Spirited Under-21s fall short against Wolves

Our Under-21s suffered a 3-2 home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday night - a somewhat harsh outcome after a spirited performance at the Lamex Stadium.

Dani Angel's opener for the visitors on the counter-attack represented their only real chance of a first half we largely controlled, Oli Irow's headed equaliser in stoppage time at the end of that period coming as just reward for the team's endeavours.

Unfortunately, though, we couldn't really take it up another gear after the break and Wolves ultimately won the game with two goals in three minutes with just under a quarter-of-an-hour to play, Myles Dayman lashing home after a great goal-line block from defender Maeson King, before Tom Edozie fired in on the break, despite goalkeeper Aaron Maguire getting a strong touch on the ball.

Max Robson, who had seen a trio of chances slip away in the opening stages of the game, flicked home at the near post from the excellent Tyrese Hall's corner two minutes from the end of normal time to set up a grandstand finish, but we couldn't find a way to wrestle back what would have been a deserved point and, frustratingly, ended up empty-handed.

You sensed that we could and arguably should have taken more from the opening 45 minutes, with three opportunities slipping away from Robson in the early moments. First, his low angled shot was tipped towards the base of the far post by goalkeeper Josh Gracey - Jaden Williams denied by a fine tackle from behind by defender Filozofe Mabete as he tried to reach the rebound - before he got underneath Irow's cross from the left with a header that looped onto the foot of the opposite upright. Yusuf Akhamrich then delivered another teasing cross from the same flank, but the midfielder couldn't steer the ball on target on the stretch.

In amongst all that, Williams saw a good header saved by Gracey but as we reached the 25th minute, Wolves snatched the lead. Angel burst forward on the counter and saw his initial shot from the right angle repelled by Maguire, but managed to steer the rebound back into the net in one movement to break the deadlock. It would have been harsh if we'd gone in behind at the break, but in the third added minute at the end of that period we got back level as Irow met Hall's left-sided cross with a pinpoint glancing header that flew inside the far post.

Irow fired over the bar while Damola Ajayi's intelligent clipped effort under pressure landed on top of the net in the opening stages of the second half, but Wolves weren't allowing us as much control and after Angel failed to connect with a free header in the middle of the box, they took the lead when Dayman struck home after King had made a brilliant block on the line. That was in the 77th minute and just two minutes later, it was 3-1 as Edozie ran onto an excellent long ball down the right side, racing through the middle of the pitch before pulling the trigger - Maguire appeared at first to have saved it after getting a strong touch, but it wasn't enough to prevent the ball from creeping inside his right-hand post.

Maguire subsequently tipped over Leo Lopes' snap-shot from distance but we didn't give up and after Hall's corner was flicked in at the near post by Robson in the 88th minute, it was game on for the remainder of the contest, which included six minutes of added time. Unfortunately, though, we couldn't find that one chance we needed and the visitors escaped with the points.

Match data

Goals: Spurs - Irow 45+3, Robson 88; Wolves - Angel 25, Dayman 77, Edozie 79.

Yellow cards: Spurs - Akhamrich 21, Williams 36, Hall 74.

Referee: Isaac Searle.

Venue: Lamex Stadium, Stevenage.

Weather: Light rain, moderate breeze, 12 degrees.

Attendance: 336.