I'm just trying to work out the league table online, as it shows Wolves in a different group to us (they are North we are South).
Yes, clubs play each team in their own group twice (home & away) and the other 11 clubs outside their group just once (either at home or away) for a total of 31 games in the season...
Spurs U18s 5-1 Wolves U18s
Daniel Akindayini completed the perfect hat-trick in the second half as our Under-18s thumped Wolves 5-1 on Saturday.
The striker scored with his right and left feet, before completing his treble with a stoppage time header after Anton Walkes and Kyle Walker-Peters had put us in command at the Training Centre.
Leading the southern section of the Barclays Under-18 Premier League, the lads wasted no time in establishing their authority against the visitors – Will Miller and Josh Onomah both going close with shots in the opening two minutes.
Lloyd Ross curled a right-footed shot just off target, before we took a 16th minute lead through Walkes. He forced the loose ball home through a crowd of bodies in the six-yard box after Akindayini’s initial effort from Walker-Peters’ cut-back was blocked.
Onomah produced a diving save from Wolves goalkeeper Harry Burgoyne, but while we enjoyed long spells of possession we didn’t create too many clear-cut chances as the first half went on.
Sensing an opportunity, the visitors put us under sustained pressure in the lead-up to the interval with Carlo Erdei’s shot being deflected behind for a corner by Cameron Carter-Vickers before Declan Weeks’ drive was blocked by Shayon Harrison.
Akindayini’s shot on the turn cleared the bar at the other end, as we entered half-time with a narrow advantage.
That lead was swiftly doubled after the restart, however. After drifting a shot over the bar on 47 minutes, Walker-Peters had the ball in the net 60 seconds later when his effort from the left-side crept inside the far post.
Five minutes later, Ryan Loft was introduced up front for his Under-18s debut – and he nearly scored with his first touch! He swiped at Walker-Peters’ cross and, after his initial goal-bound shot was blocked by a defender, he returned the ball with interest towards the far corner but it squeezed the wrong side of the upright.
Akindayini added our third goal on 57 minutes, his right-footed effort from the left side of the box finding its way in at the near post after taking a touch off a defender.
The visitors tried to retaliate on 64 minutes, first when Ashley Carter’s in-swinging corner forced goalkeeper Harry Voss to claw the ball away at the back post and then again when Erdei rifled a shot towards goal which cleared the crossbar.
A great move in the 74th minute almost resulted in us adding to our lead, but Loft’s rasping right-footer sailed over the top after good build-up play from Ross and Akindayini.
Wolves pulled a goal back on 83 minutes when Ryan Rainey exchanged passes with substitute Ross Finnie and drilled into the bottom corner of the net from a tight angle.
But we restored our three-goal lead four minutes later when Ross released Loft and he picked out Akindayini in space on the left, the striker delicately clipping inside the far post with his left foot.
The scoring was completed three minutes into stoppage time when substitute Chris Paul’s lofted ball in from the right saw Akindayini crash home a close-range header to round off his treble.
Spurs:
Voss, Walkes, Walker-Peters, Lesniak, Maghoma, Carter-Vickers (Campbell-Young 60), Onomah (Loft 53), Ross, Akindayini, Harrison, Miller (Paul 69)
Subs (not used): Goddard, Priestley (GK)