being played through on goal in the left channel by Tashan Oakley-Boothe, only to strike the base of the opposite upright. In between those chances, our goalkeeper and captain Brandon Austin had to tip Giannis Michailidis' header over the bar as PAOK continued to push for a leveller.

We had to really dig in during the closing stages as both sides conceded free-kicks, but we did a great job of keeping the ball away from PAOK - and away from danger - to see out the win.

The draw for the next round takes place in Switzerland on Friday (22 February).

Key moment

Lyons-Foster's header made the difference and sent us through in the end. The centre-back, who had to defend diligently as part of our back three as the first half went on, notably making two key interceptions in as many minutes, positioned himself perfectly in the box to guide White's corner home and give us the upper hand - an advantage we ultimately held onto, despite PAOK's attempts to draw level.

Coach's view

“The red card made it a more difficult challenge and changed their style a bit,” said coach Matt Wells, who has been without the services of a number of attacking players through injury in recent weeks. “For the first 25 minutes we played extremely well but let's not forget, they're a top opponent, they've not lost a single game this season domestically so we knew the importance of a fast start. We controlled the game and pressed well in a slightly different system to what we have been playing, so the boys adapted to that really well, we scored a good goal from a set-piece routine that we'd worked on but they ended up going down to 10 men and that made them play a little bit deeper, a bit more on the counter and that probably helped them and frustrated us a little bit. For the last 15 or 20 minutes of the first half, I was disappointed with how sloppy we were.

“If you want to progress, one thing you have to arrive with is a perfect mentality and that's probably what's pleased me most and that's what I've said to the players after the game. In terms of the performance there's a lot we need to improve on, in terms of how we played in possession where we were unrecognisable at times, but credit to the opposition because they made it difficult with 10 men. That's football, though, because the longer the game goes on, the more frustrated you can get but we did defend the penalty box extremely well and the mentality is why we have a clean sheet at the end of the game.”

On the atmosphere inside the stadium, Matt added: “It was certainly a hostile environment – even in the warm-up it was hostile when we first ran out but it's a small taster of what these boys will hopefully face in their careers and that’s why these experiences are so good – you have to survive in that pressure and tonight there's a few who have not only survived, they’ve excelled in a very heated environment so we're pleased with that."

Match data

Goal: Spurs - Lyons-Foster 12.

Yellow cards: PAOK - Michailidis 27, Diamantis 44; Spurs - Lyons-Foster 20, Roles 25, White 45+1, Bennett 66, Austin 83, Cirkin 88.

Red card: PAOK - Tsiggaras 33.

Referee: Jerome Brisard (FRA).

Venue: Toumba Stadium, Thessaloniki.

Weather: Clear skies, 12 degrees, dropping to seven degrees throughout the game.

Attendance: 8,958.