Soonsup-Bell on target as Under-21s draw with Palace

Jude Soonsup-Bell scored his first goal for the Club as our Under-21s battled out a 1-1 home draw with Crystal Palace on Monday night.

Brought in during the January transfer window to add some extra firepower to our Development Squad's attacking ranks, the striker got himself off the mark on his third start in our colours when he converted Romaine Mundle's low delivery to give us the lead in first-half stoppage time at Stevenage's Lamex Stadium.

It proved to be a short-lived advantage, though, as Ademola Ola-Adebomi poked home an equaliser for Palace just over a minute into the second period and with neither side able to fashion any meaningful chances thereafter, the spoils were shared, continuing our unbeaten run in the Premier League 2 since the turn of the year and moving us back out of the bottom two.

With a clash of styles between the sides, there was very little in the way of clear opportunities although we arguably had the better of the first half, Mundle twice testing goalkeeper Owen Goodman from the left angle inside the box, with Brooklyn Lyons-Foster just unable to convert Alfie Devine's flick-on following a corner before again getting forward from the back and firing over the bar following a good solo run.

Mundle was denied by a great block in the Palace box following good work by Soonsup-Bell to keep possession close to the byline, before the opener arrived two minutes into first-half stoppage time. Kallum Cesay embarked on an excellent run through the middle of the pitch before sliding the ball in to Mundle on the left, his subsequent low delivery turned home by Soonsup-Bell at the near post.

Lyons-Foster was forced off at half-time after taking a knock shortly before the end of the first period and that disruption to our defence was felt within seconds of the restart as Daniel Imray's low drive across the box from the right was prodded inside the far post by Ola-Adebomi. Lyons-Foster's replacement, Charlie Sayers, later roamed forward from the back and fired fractionally wide as space opened up for him at the edge of the Palace box, while Max Robson and Under-18s player George Abbott - both usually midfielders - put in admirable displays in the full-back positions as we stood up well to Palace's threats and looked to push forward at every opportunity. Mundle's late shot from distance was routinely stopped by Goodman before one final chance fell to us in the fourth minute of added time, Roshaun Mathurin's angled drive well saved by Goodman with the arriving Robson seeing his shot on the follow-up deflected over the bar.

Reaction on SPURSPLAY

'Probably a fair result'

Under-21s Coach Wayne Burnett told SPURSPLAY afterwards: "I thought it was a very tight, close game with limited chances for both teams, not the most entertaining of games but I'm pleased with certain elements. We competed very well and overall I think a draw was probably a fair result. Jude is getting up to speed, he gives us something a little bit different, he's a real number nine, gets in the frame of the goal and he's been a really good addition for us. We knew at half-time that Crystal Palace were going to come after us, knew they were going to press us and they actually picked the ball up deep in their own half on the left-hand side, managed to switch the play, we didn't make contact quick enough and they've managed to score, which was disappointing from our point of view because we felt we had them in a good position.

"We've had five games (since the turn of the year) now and we've won three and drawn two, so the run continues. We need to continue to pick points up but I'm pleased with the application and competitiveness tonight. I didn't think we played particularly well with the ball in possession, but overall I'm pleased that we haven't got beaten, disappointed after we perhaps could have nicked it at the end - one of their players made a fantastic block - but probably if I'm being honest, overall a draw was probably a fair result."

Match data

Goals: Spurs - Soonsup-Bell 45+2; Crystal Palace - Ola-Adebomi 47.

Yellow cards: Spurs - Mundle 56, Robson 68, Soonsup-Bell 89; Crystal Palace - Ola-Adebomi 54, Grehan 75, Imray 90+1.

Referee: James Durkin.

Venue: Lamex Stadium, Stevenage.

Weather: Cloudy, three degrees.

Attendance: 367.