QUEENS PARK RANGERS 2-6 SPURS XI
Our Spurs XI team ran out 6-2 winners against QPR in blustery conditions at Rangers' Harlington Training Ground on Tuesday afternoon.
Our starting line-up included a return to action from injury for David Button, who is currently on loan with Leyton Orient.
The goalkeeper was in fine form as well and capped his display with a late penalty save.
QPR fielded some experienced players in their starting XI with DJ Campbell, Fitz Hall, Akos Buzacky and Jason Puncheon all included.
It was Tim Sherwood’s team that took the early initiative and almost gained the lead in the second minute as Simon Dawkins found the back of the net, only to be denied by the linesman's flag.
However it wasn’t long before Dawkins was able to open the scoring as he found himself through on goal in the ninth minute after some neat footwork from Cristian Ceballos. Dawkins showed great composure to lift the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper to give us the lead.
Despite the early dominance our lead was only intact for three minutes as, against the run of play, QPR equalised after they were quickest to react after Button had saved smartly from a close-range effort.
Lifted by the goal, QPR then went close to taking the lead as DJ Campbell saw his strike creep inches wide of the right-hand post.
However our lads then started to dominate proceedings once again as John Bostock, Cameron Lancaster and Souleymane Coulibaly all went close.
We were able to go into the break with a two goal advantage as Ryan Mason, excellent throughout, scored back-to-back goals in the moments leading up to half-time.
His first came after some fine work from Ceballos down the right-hand side as he danced around QPR’s defence before cutting the ball back for Mason to finish from six yards.
Ceballos was also the provider for our third goal as he showed great vision to spot the late run of Mason in the penalty area.
Conditions worsened in the second half and Akos Buzacky almost made use of the strong winds as his free-kick from the left-hand side in the 47th minute almost nestled in the bottom corner.
QPR continued to press and had it not have been for a flying save from Button they would have found a route back into the game. Buzacky then tested Button once again from a set-piece but he was equal to everything that was thrown at him.
There was nothing that Button could do to deny QPR from scoring their second goal as Jake Nicholson was adjudged to have committed a foul in the penalty area and Buzacky found the top right-hand corner from the resulting spot-kick.
Our lads reacted to QPR’s persistence and created numerous chances before Cameron Lancaster restored the two-goal advantage in 65th minute with a precise finish from the edge of the penalty area.
The lads continued to threaten the QPR goal before Ceballos grabbed a well-deserved goal, slotting home from 10 yards to make the score 5-2.
The youngsters could have scored many more in the final 10 minutes and eventually found their sixth goal of the game as substitute Kudus Oyenuga smashed a left-footed strike into the roof of the net.
There was still time for Button to cap his return by denying QPR a consolation goal from the penalty spot.
Our Spurs XI team ran out 6-2 winners against QPR in blustery conditions at Rangers' Harlington Training Ground on Tuesday afternoon.
Our starting line-up included a return to action from injury for David Button, who is currently on loan with Leyton Orient.
The goalkeeper was in fine form as well and capped his display with a late penalty save.
QPR fielded some experienced players in their starting XI with DJ Campbell, Fitz Hall, Akos Buzacky and Jason Puncheon all included.
It was Tim Sherwood’s team that took the early initiative and almost gained the lead in the second minute as Simon Dawkins found the back of the net, only to be denied by the linesman's flag.
However it wasn’t long before Dawkins was able to open the scoring as he found himself through on goal in the ninth minute after some neat footwork from Cristian Ceballos. Dawkins showed great composure to lift the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper to give us the lead.
Despite the early dominance our lead was only intact for three minutes as, against the run of play, QPR equalised after they were quickest to react after Button had saved smartly from a close-range effort.
Lifted by the goal, QPR then went close to taking the lead as DJ Campbell saw his strike creep inches wide of the right-hand post.
However our lads then started to dominate proceedings once again as John Bostock, Cameron Lancaster and Souleymane Coulibaly all went close.
We were able to go into the break with a two goal advantage as Ryan Mason, excellent throughout, scored back-to-back goals in the moments leading up to half-time.
His first came after some fine work from Ceballos down the right-hand side as he danced around QPR’s defence before cutting the ball back for Mason to finish from six yards.
Ceballos was also the provider for our third goal as he showed great vision to spot the late run of Mason in the penalty area.
Conditions worsened in the second half and Akos Buzacky almost made use of the strong winds as his free-kick from the left-hand side in the 47th minute almost nestled in the bottom corner.
QPR continued to press and had it not have been for a flying save from Button they would have found a route back into the game. Buzacky then tested Button once again from a set-piece but he was equal to everything that was thrown at him.
There was nothing that Button could do to deny QPR from scoring their second goal as Jake Nicholson was adjudged to have committed a foul in the penalty area and Buzacky found the top right-hand corner from the resulting spot-kick.
Our lads reacted to QPR’s persistence and created numerous chances before Cameron Lancaster restored the two-goal advantage in 65th minute with a precise finish from the edge of the penalty area.
The lads continued to threaten the QPR goal before Ceballos grabbed a well-deserved goal, slotting home from 10 yards to make the score 5-2.
The youngsters could have scored many more in the final 10 minutes and eventually found their sixth goal of the game as substitute Kudus Oyenuga smashed a left-footed strike into the roof of the net.
There was still time for Button to cap his return by denying QPR a consolation goal from the penalty spot.
Spurs (3-5-2):
Button
Nicholson - Veljkovic - Bongani
Barthram (Sheriff, 64) - Bostock - Mason - Dawkins - Ceballos
Coulibaly (Oyenuga, 68) - Lancaster
Button
Nicholson - Veljkovic - Bongani
Barthram (Sheriff, 64) - Bostock - Mason - Dawkins - Ceballos
Coulibaly (Oyenuga, 68) - Lancaster
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