National League Cup action returns

Our Under-21s are back in action this week, making the trip to Kent to take on Ebbsfleet United in the National League Cup on Tuesday at 7pm (GMT).

Wayne Burnett's side will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing defeat to Reading in Premier League 2 on Friday night, as the Royals came from behind to win 4-1 at the Lamex.

Last time out in this competition we were involved in a 10-goal thriller, coming back from 4-1 down to secure a 5-5 draw away at Dagenham & Redbridge, before prevailing on penalties to take a bonus point which leaves us top of Group D - albeit four clubs are yet to kick off their campaigns.

Coverage

You'll be able to watch every kick of the action live via SPURSPLAY and we'll keep you up to date via the Spurs App & socials, with a full match report to follow after the final whistle.

Tickets

Tickets for this fixture are on sale for both home and away fans via the Ebbsfleet United website, with prices as follows:

Adults: £8

Concessions: £5

Young Adults (17-21): £5

Youth (13-17): £5

Under-12s: £1

The Opposition

Ebbsfleet United returned to the fifth tier last season for the first time since 2019/20, having been relegated on points per game in a curtailed campaign due to the pandemic.

That return was marked with a respectable 19th-placed finish, entering the final day with their fate in their own hands and holding Boreham Wood to a 0-0 draw at Meadow Park, enough to secure survival and relegate the opposition at the same time.

However this campaign has been much tougher going so far, with United finding themselves at the foot of the National League table, with just one win and seven points from their opening 16 fixtures, eight points from safety.

They sunk into the relegation places following a 5-1 drubbing away at Gateshead on the opening day, and are yet to emerge from the bottom four, following that result with further defeats against Barnet, Yeovil and Woking.

A first point of the season was earned with a 0-0 draw away at newly promoted Braintree Town, but a turbulent August ended with another defeat, being edged 1-0 by Halifax Town at the Kuflink Stadium.

Danny Searle's reign ended with a 4-0 defeat to Altrincham, before a first home point of the season courtesy of a 0-0 draw with Aldershot Town. That was followed by a tight 1-0 win over Hartlepool United in new manager Harry Watling's first game, with Rakish Bingham ending a 580-minute wait for a goal.

A trip to Sutton United produced a five-goal thriller but it was defeat again for the Fleet, who ended September with defeats to Maidenhead United and Oldham Athletic, both via a 2-1 scoreline.

October started with a 2-2 draw against West Brom's Under-21 side in this competition, with Watling's side prevailing on spot-kicks, which was followed up with a 2-2 draw against Rochdale in the National League, and a 3-1 win over League Two Gillingham in the Kent Senior Cup.

A run of three defeats against Maidstone United, York City and Forest Green Rovers saw them ship 10 goals and only score one in response, but they come into this fixture off the back of another 2-2 draw this time against Wealdstone at the Kuflink Stadium, coming from 2-0 down to rescue a point for the second home game in succession thanks to 86th and 91st minute goals from Aaron Cosgrave and Kwame Thomas.

One to watch

Forward Dominic Poleon is now into his fourth full season with the Fleet, having joined as a free agent in February 2021.

Poleon started his football career in the academy at Chelsea until the age of 15, a two-year switch to Southend followed before a move to Leeds United in 2010. He made his debut two years later, coming on as a substitute during a 4-0 win over Shrewsbury Town in the EFL Cup, and scored his first goal a year later in the same competition, the winner in a 2-1 victory over Chesterfield, going on to score four times in 37 games.

Poleon joined Oldham on deadline day in September 2014, spending two seasons at Boundary Park and bagging 11 goals in 68 games for the Latics, before returning to London with AFC Wimbledon for a single season, notching 16 goal involvements in 49 appearances.

The next three years yielded 84 appearances and 13 goals across spells at Bradford City, Crawley Town and Newport County, however failing to score for the latter spelled the end of his time in the EFL after over 250 appearances and 43 goals.

Since signing at the Kuflink Stadium he's scored 74 times in 144 appearances in all competitions, and received his first call up for St. Lucia, bagging a hat-trick in his second cap against Sint Maarten. He is currently the club's top scorer for the season, bagging four times in 14 appearances this season.

Head to head

The two sides have only met once before, in a thrilling 2-2 draw back in a pre-season friendly in 2019, in which we came from behind twice thanks to an own goal and an Elliott Thorpe strike.