Akhamrich treble caps big win for Under-21s against Boro

Yusuf Akhamrich bagged a hat-trick as our Under-21s romped to their biggest win of the season at home to Middlesbrough on Friday lunchtime.

The left winger opened the scoring with just five minutes gone at Hotspur Way, subsequently adding two more amid a commanding team performance that saw us run out 6-1 winners.

Oli Irow contributed his first competitive at this level in the first half, before Callum Olusesi and Damola Ajayi capitalised on some wayward clearances from goalkeeper Shea Connor to add their names to the scoresheet.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t hold onto what would have been our first clean sheet of the season, as Hazeem Bakre swept home a consolation for Boro two minutes from time.

In what was our first Under-21s game for nearly a month, we got straight on the front foot and after Irow, who was playing at centre-forward, was denied by Connor, Akhamrich fired inside the near post from the left angle to give us the lead inside five minutes. Irow then came up with a good finish from the edge of the box in the 19th minute after being played in by Rio Kyerematen as we made our control of the game count, and within 60 seconds it was 3-0 as Olusesi latched onto Connor’s scuffed clearance after good pressure from Irow and slotted into the empty net from distance.

Akhamrich’s cushioned effort flew just off-target but he netted his second in some style with six minutes to go until half-time, picking the ball up in a congested area on the left and embarking on a weaving solo run into the box before firing home. Irow then latched onto an excellent ball forward from Maeson King and seemed on course to double his own tally, but was thwarted by a well-timed tackle from Boro defender Harley Hunt.

We were forced into a change between the sticks at half-time with Aaron Maguire feeling unwell and being replaced by Elliot Krasniqi, who has been picking up some experience of senior football with a work experience loan spell at Hertfordshire side Bishop’s Stortford of late. But it was his counterpart from Middlesbrough who found himself under more pressure during the second half, another misplaced clearance going straight to Ajayi, who went through and clipped it over the advancing keeper to make it 5-0 on the hour mark.

Ajayi and Akhamrich later went close before the latter rounded off his treble in the 80th minute, exhibiting some more good footwork at the left-hand corner of the box before firing across goal and into the far corner. Unfortunately, though, we couldn’t see out the clean sheet as Middblesbrough substitute Frankie Coulson’s low ball across our box from the left was turned home by Bakre with two minutes of normal time left.

There was still time for Reiss Elliott-Parris – up from the Under-18s for his debut at this level, along with Miracle Adewole – to race onto a long ball forward and go through on goal, but he fired wide. Nevertheless, it was a superb return to winning ways for Wayne Burnett’s side ahead of a busy week of action across three different competitions.

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Akhamrich 5, 39, 80, Irow 19, Olusesi 20, Ajayi 60; Middlesbrough – Bakre 88.

Yellow cards: Spurs – King 45+1, McKnight 67; Middlesbrough – Nkrumah 33, Stott 44, Traore 65, Patterson-Powell 90+2.

Referee: Ross Martin.

Venue: Hotspur Way, Enfield.

Weather: Sunny, gentle breeze, seven degrees.

Attendance: 124.