Doherty on target again as mid-season action is wrapped up with Nice draw

Matt Doherty continued his fine recent goalscoring form as we drew 1-1 with OGC Nice on Wednesday evening in our final warm-up game before the resumption of the Premier League in five days’ time.

Back in N17 for the first time since our 4-3 win over Leeds United on 12 November before the temporary break for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, we took the lead when Doherty netted his fourth goal in our third friendly fixture over the last two weeks. But our French visitors levelled early in the second half through left-back Antoine Mendy.

Five of our returning World Cup players featured in the game, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg playing the first half before being replaced at the break by Pape Matar Sarr, making his first appearance at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And Ben Davies, Eric Dier and Heung-Min Son all came off the bench in the second half to mark their return to action in lilywhite.

Both goalkeepers were called into action inside the opening 15 minutes, Fraser Forster tipping Ross Barkley’s effort around the post before Kasper Schmeichel kept out Dejan Kulusevski’s low 20-yard free-kick.

We went ahead on 21 minutes when Kulusevski’s pass in behind Mendy wrong-footed the defender, his touch helped the ball land at the feet of Doherty who drilled high past Schmeichel in some style.

Barkley fired a free-kick into the wall and hit the rebound into the side-netting, while we almost went further ahead on 37 minutes following a lovely flowing from front to back which ended with Bryan Gil’s left foot shot saved by Schmeichel.

Nice – ninth in Ligue 1 and making their return to league action at home to RC Lens on 29 December – drew level two minutes after the interval when Doherty blocked Dante’s header from a corner but Mendy pounced to slot home the loose ball. Moments later, Schmeichel made a fine save, sticking out a big right hand to keep out Kulusevski’s drive from the edge of the box.

The Dane was there again on 72 minutes, Harvey White slotting in Emerson Royal but the keeper saved with his legs and White slid the rebound a yard past the far post. Both sides pushed for a winner as more changes came from the two benches, but the deadlock couldn’t be broken and we settled for a draw, although the competitive challenge and minutes into the legs of the players was perhaps more important. Next up – Brentford away in the Premier League on Boxing Day (kick-off 12.30pm UK)!

Highlights on SPURSPLAY

'It was for sure another step'

Antonio Conte told SPURSPLAY after the game: “Honestly, I’m really satisfied with the game because with the players that didn’t go to the World Cup and worked for three-and-a-half weeks... I think when we work, many players can take improvement. It was good and I’m really happy with what I have seen tonight.

“I think it was really important to play and also to see our fans – a good number of fans for a friendly game was really positive for us, it means that our fans believe in us and they want to follow us also in a friendly game. It was a pleasure to play in front of them and it was for sure another step.”

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Doherty 21; Nice – Mendy 47

Referee: Simon Hooper

Attendance: 9,173

Weather: Light rain, light winds, 7 degrees