Under-18s end 2024 in winning fashion

Our Under-18s rounded off their fixtures for the calendar year in winning fashion on Saturday, seeing off Norwich City 3-1 at Hotspur Way.

Well-worked goals in the first half finished off by Ellis Lehane and George Feeney put us in control and despite a below-par showing in the second period, we extended our lead with just under a quarter-of-an-hour left when Luca Williams-Barnett capitalised on a mistake at the back and fired home.

The visitors, who had threatened throughout the second half, pulled one back through substitute Damari Daley but we held on to claim victory, with six Under-16 players seeing action over the course of the game – including five on the pitch at the same time by the end – in another big positive for us.

Feeney missed his kick in the box while Tynan Thompson – again proving a threat coming in off the left flank – fired against the crossbar as we started well, with our pressure rewarded in the 14th minute when Lehane latched onto a good ball down the left and slotted low past goalkeeper Henry Bullen.

Thompson tested Bullen later on while our stopper Blake Irow marked his first Under-18 Premier League start with a fine save from Ben Tree, but we took firm control in the 27th minute when Dexter Oliver pushed on down the left and set up Feeney, who made no mistake this time as he converted from inside the box to make it 2-0.

We’d been bright and lively for much of the first half but unfortunately we couldn’t maintain that attacking impetus and Norwich found themselves in the game more during the second period. They caused us problems from a corner after the break and then went close when Finley Corke fired towards goal, denied only by a superb diving save from Irow.

We were able to grab a third goal in the 76th minute, though, when Norwich fluffed their lines at the back and Williams-Barnett fired in, but the visitors – who were captained by our former defender Theo Adelusi at centre-half – kept going and made it 3-1 in the 82nd minute when Daley pushed on towards the edge of the box and lashed inside the near post.

We weren’t without chances of our own, Lehane just unable to divert Thompson’s dangerous low delivery on target, but Norwich continued to look for a way through right up until the end, Daley firing their best opportunity over the bar in stoppage time.

‘It’s been a tough week for the squad’

Under-18s Coach Stuart Lewis dedicated the win to forward Reiss Elliott-Parris and his family after the young striker’s cousin, Kaylen Dennis – known to many in the footballing community including some of our other players – passed away this week. A minute’s silence was held for the former Barnet and Walthamstow FC player before kick-off.

“It’s been a really tough week for the squad and for Reiss Elliott-Parris in particular, whose cousin passed away, so we’re sending all our condolences to Reiss and his family at this tough time. I think the boys showed a real strength of character and we dedicate that to Reiss and his family,” he said.

“In the first half we were excellent and we were probably slightly disappointed to be going in at only 2-0 with the amount of final-third entries we had and the amount of times we arrived in their penalty box – we’d have probably wanted to be three or four goals up – but it was a really positive first-half performance where I loved our style of play and I thought there was real dominance.”