Under-23s draw with Bees

Our Under-23s rounded off their pre-season campaign with a 1-1 draw at Barnet on Saturday.

Having taken the lead through Romaine Mundle on the stroke of half-time, we seemed in control, but the National League side levelled through a trialist in the second period.

Yago Santiago and Harvey White went close to restoring our lead in the closing stages, but were denied by the hosts’ goalkeeper.

Centre-half Malachi Fagan-Walcott had a handful of long balls to defend in the air throughout the first half, while Dilan Markanday was a real threat in attack with the ball at his feet.

Josh Oluwayemi had to tip a cross-shot from the right over the bar as the Bees almost grabbed a fortuitous lead, but the chances began to come for us as we approached the end of the first half, White’s well-struck shot from 16 yards whistling inches wide after he’d taken a return pass from Markanday, while Mundle cut into the box from the left and fired just over the bar.

We deserved our 44th-minute breakthrough, which was all thanks to more impressive play from Markanday. He collected the ball in the right channel, twisted and turned his way into the box and let fly, his shot repelled by the keeper into the path of Mundle who tucked home from eight yards.

Markanday had strong claims for a penalty waved at the start of the second half following a fine move involving White and Dennis Cirkin but, seemingly out of nowhere, the hosts restored parity on 54 minutes as a cross from the right was hammered home by one of a trio of trialists in Harry Kewell’s side.

We continued to take the game to the Bees and substitute Santiago’s shot was well saved on 78 minutes, before White appeared to have picked out the top corner with a great strike from the edge of the box following Michael Craig’s quickly-taken free-kick with four minutes remaining, but again the keeper was there to make a good save.

Match data

Goals: Barnet - Trialist 54; Spurs - Mundle 44.

Yellow card: Barnet - Richards-Everton 27.

Referee: Colin Wordsworth.

Venue: The Hive, Edgware.

Weather: Sunny, gentle breeze, 20 degrees.