A double from Will Lankshear secured a final PL2 win of the regular league season for table-topping Tottenham Hotspur over Fulham’s under 21s at Motspur Park this evening in the Whites’ final fixture before the play-offs get underway.
Lankshear, who also hit the post, second either side of half time to give Spurs an impressive victory, although the hosts spurned several clear-cut chances in the first half and will be disappointed not to have got something out of this London derby. Head coach Hayden Mullins made four changes from the side that hammered Chelsea in the Premier League Cup last Friday night and switched to a 5-3-2 system – with Conor McAvoy and Samuel Amissah returning to the starting line-up.
Fulham made the sharper start with Lemar Gordon delivering an inviting low cross but Callum Osmand didn’t muster enough conviction with his finish. The visitors went in front through their first real chance of the game as Lankshear converted a loose ball in the box after Jamie Donley’s pass had hit Delano McCoy-Splatt and fallen kindly for the in-form forward.
Adrion Pajaziti wasted a good chance to equalise almost immediately when the midfielder sent a header wide from Devan Tanton’s cross and the home side were fortunate to escape when Lankshear fired wide having been put through in a one-on-one with the recalled Alfie McNally.
Mullins’ men kept probing for a leveller but brilliant defending from Rio Kyerematen prevented Aaron Loupalo-Bi from getting a shot away when well placed and Osmand headed onto the roof of the net after Tanton had progressed into another promising crossing position along the right flank. Amissah might also have brought Fulham level before half time but he missed the target with a free header at the far post after making contract with Gordon’s fine ball in.
A tight second half saw both goalkeepers make good saves. Lankshear forced a fine stop from McNally before Tottenham’s Luca Gunter parried a powerful drive from distance by Pajaziti. Lankshear hit the post with a fierce drive but then made the points safe for Spurs thirteen minutes from time when he finished off a flowing 29-pass move by clinically converting a through ball from Kyerematen to score his eighteenth league goal of an outstanding campaign.
Fulham kept pushing in the closing stages but Gunter excelled himself again, using his feet to keep out another effort from Osmand, before Gordon lashed the follow-up against the crossbar. Mullins’ side finish the league stage in third place in the table – and will have to wait to find out who will finish fourteenth as most of the rest of the top flight still have a game to play.
FULHAM UNDER 21s (5-3-2): McNally; Tanton, Amissah, de Fougerolles, McAvoy (Nwoko 82), Araujo (Slade 68); McCoy-Splatt, Gordon, Pajaziti; Osmand, Loupalo-Bi (Works 80). Subs (not used): Underwood, Olyott.
BOOKED: McAvoy, Pajaziti.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR UNDER 21s (4-2-3-1): Gunter; Kyerematen, M. King, Dorrington (Ashcroft 72), Cassanova; Abbott, Hall (Akhamrich 75); John, Santiago (Linton 84), Donley; Lankshear (Williams 84). Subs (not used): Archer.
BOOKED: Lankshear, Santiago, Hall.
GOALS: Lankshear (13, 79).
REFEREE: Gary Parsons.
