Shootout win for Under-21s after all-action outing against Rovers

Our Under-21s kicked off their Bristol Street Motors Trophy campaign win a penalty shootout victory at Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night.

Having played out an entertaining 3-3 draw at The Memorial Stadium - Will Lankshear, Mikey Moore and Damola Ajayi all on target - we won the shootout 6-5 for an extra point in Southern Group G, Luca Gunter denying Jake Garrett before substitute Oli Irow converted the winning spot-kick in front of a passionate away end which had provided vocal backing to the team all night.

It was a useful test for our young charges against senior opponents from League One in a contest that yielded plenty of action. Lankshear scored the goal of the game with a great strike from distance but sadly limped off in the latter stages while Moore - making his first appearance for the Under-21s since May, 2023, and his debut in this competition - netted from a virtually impossible angle through the legs of goalkeeper Matt Hall, before Ajayi came up with a composed finish following a mistake at the back to make it 3-2. Luke McCormick's header ensured the 90 minutes ended all square, after earlier goals from Isaac Hutchinson and Kofi Shaw for the hosts.

Rovers needed only seven minutes to take the lead as Hutchinson - the only player to retain his place in the starting line-up from their League One draw with Rotherham at the weekend - advanced towards the box and fired in through the legs of covering defender Maeson King. The hosts squandered a couple of subsequent chances but we equalised on 26 minutes thanks to a wonderful strike from Lankshear. The front man scored 32 goals last season but this was arguably better than any of them as he collected the ball after an excellent run and subsequent 50/50 tackle from Moore at the edge of the box, took a touch and fired brilliantly into the far top corner.

Hutchinson sent an angled shot over the top at the other end but we made a great start to the second half, Ajayi denied by keeper Hall at the end of a good team move before Moore outfoxed the custodian at his near post as he fired through his legs and into the net from a very tight angle on the left to put us in front in the 50th minute.

Half-time substitute Ruel Sotiriou was a threat for Rovers, heading against the post and sending another aerial attempt over the bar before Shaw blasted home a 56th-minute leveller after a corner was knocked down to him in the box. The pendulum swung again as the second period continued, Ajayi denied by Hall and Moore's effort on the follow-up charged down by Joel Senior before we regained the lead on the 70-minute mark. Moore conceded a free-kick inside the hosts' half but intercepted Hall's miscued set-piece and sent Ajayi racing away towards the unguarded net, with the forward keeping his composure amidst retreating bodies to roll clinically into the bottom corner.

Again, we couldn't maintain the advantage as McCormick guided home Hutchinson's cross with a stooping header 13 minutes from time to make it 3-3. McCormick, Sotiriou and Garrett all tried shots for Rovers while Tyrese Hall was denied by his namesake between the sticks but with neither side able to find a winner, the spoils were shared and a penalty shootout ensued for an extra point. Both teams scored their first five spot-kicks but after Gunter kept out Garrett's effort away to his left, it was down to Irow to convert and send us back to north London on a positive note.

The squad subsequently enjoyed a catch-up with members of our Somerset Spurs Official Supporters' Club, who once again turned up in large numbers to support the team in the south-west of the country.

Penalty shootout

Bristol Rovers - Senior - scored
Spurs - Moore - scored
Bristol Rovers - Hutchinson - scored
Spurs - Hall - scored
Bristol Rovers - McCormick - scored
Spurs - Williams - scored
Bristol Rovers - Sotiriou - scored
Spurs - Cassanova - scored
Bristol Rovers - Taylor - scored
Spurs - Abbott - scored
Bristol Rovers - Garrett - saved
Spurs - Irow - scored

Match data

Goals: Bristol Rovers - Hutchinson 7, Shaw 56, McCormick 77; Spurs - Lankshear 26, Moore 50, Ajayi 70.

Yellow cards: Bristol Rovers - Forbes 50, Senior 90+7; Spurs - McKnight 53, Moore 69.

Referee: James Oldham.

Venue: The Memorial Stadium, Bristol.

Weather: Sunny, moderate breeze, 15 degrees.

Attendance: 1,584.