Spurs Under-21s ended their Premier League 2 campaign with a 1-0 win over West Ham United, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a bottom two finish in the table. The team needed to win by three clear goals to secure top-flight safety, but after taking an early lead through Jamie Donley, they couldn’t press home the advantage. West Ham goalkeeper Krisztian Hegyi made a string of fine saves throughout the remainder of the first half as Spurs sought to rack up the amount of goals required. With the visitors happy to sit in, Spurs struggled to create anything in the way of clear-cut opportunities after the break and were reduced to 10 men in the last couple of minutes when substitute Kallum Cesay was shown a straight red card after an incident involving West Ham’s Regan Clayton. Romaine Mundle also saw red after the final whistle as a challenging campaign at this level ended with a 13th-place finish.
Despite the disappointing season, player development remains at the forefront of the club’s priorities. The brave performances on show in spells on Sunday – and for much of the second half of the campaign – certainly point towards a bright future for the Academy starlets. Three members of the starting XI and two substitutes played in the Under-18 Premier League Cup final-winning side at Aston Villa on Thursday, with the group once more able to draw on the experience of Lucas Moura, who again showed his professionalism with a thoroughly committed display. Fellow first team squad members Pape Matar Sarr and Brandon Austin also picked up valuable game time, the latter keeping a clean sheet on his first appearance at this level in over two years.
Spurs had a whiff of an opening seven minutes from time when Alfie Devine flicked on Mundle’s corner at the near post, but the ball arrived at an awkward height for substitute Nile John at the far post and he could only cushion a shot over the bar. Cesay’s red card for lashing out at Clayton after the latter’s initial challenge on him in the 89th minute didn’t help Spurs’ cause but, with no further chances coming their way, they couldn’t add to the scoreline. The team ended up level on points with Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham but, while they’re outside the drop zone, Spurs are below them on goal difference. Only two points separate them from ninth-place Manchester United in a congested lower half of the table.
In conclusion, while the season may not have gone as planned for Spurs Under-21s, the team showed glimpses of promise and potential. With player development always at the forefront, the club will continue to work towards building a strong foundation for the future.
